Why must steroid dose regimens be tapered down?
343362
It depends what you mean by steroids.If you are taking about glucocorticoids such as prednisone,there is a danger that you will have a flare up of the disease for which you were taking the drug.i.e. an autoimmune disease.If you are taking about anabolic steroids you should taper slowly so that your testes will start producing it again otherwise you will have no sex drive.
896067
Normal ! This is normal when tapering off of this steroid.  The problem is, you need to go back up an increment so that the muscle spasms stop.  I would contact your dr and tell him that you're going through Prednisone Withdrawl Symptoms.  He will or at least SHOULD, up your dosage just a very small bit, so that the spasms go away.  Then you need to taper off SLOWER than before or you will end up with spasms in other parts of your body.  I had this trouble years ago, and the muscle spasms were so bad that I needed help from my mom to be able to sit on the toilette.  Horrible experience.  Also, try drinking anything with calcium in it and also eat bannanas.
774091
It is very dangerous to take steroids without being under a doctors care.  Patients are given steroidal medications at certain rates and are also weened from them at a certain rate.  Steroids can cause many adverse effects including uncontrolled blood glucose (one of the side effects can be lightheadedness).  You're taking a lot of chances.  You could potentially be working out to look good at your funeral.
512545
Actually,it does matter when you use corticosteroids because the use causes de-pigmentation and thinning  of your skin.If you use them and expose youtrself to sunlight,your skin will lack protection from the ultraviolet rays of the sun(since the melanocytes are inhibited by the corticosteroid)and you get a lot of damage-this is especially true in people of African descent.Prolonged use of steroids can therefore predispose you toskin cancer as well as Cushing's syndrome etc.\nSo limit your use of them,and never use  during the day  and also,use a sunscreen and moisturiser in the daytime to protect your skin from its effects.
974589
The best thing i can think of is to do the reverse, do it all and then drop one thing at a time and see if it makes any difference.\n\nIf it does, thats the thing you should continue with, if it doesn't then you have eliminated that as part of the successful treatment.\n\nYou may find it is a combination of all of these things that are having a positive effect.\n\nIf that is the case, what is the minimum amount of treatment you need to stay healthy?  Reduce all the treatments by the tiniest bit at a time and see when it starts to make a telling difference, this way you know what the minimum level of treatment should be.\n\n\nI hope this is of some help in finding out - best wishes for a speedy and sustained recovery.
947485
In spite of some other responses, steroid nasal sprays are perfectly fine for recurrent sinus inflammation.  They are typically prescribed for people that have sinus infections over and over.  The amount of steroid that gets into the blood stream through the nose is very minimal and hasn't been shown to cause the side effects that taking oral steroids does.  If you have a serious other condition (such as diabetes or glaucoma) then you should probably not take any steroids, but if you are lucky enough to not have these other conditions, then steroids are perfectly acceptable.
947742
NONE it is dangerous to stop meds cold turkey, taper off!
329449
yes, a lot of it has to do with the hormone levels in your body dropping. I take Aleve or Excedrin around this oh-so-exiting time.
