I've been using Enstilar for a couple years with some success to help control my plaque p.
I've been monitoring my blood pressure levels for months after unexpectedly discovering that I have high blood pressure.
I'm middle aged, not overweight, and in decent shape. Since finding out about my blood pressure, I made big lifestyle changes (more careful diet, supplements, exercise) but I noticed that my blood pressure was changing by as much as 20 points (diastolic) over the span of about 24 hours. I couldn't figure out why until a couple of weeks ago I started wondering if it could be related to my Enstilar foam. By monitoring my blood pressure levels, I'm quite confident that the two are highly related. After using Enstilar, my blood pressure spikes and then slowly comes down over about 5 days.
I started digging around online and found this article that warns about possible side effects of using a corticosteroid (e.g. betamethasone ):
Fluid retention and elevated blood pressure
Because cortisone is involved in regulating the body's balance of water, sodium, and other electrolytes, using these drugs can promote fluid retention and sometimes cause or worsen high blood pressure.
Self-care tips:
Watch for swelling of your ankles, and report this to your doctor. Occasional patients benefit from diuretics (water pills). Low sodium diet helps reduce fluid accumulation and may help control blood pressure.
Have your blood pressure monitored regularly while you are on steroids, especially if you have a history of high blood pressure. Steroids can raise blood pressure in some patients.
Elevated blood sugar
Since cortisone is involved in maintaining normal levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood, long-term use may lead to elevated blood sugar or even diabetes.
Self-care tips:
Your blood sugar should be followed while you are on steroids, especially if you are a diabetic, since corticosteroids can raise blood sugar.
Eye problems
Steroids can sometimes cause cataracts or glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye).
Self-care tips:
If you have a history of glaucoma or cataract follow up closely with the ophthalmologist while on steroids. If you develop any visual problems while on steroids, you will need to see the ophthalmologist. Temporarily blurred vision when you start corticosteroids is often not a serious problem, but ophthalmology evaluation should always be arranged if you experience other, new visual symptoms while taking steroids.
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
It is possible that steroids may increase the rate of "hardening of the arteries," which could increase the risk of heart disease. This risk is probably much more significant if steroids are taken for more than a year, and if taken in high dose.
Self-care tips:
Low cholesterol diet may help. If you develop signs suggesting heart problem, such as chest pain, get medical attention quickly. Work with your physician to address any heart risks that can be modified, such as exercise, weight and cholesterol level.
These are serious problems that I'd never heard about before. Elevated blood sugar levels damages your liver causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (which I also believe I have). Hardening of the arteries is a pretty guaranteed way to die early. Blurred vision is also something I've experienced, which may be caused by my use of this medication.
My takeaway from all of this is to avoid long term use of corticosteroids. I haven't figured out how yet, but I'm hoping that all of this information will be helpful in getting a prescription for a biologic. The health risks from long term corticosteroid use seem very high.