Common Steroid Withdrawal Symptoms And How They Affect The Body

Steroids are commonly used by many different types of people, including athletes and individuals suffering from certain medical conditions. They can be extremely dangerous when used for long periods of time because they can be so highly addictive. Prolonged use of steroids is the cause for a number of health problems in users as well as thousands of deaths each year. A lot of people get addicted to steroids after taking prescriptions, but many others get addicted when they use it to bulk up.

Athletes that take this are putting their body at risk because steroids aren't given by physicians to increase performance. Patients that take steroids in prescription form are using them to overcome different types of health problems. Unfortunately, abuse of steroids in any way can lead to a number of different health problems, including death.

Individuals who stop taking steroids or steroid drugs will find that they go through withdrawal much like someone addicted to cocaine or meth would. The symptoms can create a lot of stress in that person and many people cannot stop their addiction because of how powerful with symptoms are.

When will steroid withdrawal symptoms occur?

The withdrawal happens when the body tries to get back to normal after having had steroids in the blood stream for prolonged lengths of time. Even just decreasing the dosage can result in the symptoms starting to appear. Discontinuing use of steroids will cause them to occur more quickly and this may result in symptoms being more severe. Unfortunately it doesn't take them long to appear after the dosage has been decreased.

What are the most common steroid withdrawal symptoms?

Each individual is different with the type of withdrawal they will have. One person might find that their symptoms are very mild while someone else might find that theirs are severe. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Menstrual problems

Many of these can also be signs of other medical conditions, which is why seeing a doctor is so important if one or more is experienced. These signs can also be dangerous if the person experiencing them doesn't have the proper care. For example, someone who is feeling weak and dizzy might end up fainting and getting seriously injured as a result. Some people will experience just one of these, but most people will experience most or all.

Some of the lesser experience symptoms include:

• Muscle aches
• Fever
• Joint pain

These can also be signs of other medical problems, so seeing a doctor is important if they are experienced. There are some individuals who also find they have mental changes which affect their everyday life.

How long does steroid withdrawal last?

Everyone will experience withdrawal differently based on what their dosage was and how often they were taking it. The state of their body and health will also affect how individuals deal with withdrawal. Some people find their symptoms only lasts a few days while other people say theirs lasts for weeks. It's important that people be monitored by a doctor throughout the withdrawal so their vitals can be checked on. This will ensure certain levels are going too low or high and causing organ damage.

How to manage steroid withdrawal?

Seeing a doctor is the first step to getting help for all of the symptoms. Most doctors will recommend giving their patients small amounts of steroids each day, lowering the dose as time goes on. This give the body time to gradually get used to fewer levels of steroids inside of the body. Each person is different, which means no two people are going to need the same exactly amount. This is why it's so important to see a doctor when trying to get off of steroids all together.

After the body is used to taking smaller dosages, the steroids can then be given every other day. After a short amount of time the patient will be able to stop taking steroids all together. Tests are going to be constantly required so the doctor can make sure the body is functioning while the dosages are being lowered. Symptoms of withdrawal are still going to be experienced during this time for most people, the just won't be as severe as they would without the gradual dosage change.