<s>[INST] My 39 year old fiance began injecting Sustanon 250 IM to rebuild muscle tissue in his shoulder which he has repeatedly broken/dislocated over the years. He complained of injection site for days after administration (in his greater glut or quad). He was switched to Decadron with better results as far as injection site pain. Of course, all of these steroids were obtained illegally via internet from an overseas source. He didn t taper his dose when coming off of his last week of injecting the Decadron and is now experiencing night sweats. He claims that these particular types of steroids do no cause roid rage . I beg to differ. I am a nursing student and would like a better understanding of how these steroids work. Is it true that the adrenal glands eventually shut down so that a sudden d/c of this Rx is very dangerous? I m concerned about his Potassium/Sodium levels. [/INST] Hello,I will suggest you to taper off any steroids when used for a period longer than 21 days. Once you taper off slowly, the side effects will be minimal. It is always mandatory to use any steroids under the guidance of a physician. There is no mention of dose duration and frequency of use of these steroids. But the basic rule to handle steroids remain same. It is true that steroids do suppress adrenals and that's why a slow taper off is mandatory.Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Muhammad Faisal Bacha, Internal Medicine Specialist </s>