If you’re suddenly feeling depressed or tired, it could be the prescription steroids you’re taking. The drugs—commonly prescribed for arthritis, eczema and asthma—change the structure of the brain and increase the risk of mental health problems.
Glucocorticoids—a family of steroids that includes Cortisone and Prednisone—come with the highest risk of triggering mental issues, say researchers from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
They analysed the records of more than 600 patients, aged around 60 or so, who were taking steroids. Using MRI imagery, their brains were compared to around 24,000 others, with similar ages, who weren’t taking the drugs. The white and grey matter in the brains of those taking steroids were physically different.
Nearly 80 percent of steroid users have depression and 90 percent suffer from lethargy and tiredness, and the researchers believe that the drugs’ ability to change the structure of the brain could be responsible. The effect was less dramatic in those taking inhaled steroids, with just 35 percent complaining of fatigue.
Dose and duration also played a part. The smallest effect on brain matter was seen in those taking inhaled glucocorticoids, while those taking systemic drugs had greater changes in the brain, and the most dramatic was in those who were taking systemic drugs for a long time.
Steroids suppress the immune system response and are regularly prescribed for inflammatory conditions. Earlier studies found that people taking the drugs are seven times more likely to attempt suicide, and are much more likely to suffer from depression, mania and delirium. The drugs have also been suspected of increasing the risk of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases.
BMJ Open, 2022; 12: e062446; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-02446
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