Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that can treat many forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other forms of inflammation such as vasculitis.
Although effective, steroids can have many side effects, especially when taken as a pill and used long term. Often, doctors try to avoid these problems by injecting the steroid into the affected joint or trying other medications in combination to keep the dose of steroids as low as possible.