Oral steroids are powerful medicines to reduce the swelling and inflammation of airways. They are usually used during a severe asthma episode. “Oral” means “taken by mouth.” Oral steroids can be pills or liquid.
Examples of oral steroid pills include:
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dexamethasone
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prednisolone
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prednisone
If your child’s doctor has prescribed oral steroids, make sure your child takes the full course of oral steroids. This will help stop your child’s asthma from getting worse.
The course of steroids may last anywhere from 3 to 7 days. There are usually no serious side effects if your child takes oral steroids for this length of time. If oral steroids are to be given longer than 7 to 14 days (1 to 2 weeks), the doctor will slowly reduce the dosage over a period of time.
Possible side effects
Some side effects of oral steroids used for a short time include:
Some side effects of oral steroids used for a long time include:
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increased appetite
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weight gain
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stomach irritation
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facial hair
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thinning of the bones
If your child has taken oral steroids for more than 14 days (2 weeks), the dosage should be slowly decreased over a period of time. Do not stop suddenly. If your child is taking oral steroids for a long time, the doctor should monitor your child carefully.