Side effects of glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids are not unfamiliar to everyone. Perhaps everyone knows some of its benefits. For example, glucocorticoids can stimulate the hematopoietic function of the bone marrow, increase the content of red blood cells and hemoglobin; increase platelets and increase fibrinogen concentration, shorten coagulation time; increase the number of neutrophils, but reduce their migration and phagocytosis functions; and reduce lymphocytes, alkaloids and eosinophils in the blood, etc.

However, everyone should also pay attention that glucocorticoids also have side effects. Some consequences caused by long-term and large doses may be ignored by everyone, but this often endangers our health and these should not be underestimated.

Next, let me tell you about the side effects of glucocorticoids.

Adverse reactions caused by long-term and excessive use. 1. Hypercorticism syndrome. Moon face, buffalo hump, hypertension, hirsutism, diabetes, thinning skin, etc. It is caused by metabolic disorders caused by GCS. 2. Induce or aggravate infection. The main reason is that hormones reduce the body's resistance to pathogenic microorganisms. 3. Induce or aggravate ulcer disease. 4. Induce hypertension and arteriosclerosis. 5. Osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and delayed wound healing. 6. Induce mental illness and epilepsy. 7. Inhibit children's growth and development. 8. Others: negative nitrogen balance, increased appetite, hypocalcemia, tendency to hyperglycemia, peptic ulcer, euphoria. 9. Femoral head necrosis (During the treatment of SARS, 300 patients were registered in Beijing, and they lost their ability to work due to the large amount of glucocorticoids used in the treatment of SARS.

Discontinuation reaction 1. Adrenal cortex atrophy or insufficiency. For long-term users, reducing the dosage too quickly or stopping the medication suddenly may cause adrenal cortex insufficiency. Long-term use of GCS may cause cortical atrophy. If the drug is stopped suddenly, such as when a stressful situation occurs, adrenal crisis may occur due to the lack of GCS in the body. 2. Rebound phenomenon and discontinuation symptoms.

Glucocorticoids can cause side effects in some people, so we should be more cautious when taking them. In addition, glucocorticoids can only play an anti-inflammatory role in the treatment of kidney disease. They cannot solve the problems of renal ischemia, hypoxia and blood flow, and they cannot degrade the already hardened glomeruli. Therefore, if you want to treat kidney disease, you should also seek comprehensive and standardized treatment methods for vasodilation, anti-inflammation, anti-coagulation, and degradation of the fibrotic kidneys.