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1994-01-17
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$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.