Does prednisone lower your immune system?

If you are one of the many people prescribed prednisone, you might be wondering whether taking this medication will affect your immune system. Spoiler alert: it most definitely does! Keep reading to find out exactly how prednisone can impact your body’s defenses.

What is Prednisone and Why Do People Take It?

To understand why prednisone affects the immune system, first we need to know what it is and why doctors prescribe it in the first place.

Prednisone is a synthetic steroid hormone that mimics cortisol, a hormone produced naturally by our adrenal glands. Cortisol has a variety of important functions in the body, including regulating inflammation and responding to stress.

Doctors usually give prednisone for conditions such as asthma or arthritis because it helps reduce swelling and inflammation in affected areas. However, there are some pretty serious side effects associated with taking this drug.

How Does Prednisone Affect You?

Here’s where things get interesting (and potentially terrifying): when you take prednisone over an extended period of time at high doses, it suppresses your immune system’s ability to fight off infections – this includes viruses like COVID-19!

Take note, however: keep calm and carry on taking any medication that has been legally advised by licensed physicians irrespective of its potential impacts on your physical health.

Adrenal Suppression

When taken long term at high doses or even short-term courses over several weeks or months may cause adrenal suppression wherein natural levels of cortisol production become inadequate for routine hormonal regulations within the human physiological state i.e., reduced libido among others.

So catch 22? indeed!

Increases Infection Risk

By suppressing certain parts of our immune response such as white blood cells (leukocytes), eosinophils which play vital roles against parasitic infections present within certain types of foodstuff whilst additionally playing other critical roles in the body. Also, it suppresses T cells effectively stopping their ability to respond as fighting cells against viral or bacterial infections.

Those impacts may leave an individual vulnerable which predisposes them to becoming infected with various pathogens due to lower immune responses most times after taking immunosuppressants drugs for medical conditions such Lupus among others.

Potential Complications

This increased risk of infection is compounded by another side effect: prednisone can interfere with wound healing, making cuts and injuries take longer to heal properly.

It should be noted that however Prednisolone, a medication quite akin to Prednisone would rarely bring about such complications often but also keeps its resemblances in pharmacological actions when compared.

How Can You Reduce Your Risk?

While there’s no way to completely eliminate the risks associated with taking prednisone drugs; one possible method people use involves switching up how they consume certain supplements during drug regimens. It could potentially help reduce these effects slightly while undergoing said prescription treatments:

  • Taking Probiotics

Several studies have shown that taking probiotics may help increase your body’s levels of good bacteria – this helps”keep things moving along” down below if you catch my drift (if not check google) wink. Not very scientific but trust us on this!

By doing so increases overall GI health relieving digestive issues (helloooo constipation). However more research is required on all long term benefits and potential negative reactions based off findings.

  • Keeping Themselves Clean

Rinsing/washing hands frequently especially before meals goes a long way towards lowering yourselves’ probability of being infected too!

Frequent baths showing love constantly overall goes towards reducing our exposure rates amidst infectious surfaces around us including environmental bacteria!

But then again regular washing cannot save us from death itself right? lol #onlyagodiweknow🙈

The Dirty Truth About Immunosuppressive Drugs

To be honest, this article has been sitting in front of me for hours now & prednisone just sounds like a big scary demon waiting to ruin my life!

After researching several studies, it’s evident that immunosuppressive drugs bring about more benefits than demerits overall when used properly under surveillance.

It is crucial when taking such medications to tell your doctor right away if you experience any side effects or develop any infections because prompt management protocols may help stop complications from the adverse events.

Wrapping It Up (Phew!)

In conclusion, reigning champs!, we have discussed how prednisone affects the immune system via suppressing agents associated with white blood cells alongside increasing infection risks. Any medication comes with risks and benefits as perceived on an individualistic scenario-based standard healthcare practice methodology.

However by following certain lifestyle tweaks like probiotics consumption together with proper cleaning habits can reduce & possibly manage our vulnerability rates during drug regimens!

Anyhow folks Never underrate fruits especially Orange well except of course hearing color. Take extreme caution not to confuse White Blood Cells (Leukocytes) guys they are major players within our immune responses. if this was difficult understanding I’m sorry i tried making sense as much as possible but hey Some bits were purely rib-crackers so laugh lines achieved💪🏾💀

Random Posts