Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDrug Half-LifeSteroids for AsthmaSide Effects of Oral SteroidsSide Effects of Inhaled Steroids
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Drug Half-Life
Steroids for Asthma
Side Effects of Oral Steroids
Side Effects of Inhaled Steroids
How long steroids forasthmastay in your system depends on the type of drug you are taking. For example, it can differ whether you’re taking an inhaled medication such as Advair (fluticasone and salmeterol) or an oral corticosteroid (e.g., prednisone). A steroid medication’s half-life determines how long it circulates in your body.
This article will go over how the half-life of steroid medication works. It also covers what factors might affect how long steroids for asthma stay in your system.
Hugo Lin / Verywell
What Is the Half-Life of Steroids?
When you take a dose of your medication, the “half-life” refers to how long it takes your body to clear half of the total dose. A medication’s half-life determines how often you’ll need to take it.
Different types of asthma medications have different half-lives.
Short Half-Life DrugsEliminated from circulation at a faster rateMay need to be dosed multiple times per day to keep blood levels constantLong Half-Life DrugsAre actively in circulation for longer periodsLonger time between doses
Short Half-Life DrugsEliminated from circulation at a faster rateMay need to be dosed multiple times per day to keep blood levels constant
Eliminated from circulation at a faster rate
May need to be dosed multiple times per day to keep blood levels constant
Long Half-Life DrugsAre actively in circulation for longer periodsLonger time between doses
Are actively in circulation for longer periods
Longer time between doses
Half-life is mainly related to the properties of the drug, but each person’s body is unique. Even if someone takes the same medication at the same dose as you, their body might metabolize it differently.
There are several factors can affect the half-life of a drug, including:
Why It’s Important to Know Your Medication’s Half-Life
Steroids Used for Asthma
You might be prescribed steroids if yourasthma symptomsare getting worse. You may need to take the drugs for several days to get your symptoms under control.
Updated GuidelinesMany patients with mild persistent asthma are prescribed inhaled steroids to be taken daily to control their asthma symptoms.Newer guidelines also allow for inhaled corticosteroids to be taken intermittently with a quick acting inhaler when symptoms begin in patients with mild asthma. It is not recommended to stop taking medications used to control your asthma without talking with your physician first. If you have a question about whether you may benefit from a different regimen, talk with your doctor before making changes.
Updated Guidelines
Many patients with mild persistent asthma are prescribed inhaled steroids to be taken daily to control their asthma symptoms.Newer guidelines also allow for inhaled corticosteroids to be taken intermittently with a quick acting inhaler when symptoms begin in patients with mild asthma. It is not recommended to stop taking medications used to control your asthma without talking with your physician first. If you have a question about whether you may benefit from a different regimen, talk with your doctor before making changes.
Many patients with mild persistent asthma are prescribed inhaled steroids to be taken daily to control their asthma symptoms.
Newer guidelines also allow for inhaled corticosteroids to be taken intermittently with a quick acting inhaler when symptoms begin in patients with mild asthma. It is not recommended to stop taking medications used to control your asthma without talking with your physician first. If you have a question about whether you may benefit from a different regimen, talk with your doctor before making changes.
Oral corticosteroids reduce inflammation throughout the entire body (systemic). Inhaled steroids act mostly in the lungs (localized) which reduces the risk of side effects being felt throughout the whole body.
New Asthma Guidelines Lessen Emphasis on Daily Inhaler Use
The most importantdifferences between oral corticosteroids and inhaled steroidsis the likelihood of significant side effects.
The side effects of oral steroids include:
Side effects with oral steroids are more likely than side effects with inhaled steroids because of the quantity of steroid taken orally.
Overuse of Oral SteroidsIt’s important to mention any recentsteroid bursts(the use of a short course of oral steroids) to your healthcare provider. Overuse of oral steroids may prevent youradrenal gland(where your body’s natural steroids are made) from working as it should. If this happens, your body may not make steroids well enough during a time of stress and you may need to have them supplemented.
Overuse of Oral Steroids
It’s important to mention any recentsteroid bursts(the use of a short course of oral steroids) to your healthcare provider. Overuse of oral steroids may prevent youradrenal gland(where your body’s natural steroids are made) from working as it should. If this happens, your body may not make steroids well enough during a time of stress and you may need to have them supplemented.