1001780
If the proper "stack" is used and you don't over do it in the gym steroids are pretty safe and give great results. Its the things you hear about "juicers" that give steroid's a bad name. Just remember to do the research and find out what you want from the drug. i.e. more endurance, more muscle mass, or just get stronger. Don't jump into it without knowing what your getting into. Also, its addicting because of the fast gains you will see. \n\nHope this helpes:\n\nAnabolic steroids (AS) are effective in enhancing athletic performance. The trade off, however, is the occurrence of adverse side effects which can jeopardize health. Since AS have effects on several organ systems, a myriad of side effects can be found. In general, the orally administered AS have more adverse effects than parenterally administered AS. In addition, the type of AS is not only important for the advantageous effects, but also for the adverse effects. Especially the AS containing a 17-alkyl group have potentially more adverse affects, in particular to the liver. One of the problems with athletes, in particular strength athletes and bodybuilders, is the use of oral and parenteral AS at the same time ("stacking"), and in dosages which may be several (up to 40 times) the recommended therapeutical dosage. The frequency and severity of side effects is quite variable. It depends on several factors such as type of drug, dosage, duration of use and the individual sensitivity and response.\n\nLiver Function\n\nAS may exert a profound adverse effect on the liver. This is particularly true for orally administered AS. The parenterally administered AS seem to have less serious effects on the liver. Testosterone cypionate, testosterone enanthate and other injectable anabolic steroids seem to have little adverse effects on the liver. However, lesions of the liver have been reported after parenteral nortestosterone administration, and also occasionally after injection of testosterone esters. The influence of AS on liver function has been studied extensively. The majority of the studies involve hospitalized patients who are treated for prolonged periods for various diseases, such as anemia, renal insufficiency, impotence, and dysfunction of the pituitary gland. In clinical trials, treatment with anabolic steroids resulted in a decreased hepatic excretory function. In addition, intra hepatic cholestasis, reflected by itch and jaundice, and hepatic peliosis were observed. Hepatic peliosis is a hemorrhagic cystic degeneration of the liver, which may lead to fibrosis and portal hypertension. Rupture of a cyst may lead to fatal bleeding.\n\nBenign (adenoma's) and malign tumors (hepatocellular carcinoma) have been reported. There are rather strong indications that tumors of the liver are caused when the anabolic steroids contain a 17-alpha-alkyl group. Usually, the tumors are benign adenoma's, that reverse after stopping with steroid administration. However, there are some indications that administration of anabolic steroids in athletes may lead to hepatic carcinoma. Often these abnormalities remain asymptomatic, since peliosis hepatis and liver tumors do not always result in abnormalities in the blood variables that are generally used to measure liver function.\n\nAS use is often associated with an increase in plasma activity of liver enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). These enzymes are present in hepatocytes in relatively high concentrations, and an increase in plasma levels of these enzymes reflect hepatocellular damage or at least increased permeability of the hepatocellular membrane.\n\nIn longitudinal studies of athletes treated with anabolic steroids, contradictory results were obtained on the plasma activity of liver enzymes (AST, AST, LDH, GGT, AP). In some studies, enzymes were i
508048
If you are taking prednisone to treat a long-lasting disease, the medication may help control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to take prednisone even if you feel well. Do not stop taking prednisone without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking prednisone, your body may not have enough natural steroids to function normally. This may cause symptoms such as extreme tiredness, weakness, slowed movements, upset stomach, weight loss, changes in skin color, sores in the mouth, and craving for salt, and may cause death. Call your doctor if you experience these or other unusual symptoms while you are taking decreasing doses of prednisone or after you stop taking the medication.
915658
Steroids.  That's their intended purpose.
309043
If it is not your prescription.....\n\n\ndump it down the toitee!!
1005623
speak with your doctor and see if there is the possibility of starting the weaning process by asking for what is called a maintenance dosage.. that is just enough for you to naturally taper down the amount over time while your body adjusts.. stopping any pain med right away after repeated use can oftenly cause serious withdrawal traits. Addiction to pain meds is very very common.. your doctor should recognize what is happening and be able to help you out. \nGood Luck
214279
I've been on some pretty heavy doses of steroids in the past, the toughest part is preventing yourself from eating everything in the house!  Try and cut down on the salt and processed foods (incredibly high in fat and salt).  Look for alternatives to flavour things like pepper, lemon juice, spices (I went through a Curry phase). This still may not prevent the typical symptoms of steroid use like Chipmunk cheeks and a round tummy, some people just exibit those symptoms.  Just keep an eye on your weight, try and eat healthy, and don't let Lupus stop you from being active.
767866
peak and trough??  these are done before and after you take a medication.  your doctor will change your dosage of your medication based on these to get you in a therapeutic range.  hope this helps
698889
Yes the dosage comes from the pills, the placebos are used to space them out correctly as this would be difficult unless you just take on everyday.
695815
GGT has to do with protein synthesis. In terms of steroid use, they increase synthesis. Just a side effect.