Real talk about corticosteroids

No, not that kind of steroids.

I speak lightly about steroids because so far the experience has not been bad for me. To the contrary, I appreciate the mental clarity and extra energy which I've had thus far while on Prednisone. I have to remind myself that the stuff is dangerous.

The benefits — the steroids are supposed to prevent my body from producing antibodies that are attacking my muscles — are worth the risk, of course. But the goal is to stop the muscle damage and then step down to a less dangerous medication — or, optimally, to find a way to maintain autoimmune equilibrium, as it were, without the need of drugs.

Here's my reminder from Mayo Clinic:

Side effects of oral corticosteroids

Because oral corticosteroids affect your entire body instead of just a particular area, this route of administration is the most likely to cause significant side effects. Side effects depend on the dose of medication you receive and may include:

• Elevated pressure in the eyes (glaucoma)
• Fluid retention, causing swelling in your lower legs
• High blood pressure
• Problems with mood swings, memory and behavior and other psychological effects, such as confusion or delirium
• Weight gain, with fat deposits in your abdomen, face and the back of your neck

When taking oral corticosteroids longer term, you may experience:

• Clouding of the lens in one or both eyes (cataracts)
• High blood sugar, which can trigger or worsen diabetes
• Increased risk of infections, especially with common bacterial, viral and fungal microorganisms
• Thinning bones (osteoporosis) and fractures
• Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production, which may result in a variety of signs and symptoms, including severe fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and muscle weakness
• Thin skin, bruising and slower wound healing

—https://www.mayoclinic.org/steroids/art-20045692

And a more detailed list from Johns Hopkins. (Trigger warning: contains images that are kinda gross.)