Causes & Treatment

Potential Side Effects of Treatment

This page contains all the reported side-effects of these drugs, however in our experience, these very rarely occur apart from:

1.) Difficulty sleeping at night

2.) Feeling tired

3.) Mild mood swings

1.) Aspirin:

Caution : Maternal. Not advisable to take if you suffer fro asthma, stomach ulcers or known blood coagulation.

Side-effects : Generally mild and infrequent but high incident of gastro-intestinal irritation with slight asymptomatic blood loss, increased bleeding time, bronchospasm and skin reactions in hyper-sensitive patients.

2.) Prednisolone:

Caution : Adrenal suppression and infection; hypertention, congestive heart failure, liver failure, renal impairment, diabetes mellitus including family history, osteoporosis (post-menopausal women at special risk), glaucoma, severe affective disorders, epilepsy, peptic ulcer, hypothyroidism, history of steroid myopathy. Steroids vary in their ability to cross the placenta: 88% of prednisolone is inactivated as it crosses the placenta.

Side-effects : The most common complication is difficulty sleeping at night.

Gastro-intestinal effects include dyspepsia, peptic ulceration, abdominal distension, acute pancreatitis, oesophageal ulceration and candidiasis.

Musculoskeletal effects include proximal myopathy, osteoporosis, vertebral and long bone fractures, avascular osteonecrosis, tendon rupture .

Endocrine effects include adrenal suppression, menstrual irregularities and amenorrhoea, Cushing’s syndrome, hirsutism, weight gain, negative nitrogen and calcium balance, increased appetite, increased susceptibility to and severity of infection.

Neuropsychiatric effects include euphoria, psychological dependence, depression, insomnia, increased intracranial pressure, psychosis and aggravation of schizophrenia, aggravation of epilepsy.

Ophthalmic effects include glaucoma, papilloedema, posterior subcapsular cataracts, corneal or scleral thinning and exacerbation of ophthalmic viral or fungal disease.

Other side-effects include impaired healing, skin atrophy, bruising, striae, telangiectasia, acne, myocardial rupture following recent myocardial infarction, fluid and electrolyte disturbance, leucocytosis, hypertensitivity reactions, thromboembolism, nausea, malaise, hiccups.

3.) Clexane:

Caution : Hepatic and renal impairment; pregnancy; hypersensitivity to low molecular weight heparins

Thrombocytopenia: Clinically important thrombocytopenia is immune- mediated, and does not usually develop until after 6-10 days; it may be complicated by thrombosis. Platelet counts are recommended for patients receiving heparin (including low molecular weight heparins) for longer than 5 days (heparin should be stopped immediately, and not repeated, in those who develop thrombocytopenia or a 50% reduction of platelet count). Patients requiring continued anticoagulation should preferably be given lepirudin or a heparinoid such as danaparoid.

Hyperkalaemia: Inhibition of aldosterone secretion by heparin (including low molecular weight heparins) may result in hyperkalaemia; patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, acidosis, raised plasma potassium or those taking potassium-sparing drugs seem to be more susceptible. The risk appears to increase with duration of therapy and the CSM has recommended that plasma potassium should be measured in patients at risk before starting heparin and monitored regularly thereafter, particularly if heparin is to be continued for more than 7 days.

Side-effects : Haemorrhage, skin necrosis, thrombocytopenia, hyperkalaemia, hypersensitivity reactions (including urticaria, angioedema, and anaphylaxis); osteoporosis after prolonged use (are rarely alopecia).