MarrowkidzInformation and advice for children affected by aplastic anaemia Welcome to MarrowKidz from The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. Here you can find resources for children affected by aplastic anaemia. Whether you have been diagnosed with aplastic anaemia yourself, or someone in your family or a friend has been diagnosed, this is where you'll find expert information about what's happening, and advice from other children who have been through aplastic anaemia too! A note for adults and teens: We've moved some things around! You'll now find treatment information, resources for parents, schools and teenagers on our main website. Marrowkidz About your AA and treatment Advice from other children Support a friend or family member Watch videos More goodies Steroids What are steroids? ‘Steroid’ is a word that describes a set of chemicals that are naturally made in your body. Steroids have lots of different jobs in your body. They help control: the way your body uses fats, proteins and carbohydrates your immune system the balance of salt and water in your body inflammation Steroids can also be made or manufactured, just like a factory makes or manufactures stuff. This means they are made outside your body and then given to you as tablets or liquid, or maybe in an injection. Why do I need steroids? Steroids are an important part of keeping you safe while you have anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment. While you’re having ATG treatment, steroids can help to stop you feeling poorly with things like fevers, shakes and rashes. Steroids can also stop something called serum sickness, which can happen a few days or weeks after you have had ATG. Serum sickness can make you feel achy, get rashes on your skin and feel a bit like you have flu. The doctors can’t tell before your treatment if you will get serum sickness, so everyone is given some steroids to try to stop this from happening. By the time you leave hospital and go home, you will be having less steroids and soon you will stop taking them completely. What will happen to me while I take steroids? While you’re taking steroids, you might notice some changes to your body and how you feel. You might get some spots on your face or put on a little bit of weight because you are more hungry than normal. You might feel very happy one moment and sad the next moment. We know that this can feel strange and difficult, but a lot of these changes won’t last for long. It is also really important to remember that you are still you, no matter how you look. If you notice anything different about yourself, always tell your parent, carer or your doctor, and they can talk to you about what’s happening. What happens after I stop taking steroids? After you stop taking steroids, your body will start to make natural steroids again. You might feel a bit poorly or achy for a few days while your body gets used to this change, but this will soon stop. We know that having aplastic anaemia can be difficult. Just remember that if you have any questions, or if anything is worrying or bothering you about taking steroids, talk to a member of your family or your doctor. They can help you to understand and make you feel better about what’s happening. Your family, your brother, your sister, your friends and your doctors are all here to help you as much as they can. Would you like this as a book? You can also order this information as a free printed booklet, or ask a parent to order one for you here: Order one now Manage Cookie Preferences