$Unique_ID{BRK03299} $Pretitle{} $Title{prednisolone (systemic)} $Subject{systemic Delta-Cortef Upjohn Prelone Muro Sterapred DS Mayrand Adrenocorticosteroid hormone prednisolone fluid balance temperature inflammation cortisone-like endocrine rheumatic disorders asthma blood diseases cancers eye disorder gastrointestinal disturbances ulcerative colitis respiratory diseases inflammations arthritis dermatitis poison ivy} $Volume{} $Log{} Copyright (C) 1993 Publications International, Ltd. prednisolone (systemic) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers) Delta-Cortef (Upjohn) prednisolone (various manufacturers) Prelone (Muro) Sterapred DS (Mayrand) TYPE OF DRUG Adrenocorticosteroid hormone INGREDIENT prednisolone DOSAGE FORMS Tablets (5 mg) Oral syrup (15 mg per 5-ml spoonful, with 5% alcohol) STORAGE Prednisolone tablets and oral syrup should be stored at room temperature (never frozen) in a tightly closed container. USES Your adrenal glands naturally produce certain cortisone-like chemicals. These chemicals are involved in various regulatory processes in the body (such as those involving fluid balance, temperature, and reaction to inflammation). Prednisolone belongs to a group of drugs known as adrenocorticosteroids (or cortisone-like medications). It is used to treat a variety of disorders, including endocrine and rheumatic disorders; asthma; blood diseases; certain cancers; eye disorders; gastrointestinal disturbances, such as ulcerative colitis; respiratory diseases; and inflammations, such as arthritis, dermatitis, and poison ivy. How this drug acts to relieve these disorders is not completely understood. TREATMENT In order to prevent stomach irritation, you can take prednisolone with food or milk. Each dose of the oral syrup form should be measured carefully with a specially designed 5-ml measuring spoon. An ordinary kitchen teaspoon is not accurate enough. If you are taking only one dose of this medication each day, try to take it before 9:00 a.m. This will mimic the body's normal production of this type of chemical. It is important to try not to miss any doses of prednisolone. However, if you do miss a dose, follow these guidelines: 1. If you are taking it more than once a day, take the missed dose as soon as possible and return to your regular dosing schedule. If it is already time for the next dose, double it. 2. If you are taking this medication once a day, take the dose you missed as soon as possible, unless you don't remember until the next day. In that case, do not take the missed dose at all; just follow your regular dosing schedule. Do not double the next dose. 3. If you are taking this drug every other day, take it as soon as you remember. If you missed the scheduled time by a whole day, take it when you remember, then skip a day before you take the next dose. Do not double the next dose. If you miss more than one dose of prednisolone, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR. SIDE EFFECTS Minor. Dizziness, false sense of well-being, increased appetite, sweating, indigestion, menstrual irregularities, nausea, reddening of the skin on the face, restlessness, sleep disorders, or weight gain. These effects should disappear as your body adjusts to the medication. Major. Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or particularly bothersome. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about abdominal enlargement; abdominal pain; acne or other skin problems; back or rib pain; bloody or black, tarry stools; blurred vision; convulsions; eye pain; fever and sore throat; growth impairment (in children); headaches; impaired healing of wounds; increased thirst and urination; mental depression; mood changes; muscle wasting or weakness; rapid weight gain (three to five pounds within a week); rash; shortness of breath; thinning of the skin; unusual bruising or bleeding; or unusual weakness. INTERACTIONS Prednisolone interacts with several other types of medications: 1. Alcohol, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory medications (such as diclofenac, diflunisal, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, meclofenamate, mefenamic acid, naproxen, piroxicam, sulindac, and tolmetin) aggravate the stomach problems that are common with use of this medication. 2. The dosage of oral anticoagulants (blood thinners, such as wafarin), oral antidiabetic drugs, or insulin may need to be adjusted when this medication is being taken. 3. The loss of potassium caused by prednisolone can lead to serious side effects in individuals taking digoxin. 4. Thiazide diuretics (water pills) can increase the potassium loss caused by this medication. 5. Phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, or ephedrine can increase the elimination of prednisolone from the body, thereby decreasing its effectiveness. 6. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and estrogen-containing drugs may decrease the elimination of this drug from the body, which can lead to an increase in side effects. 7. Prednisolone can increase the elimination of aspirin and isoniazid, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of these two medications. 8. Cholestyramine and colestipol can chemically bind this medication in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, preventing its absorption. BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently taking, especially any listed above. WARNINGS * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to any medications, especially to prednisolone or other adrenocorticosteroids (such as betamethasone, cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisone, and triamcinolone). * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had bone disease, diabetes mellitus, emotional instability, glaucoma, fungal infections, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, myasthenia gravis, peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, tuberculosis, ulcerative colitis, kidney disease, or liver disease. * To help avoid potassium loss while you are using this medication, you can take your dose of the drug with a glass of fresh or frozen orange juice, or eat a banana each day. The use of a salt substitute also helps prevent potassium loss. Check with your doctor, however, before making any dietary changes or using a salt substitute. * If you are using this medication for longer than a week, you may need to have your dosage adjusted if you are subjected to stress, which you might experience as a result of serious infections, injury, or surgery. Discuss this with your doctor. * If you have been taking this drug for more than a week, do not stop taking it suddenly. If it is stopped abruptly, you may experience abdominal or back pain, dizziness, fainting, fever, muscle or joint pain, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, or extreme weakness. Your doctor may, therefore, want to reduce the dosage gradually. Never increase the dosage or take the drug for longer than the prescribed time unless you first consult your doctor. * While you are taking this drug, you should not be vaccinated or immunized. Prednisolone decreases the effectiveness of vaccines and can lead to overwhelming infection if a live-virus vaccine is administered. * Before having surgery or any other medical or dental treatment, be sure to tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication. * Because this drug can cause glaucoma and cataracts with long-term use, your doctor may want you to have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist periodically during treatment. * If you are taking prednisolone for prolonged periods, you should wear or carry an identification card or notice stating that you are taking an adrenocorticosteroid. * This medication can raise blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Blood sugar levels should, therefore, be monitored carefully with blood or urine tests when this medication is being taken. * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (shortness of breath, wheezing, rash, fainting) in certain susceptible individuals. * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. This drug crosses the placenta, and its safety in humans is not established. Birth defects have been observed in the fetuses of animals who were given large doses of this type of drug during pregnancy. Also, tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding an infant. Small amounts of this drug pass into breast milk and may cause growth suppression or a decrease in natural adrenocorticosteroid hormone production in the nursing infant. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.