STEROID SIDE EFFECTS [ back to What's New ]
TBI patients may be taking prednisone or other steroids for conditions ranging from bulging spinal disc pain to stress rash of the skin to joint inflammation, all common after a trauma serious enough to damage the brain. Are steroids harmless? Far from it. In the past they have been linked with side effects including weight gain, diabetes, glaucoma and osteoporosis. When taken in very high doses they have been known to cause temporary psychosis with delusions and hallucinations. Recent research indicates they can cause depression, irritability, emotional ability and memory loss in patients who were free of those problems before taking the drug. The Harvard Mental Health Letter (Feb. 2000) cautions people taking steroid therapy to monitor themselves for memory and mood problems, and recommends lithium as a way of stabilizing patients who must take steroids on a chronic basis.