How to Deal With Systemic Steroid Side Effects
Inhaled steroids rarely cause systemic side effects like oral steroids. However, you may have localside effectslike:
A Word From VerywellInhaled corticosteroids are part of many asthma maintenance plans. When taking them, make sure to go over the proper inhaler technique with your pharmacist to ensure the drug works as intended. You should also talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about any concerns you have about taking steroids. They can make sure you understand how to safely use the medications as well as give you tips for avoiding side effects.—GURDEEP S. SAREEN, PHARMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Inhaled corticosteroids are part of many asthma maintenance plans. When taking them, make sure to go over the proper inhaler technique with your pharmacist to ensure the drug works as intended. You should also talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about any concerns you have about taking steroids. They can make sure you understand how to safely use the medications as well as give you tips for avoiding side effects.—GURDEEP S. SAREEN, PHARMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Inhaled corticosteroids are part of many asthma maintenance plans. When taking them, make sure to go over the proper inhaler technique with your pharmacist to ensure the drug works as intended. You should also talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about any concerns you have about taking steroids. They can make sure you understand how to safely use the medications as well as give you tips for avoiding side effects.
—GURDEEP S. SAREEN, PHARMD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Everything You Need to Know About Topical Steroids
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Olafuyi O, Parekh N, Wright J, Koenig J.Inter-ethnic differences in pharmacokinetics-is there more that unites than divides?Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2021;9(6):e00890. doi:10.1002/prp2.890USADA.Half-life of a drug.Murphy N, Murray PT.Critical care pharmacology. In: Hall JB, Schmidt GA, Kress JP. eds.Principles of Critical Care, 4e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2014.American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Pharmacokinetics.Cloutier MM, Baptist AP, Blake KV, et al.2020 focused updates to the asthma management guidelines: A report from the national asthma education and prevention program coordinating committee expert panel working group.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020;146(6):1217-1270. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.003Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Chakraborty RK.Asthma medications. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Medline Plus.Prednisone.Nicolaides NC, Pavlaki AN, Alexandra M, Chrousos GP.Glucocorticoid therapy and adrenal suppression.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Using steroids correctly and avoiding side effects.Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Olafuyi O, Parekh N, Wright J, Koenig J.Inter-ethnic differences in pharmacokinetics-is there more that unites than divides?Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2021;9(6):e00890. doi:10.1002/prp2.890USADA.Half-life of a drug.Murphy N, Murray PT.Critical care pharmacology. In: Hall JB, Schmidt GA, Kress JP. eds.Principles of Critical Care, 4e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2014.American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Pharmacokinetics.Cloutier MM, Baptist AP, Blake KV, et al.2020 focused updates to the asthma management guidelines: A report from the national asthma education and prevention program coordinating committee expert panel working group.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020;146(6):1217-1270. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.003Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Chakraborty RK.Asthma medications. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Medline Plus.Prednisone.Nicolaides NC, Pavlaki AN, Alexandra M, Chrousos GP.Glucocorticoid therapy and adrenal suppression.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Using steroids correctly and avoiding side effects.Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Olafuyi O, Parekh N, Wright J, Koenig J.Inter-ethnic differences in pharmacokinetics-is there more that unites than divides?Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2021;9(6):e00890. doi:10.1002/prp2.890USADA.Half-life of a drug.Murphy N, Murray PT.Critical care pharmacology. In: Hall JB, Schmidt GA, Kress JP. eds.Principles of Critical Care, 4e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2014.American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Pharmacokinetics.Cloutier MM, Baptist AP, Blake KV, et al.2020 focused updates to the asthma management guidelines: A report from the national asthma education and prevention program coordinating committee expert panel working group.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020;146(6):1217-1270. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.003Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Chakraborty RK.Asthma medications. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.Medline Plus.Prednisone.Nicolaides NC, Pavlaki AN, Alexandra M, Chrousos GP.Glucocorticoid therapy and adrenal suppression.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Using steroids correctly and avoiding side effects.
Olafuyi O, Parekh N, Wright J, Koenig J.Inter-ethnic differences in pharmacokinetics-is there more that unites than divides?Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2021;9(6):e00890. doi:10.1002/prp2.890
USADA.Half-life of a drug.
Murphy N, Murray PT.Critical care pharmacology. In: Hall JB, Schmidt GA, Kress JP. eds.Principles of Critical Care, 4e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2014.
American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Pharmacokinetics.
Cloutier MM, Baptist AP, Blake KV, et al.2020 focused updates to the asthma management guidelines: A report from the national asthma education and prevention program coordinating committee expert panel working group.Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020;146(6):1217-1270. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.003
Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Chakraborty RK.Asthma medications. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
Medline Plus.Prednisone.
Nicolaides NC, Pavlaki AN, Alexandra M, Chrousos GP.Glucocorticoid therapy and adrenal suppression.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Using steroids correctly and avoiding side effects.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma.
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