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What are steroids, are they addictive, are they legal in the UK, why do they make you fat and what are they used for?

The medication helps with inflammation and reduces the immune system, which can help with a number of conditions

STEROIDS are anti-inflammatory medicines that can treat allergies, eczema, muscle pain, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus.

But how do they work and what are the side effects? Here’s the lowdown.

 Steroids can be taken as tablets
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Steroids can be taken as tabletsCredit: Alamy

What are steroids and what are they used for?

Steroid tablets are an anti-inflammatory medication, which can treat a number of conditions.

They are made up of hormones normally produced by two glands above your kidneys (adrenal glands), which reduce redness and swelling.

This helps with inflammatory conditions, such as eczema, allergies such as asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease.

They also affect the immune system by reducing the body’s natural defence against illness.

Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are caused by the immune system wrongly attacking the body, so can be treated by steroids.

These steroids are not to be confused with anabolic steroids – the ones people use to improve performance and increase muscle mass.

 They help with inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease
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They help with inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory bowel diseaseCredit: Getty - Contributor

How can you take them?

They can come in many forms, including:

  • Tablets, syrups, and liquids
  • Inhalers or nasal sprays
  • Injections
  • Creams, gels, or lotions
 35-year-old Dynamo has taken steroids to battle Crohn's disease
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35-year-old Dynamo has taken steroids to battle Crohn's diseaseCredit: Getty - Contributor

Are they legal in the UK and what are their side effects?

Steroids tablets are available on prescription, and you should always follow the doctor’s instructions.

The higher the dose, the more likely you are to have side effects, and according to the NHS, these include:

  • Indigestion or heartburn
  • Increased appetite (which may cause weight gain)
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Mood changes, such as feeling more anxious or irritable
  • Increased risk of infections such as measles or shingles
  • High blood sugar or diabetes
  • Bone weakening
  • High blood pressure
  • Cushing’s syndrome (think skin that bruises easily, stretch marks, fat deposits on face)
  • Eye conditions such as cataracts
  • Mental health problems

Anabolic steroids, the type that bodybuilders use, are addictive, but anti-inflammatory steroids are not.

What has Dynamo said about taking them?

Dynamo, also known as Steven Frayne has suffered from Crohn’s disease since he was a teenager.

The 35-year-old magician shared a photo of his swollen face in March, showing the side effects of his steroid treatment.

The medication has caused him to put on weight, and also develop arthritis.

He told Twitter: "You can see my appearance has changed because of all the medication I'm on - I'm on quite a lot of tablets as you can see, and all the medication has caused my to put on a lot of extra body weight, as well as a rash that's all over my head."

Magician Dynamo in emotional video on Crohn's disease battle which saw him rushed to hospital with food poisoning and arthritis
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