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Stopping Inhaled Corticosteroids Is Safe On Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who regularly use inhaled corticosteroid and those who did not use these drugs for six months showed no positive or negative effects in terms of major disease factors. This proves that stopping inhaled corticosteroid usage does not cause problems in cystic fibrosis patient users.

The team of Dr. Ian M. Balfour-Lynn of the Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital in London claimed that it is safe for CF patients to stop using inhaled corticosteroids in order to lower their drug burden, to reduce potential adverse side effects, and to save money.

From Medical News Today:

“Oral corticosteroids slow the progression of CF lung disease, but long-term use is precluded by unacceptable side effects,” said Dr. Balfour-Lynn. “A systematic review of inhaled corticosteroid use in CF revealed 10 randomized controlled trials, with six having been published. The trials studied 293 adults and children. Although there was variable methodological quality among the studies, the conclusion was that there was ‘no evidence from existing trials to support the practice of prescribing inhaled steroids in cystic fibrosis.’”

The authors noted that 52 percent of the patients were on high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (1,000 micrograms or more per day). At those levels, the drug can lead to significant symptoms related to adrenal suppression and insufficiency. Also, among pediatric patients, slowing of linear growth has been a problem for individuals taking the drug for a year or more.

“Replacing the inhaled corticosteroids with a placebo was found to be safe as there was no significant increase in lung-related adverse effects leading to withdrawal from the study, nor an increased need for oral corticosteroids,” said Dr. Balfour-Lynn.

The research team pointed out that they were not advocating stopping inhaled corticosteroid use in all CF patients, but urging clinicians to assess the need in each individual.

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