Final answer:
Side effects of corticosteroid therapy for Addison's disease can include poor wound healing, hypertension, and alterations in glucose metabolism. Corticosteroids affect immune function and metabolism, leading to these potential issues, while weight loss is a feature of untreated Addison's disease, not a side effect of the therapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient on corticosteroid therapy for Addison's disease should be monitored for several potential side effects. While Addison's disease itself can cause hypotension and weight loss due to hyposecretion of corticosteroids, the therapy aims to mitigate these effects. Corticosteroid therapy, especially when involving glucocorticoids like cortisol, can lead to different side effects as it compensates for the underproduction in Addison's disease.
These side effects include:
Poor wound healing: Corticosteroids can impair the immune response and inflammatory processes that are essential for wound repair.
Hypertension: Steroids can cause retention of sodium and water, leading to an increase in blood volume and pressure.
Alterations in glucose metabolism: Corticosteroids can lead to higher blood glucose levels and potentially diabetes, due to increased gluconeogenesis.
It is important to note that while Addison's disease features weight loss, corticosteroid therapy typically does not lead to weight loss; it may actually cause weight gain due to fluid retention and increased appetite. Therefore, the correct side effects of corticosteroid therapy to be aware of include poor wound healing, hypertension, and alterations in glucose metabolism.