Oral Steroids , also called corticosteroid tablets, are a type of anti-inflammatory medicine used to treat a range of conditions.

They can be used to treat problems such as allergies, asthma, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison’s disease and arthritis.

Steroid tablets are only available on prescription. Dissolvable, liquid and syrup versions are also available.

Common examples include:

• prednisolone
• betamethasone
• dexamethasone
• hydrocortisone

How and when to take steroid tablets

Take your medicine as instructed by your doctor. They’ll explain how much to take and how often.

It’s normally best to take steroid tablets with or soon after a meal – usually breakfast – because this can stop them irritating your stomach.