Suffering from allergies, autoimmune disorders, a breathing disorder, arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, cancer, or ulcerative colitis and the pain associated with these conditions can be debilitating. Often, simple pain relief isn’t sufficient to deal with the effects, discomfort, and pain that comes with these serious conditions. There is a very potent drug on the market, however, that can help reduce these conditions and some of the symptoms that accompany them – prednisone. In fact, in Medicine, there isn’t a strand of the profession that doesn’t prescribe this medication to patients due to its effectiveness in treating inflammation.

What is Prednisone?

Prednisone is a corticosteroid that stops substances in the body which cause inflammation while inhibiting the immune system. It is an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant drug that is very powerful and can have considerable side effects. You should always consult your doctor before taking this medication, and immediately seek help if you experience any shortness of breath, stomach pain, rapid weight gain, changes to vision, blood in stools, or extreme depression. Read all the information that accompanies the drug and seek the advice of a medical professional to fully understand all the mild and serious side effects that come with taking this very strong and aggressive drug.

What is Prednisone Used for?

As mentioned above, this medication is used for a number of serious conditions, skin complaints, and allergies. Below are some of the most common uses:

• To treat some skin conditions
• To treat severe asthma and other breathing disorders
• To alleviate swelling and inflammation for arthritis sufferers
• To treat ulcerative colitis
• To help treat some leukaemias or lymphomas
• To prevent nausea caused by some chemotherapy drugs
• To lower blood calcium levels in patients with bone cancers
• To alleviate inflammatory bowel disease
• To treat the effects of lupus
• To help prevent transplant rejection
• To treat some auto-immune blood conditions
• To assist in alleviating symptoms of Crohn’s Disease.

As you can see, this is a drug with a wide scope that aids in several different disorders and serious medical conditions. The side effects should be fully considered before consulting with your doctor about starting a course of prednisone. You should never suddenly stop taking the medication without discussing it with a health professional first.

The medication can also lower your immune system responses, so when taking it ensure you stay away from people who may have infections or may have recently recovered from a serious infection like measles or chicken pox particularly.

How Does it Work?

This drug is a type of steroid which is an artificial hormone similar to those produced by the adrenal glands. Its anti-inflammatory properties and immune system suppressing abilities stop white blood cells from moving to parts of the body where they might cause swelling and inflammation, like around tumors or in arthritis patients. It can help treat blood cancers like leukaemia because it attacks white blood cells and destroys them.