Cortisone as a drug
Due to their effect on the immune system and on inflammatory reactions, glucocorticoids are very effective drugs for a variety of diseases associated with inflammation, pain or overreactivity of the immune system. When administered externally to the body as a drug, glucocorticoids enhance the effect of the body’s own cortisone. The higher the dose, the stronger the effect.
Cortisone acts on the DNA and activates or inhibits certain genes that control processes in the body. It therefore takes a little time before the desired effect occurs at the target site. This must be taken into account when using cortisone as a drug.
Depending on the preparation, the onset of action can be between 15 minutes and days. But the effect is all the more lasting. Overview: areas of application
- Inflammations of all kinds
- Inflammatory rheumatic (joint) diseases
- Skin Diseases
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Autoimmune diseases
- In high doses as emergency medication for allergic shock
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Insect bites
- Transplants for suppression of the immune system
Notes on application
It is best to take the medicine in the early morning hours (6 – 9 o’clock). This corresponds to the natural rhythm, as the body’s own hormone production is highest during this time. Therapy with cortisone (cortisone), especially long-term therapy, should never be discontinued without consulting your doctor.
The reason for this is, on the one hand, that the body’s own cortisone production can decrease due to external supply. If treatment with cortisone is discontinued abruptly, the body cannot restart its production as quickly. In most cases, this is why the disease worsens. Depending on the patient’s state of health, cardiac arrhythmia and circulatory problems can occur if the treatment is discontinued abruptly.
What should one know about taking cortisone?
Cortisone (cortisone) is a very effective drug. Since its discovery and the associated resounding success in the treatment of many previously untreatable diseases, cortisone has made the headlines particularly because of its serious side effects. Nowadays, it has been recognized that the dosage and the duration of treatment are decisive for the occurrence of side effects.
When are side effects to be expected?
The general rule for treatment with cortisone (cortisone) is: As much as necessary, as little as possible! The risk of side effects increases. A short-term treatment (3 – 4 weeks) is usually harmless.
The same applies to a long-term (i.e. more than 4 weeks), but low-dose application. The probability of the occurrence of undesirable side effects is relatively low. The risk increases if, depending on the severity of the disease, long-term use in high doses is necessary.
When cortisone is administered in tablet form or as an injection into the bloodstream, it is desirable to achieve an effect in many areas of the body. However, side effects can occur due to the large-area distribution. This also applies to the external use of cortisone preparations.
Therefore, a cortisone cream should only be applied on the affected skin areas and not generously on the peripheral areas. When treating with cortisone it is therefore desirable to place a low but effective dose exactly in the diseased area. Nowadays there is a multitude of modern forms of application available which make this possible and make the therapy efficient.
Whether a dose should be considered “high” depends on the type of glucocorticoid chosen for therapy. In the meantime, a large selection of glucocorticoids has been artificially produced. This enables your doctor to adjust the drug therapy exactly to your illness and thus keep the side effects low. – The longer the treatment period
- The greater the distribution in and on the body
- The higher the dosage
