Genuine question born of steroid ignorance:

N

needgd

New member
Hi all…
You may have heard stories of people who were sick, virus, cold/flu, clogged up & lethargic whatever for YEARS without knowing they were sick… then one day took antibiotics and BOOM, could breathe & think again? - I’m one of those. Except: It was steroids.

I was bogged for years. I got walking pneumonia. I took the antibiotics (z-pack) nothing happened. The urgent care gave me corticosteroids and WOOM… the world became clear. I could exercise at peak again. My DEPRESSION ceased! It was the first happy week in years. - Finished the course. Cured. FAR happier… But this raises questions.

I don’t know the difference between categories of steroids (are they ALL the exercise-related roid-ragey drugs nobody wants me to have? Or did the doctor give me a medical cousin of those?)

Are they supposed to be an anti-depressive silver bullet? Or was this a freak outlier?

Can I / should I try to keep using them?

Are they vegan?

I hereby anounce my unvarnished ignorance in this realm so please feel free to ELI5 or harang how stupidz I am. All insights welcome. 🙏

(Context: Male, 20 year WFPB vegan, 180lbs, serious daily yoga & kung fu no weights)
 
@needgd glucocorticoids (what they probably gave you) are not the same as androgens. Both are corticosteroids, the first one is cortisol, mainly regulating stress. Taking corticosteroids over a longer course usually has severe side effects and is only indicated to treat autoimmune diseases. No doctor will give them to you just like that. If your fatigue comes back, talk to a doctor, there could be an underlying disease.
 
@jcthesword Lol dudes hype about ‘roids but doesn’t realize it’s a symptom of a bigger allergy issue causing an immunological response hindering their life. Best treatment; blood allergen tests and restriction dieting to isolate problematic foods and avoid the triggers. Life is better when your body isn’t fighting to survive because food is trying to make you kill yourself.
 
@needgd Unofficial advice from a medical Doctor: corticosteroids are different from androgenic steroids like testosterone and have different effects in your body. Initially, taking the steroids that you were prescribed can commonly produce a sort of euphoric feeling in people. High dose intravenous steroids can actually even cause confusion.

If you have any indication that your depression could be linked to hormonal imbalances like if you have physical symptoms out of keeping of normal depression it might be worth asking your HCP to do a blood test for Hormone levels.
 
@needgd No, these are different steroids. Anabolic steroids like the ones bodybuilders take are controlled substances. The ones you took are not the same at all.

But they do feel great, especially if you've been sick.

You should only keep using them under the supervision and guidance of a doctor. You should also probably figure out why you feel the way you do. Get a checkup.
 
@needgd These are different things. Corticosteroids are used to lower your body's immune response, so for example in the case of autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies and even leukemia - among many other types of issues that arise from a severe "reaction" from your immune system.

They are great for a variety of things, but have to be taken carefully and are not a long term type of medicine since there are several side effects. So, in summary, you haven't been prescribed steroids as in "get big muscles" steroids, but as a treatment for a condition your doctor found like the ones I mentioned before.
 
@needgd It’s not an androgenic BUT I’ve treated those with glucocorticoid induced psychosis. If you have a mental health history and your PCP continues to prescribe this stuff to you, maybe take that into consideration.
 
@needgd I'd been joking for years about wanting doctor to give me steroids (I was talking about testosterone) and then last summer they gave me steroids. Corticosteroids, as they did for you. Prednison specifically. Because I had an intense burst of tonsillitis and they wanted to speed up my recovery.

It did not get me jacked. I had my wish granted, I guess, but I should have been more specific with my "I want a doctor to give me steroids"

Corticosteroids are different from anabolic steroids. Various types of illness require regular intake of corticosteroids and it does not make those people jacked, it just helps them not die.
 
@needgd (not a doctor) this sounds like you had some kind of imbalance in your body and the corticosteroids helped.

Reminds me of myself. I have a condition that gave me exhaustion, fainting, and always feeling like I had the flu. I started on a low dose corticosteroid and it changed my life. I went from shopping for a wheelchair to walking miles without issue.

All this to say, those steroids might've helped some issue you have and it's probably worth mentioning to your doctor
 
@needgd I've been taking them since 2021. Stopping would negatively impact my health.

I didn't really pay attention to the fact that you remained feeling better after stopping. Either way, those steroids must've solved some problem you had
 
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