Ask The Expert

My daughter is currently taking oral corticosteroids for asthma. I have noticed that she has an increase in appetite. Is that a side effect of the medication?

A change in appetite is a common side effect of oral corticosteroids. Other effects of oral steroids include decreased growth, cataracts, and elevated blood sugar, among others. Despite all these undesirable side effects, corticosteroids are the most effective medications available to control asthma, a respiratory disorder which if uncontrolled, can be life threatening. However, when one takes corticosteroids by mouth, the entire body is exposed to the same dose that the lungs need. The development of topical corticosteroids was a big step in improving asthma therapy while minimizing side effects. Topical (i.e., inhaled) corticosteroids allow doctors to deliver effective doses of medication to the lungs while greatly minimizing the amount of drug that the rest of the body is exposed to. Nonetheless, side effects are sometimes seen if the dose is high enough, or the patient sensitive enough. I'd suggest discussing this with your daughter's physician. If her asthma is under good control, it may be appropriate to lower her dosage, or perhaps other adjustments can be made in her treatment regimen to minimize her system's exposure to her inhaled corticosteroids.

Good luck, Dr. White

-- Dr. Martha Vetter White, MD, is cofounder and director of research at the Institute for Asthma &Allergy in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, one of the nation's most active clinical research centers devoted to allergy, asthma, and sinusitis.

First published July 6, 2004
Last updated January 31, 2007