That's Fit

After being diagnosed with cancer I read everything that I could about the disease and what contributes to it. The word "steroid" was implanted in my mind as a big "No No" that contributed to certain cancers. Six years later one of my medical doctors studied all of my medical reports even as far back as childhood, when I had a high ANA reading on a blood test. She immediately referred me to a Rheumatoid specialist to determine if I had lupus. Sure enough I was diagnosed with lupus and one of the first things he mentioned was steroids for the inflammation. I threw up my arms in an "X" as if to ward off the medications that could bring more cancer back into my life. He set me at ease a little bit on the various types of steroids and why I needed them to control the inflammation in my joints, pleurisy (inflammation around lungs), and pericarditis (inflammation around heart).

Both alone and in combination, the powerful steroids estrogen and progesterone and their synthetic equivalents (estrogen derivatives and progestins) can cause breast cancer. The dangerous performance enhancing steroids taken by athletes are male steroid hormonal drugs that build muscle. One of their risks is liver cancer. Corticosteroids are different from the "anabolic steroids" that weightlifters and other athletes sometimes take illegally to increase strength and do not cause cancer. Prednisone is the synthetic corticosteroid preparation most often used in the treatment of lupus. And in some instances to help with inflammation in cancer patients to control pain. Those individuals with organ-threatening diseases like heart, lung, brain, kidney, and liver, usually need corticosteroids in order to prevent loss of function in the organ. In addition to prednisone, some other cortisone derivatives include hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), and dexamethasone (Decadron).

Some of the more common side effects of steroids include changes in appearance such as acne, development of a round or moon-shaped face, and an increased appetite leading to weight gain. Steroids may also cause a redistribution of fat, leading to a swollen face and abdomen, but thin arms and legs. The skin becomes more fragile, which leads to easy bruising. An increase in susceptibility to infections may occur with high doses of steroids. Prednisone may also aggravate diabetes, glaucoma, and high blood pressure, and often increases cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Steroids also can suppress growth in children.