A steroid information is a drug that mimics the effects of the natural hormone testosterone. It has muscle-building (anabolic) and masculinizing (androgenic) properties and can alter your moods. Steroids are only available on prescription and can be dangerous if they’re bought online or from unlicensed dealers.

Anabolic steroids can cause serious side effects including liver damage and blood pressure problems. They can also make you very prone to infections. You should tell your doctor straight away if you develop chicken pox, measles, shingles or have a viral infection whilst taking steroids. They can also affect a woman’s menstrual cycle and stop ovulation.

Demystifying Steroids: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Basics and Risks

Your doctor will decide if steroids are the right treatment for you. They will consider your age, how active you are and any other medicines you’re taking. They will also look at the type of arthritis you have, how bad your symptoms are and whether there are other treatments that might be more effective.

Steroids can be used to reduce inflammation around joints and other parts of the body. They can be given as injections, tablets, creams and eye drops and ointments. They can be systemic – they circulate throughout the whole body – or localised – they only have an effect where they’re put into the body, such as joint injections.

For some people, low doses of steroids might help to ease the pain and stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis. They can also be used for short periods to treat a flare-up of a condition such as lupus, gout or other types of inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune conditions.