Corticosteroids
Of all the drugs you’ll ever take for Crohn’s disease, corticosteroids are probably the biggest double-edged sword. They’re often used in emergency and acute situations to rapidly reduce swelling and inflammation in the body, but their use is associated with some of the worst side-effects of any medication.
Corticosteroids produce a synthetic version of a hormone called cortisol that your body naturally produces. Patients taking corticosteroids can experience less serious symptoms such as weight gain, ravenous hunger, bloating or swelling, also called “moon face,” mood swings and irritability.
More long-term therapy using corticosteroids has been linked with diabetes, osteoporosis and bone density loss, stomach ulcers, bruising, depression, and at the very worst adrenal suppression. This is when your adrenal glands become so used to the large amounts of synthetic cortisol your body is taking in that they stop producing it themselves.
This is a very serious class of drugs, and the exact course of medication prescribed by your doctor should be followed if and when you take them.