Duration of side effects

Cortisone often has a worse reputation among the population than it actually deserves. As a natural hormone, cortisone takes over many important tasks in the human organism, and in the therapy of many diseases cortisone has many positive effects. Relevant and serious side effects are usually rare and even with a high-dose cortisone therapy usually not present.

If side effects occur, a distinction is made between the consequences of short-term and long-term therapy. However, the duration of the side effects cannot be specified precisely in either case, as it depends strongly on the individual patient, his underlying diseases and the duration and dosage of the cortisone therapy. As a rule, most side effects, such as infections, wound healing disorders or immunosuppression, are of a short-term nature.

The condition returns to normal quickly after cessation of therapy. Some side effects may last longer. These include thinning of the skin (skin atrophy) with locally applied cortisone.

This skin damage can even be irreversible, which is why cortisone preparations are handled very carefully, especially in sensitive skin areas such as the face. In the long term, it can also lead to Cushing’s syndrome, which is associated with increased fatty tissue on the face, trunk and neck, a reduction in muscle mass and high blood pressure, among other things. These side effects are of a permanent nature and require medical treatment. Cushing’s syndrome, however, only occurs with a long-term and relatively high-dose cortisone therapy, which is usually, however, indispensable for the treatment of another underlying disease. Another topic that might interest you is the side effects of cortisone as a form of therapy in children.

Side effects in the intestine due to cortisone?

Short-term therapy with cortisone does not cause any side effects in the bowel. Cortisone has no, or no negative, effect on the stomach or intestines. However, there is often concern in the population about suffering a stomach or intestinal ulcer or even bleeding when taking cortisone therapy.

Cortisone therapy alone does not seem to increase the risk of ulcers or bleeding. Only the combined use with so-called non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs, which include ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin, increases the risk of a gastrointestinal ulcer and associated intestinal bleeding enormously, by a factor of about 10-15. Therefore, one should avoid taking such drugs during cortisone therapy. As these are also available over the counter and are not necessarily prescription drugs, there is a great risk that when prescribing cortisone, doctors often do not realise that their patients are taking such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore, you should always inform your doctor about all medications you are taking, including over-the-counter medications.