Steroids
Your body’s adrenal glands make a natural steroid hormone called cortisol, a powerful anti-inflammatory. But sometimes we need an extra punch of steroids in our bodies to fight off an acute illness or inflammation. This is when prescription steroids, like the commonly used prednisone, are valuable. Grossman describes prednisone as a ‘double-edged sword’ because when you start taking the medication ‘your adrenal glands will say, ‘Hey, we’re getting the steroid from a pill. Let’s go on vacation.’’
If you stop taking the steroid suddenly, your body’s adrenal glands will need about a week or two to wake up and start making cortisol again. Weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain may ensue, due to the low levels of cortisol in your system. A doctor can slowly wean you off the steroids and ease your body back into making cortisol on its own again without the horrible withdrawal effects.
