You might need to test your blood sugar level more often. Tell your doctor about your history of diabetes. For people with ulcers: This drug may cause stomach bleeding. Tell your doctor if you have an ulcer or have had an ulcer in the past. For people with glaucoma : This drug can increase the pressure in your eyes if you take it for a long time. Tell your doctor if you have glaucoma or any other eye-related illness before you start taking this drug. For people with infections: This drug may make it harder for your body to fight off your infection.
Ask your doctor if this drug is safe for you. For people with liver problems: If you have cirrhosis , you may not be able to process this drug as well. This may increase the levels of methylprednisolone in your body and cause more side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lower dosage depending on your liver function. For people with hypothyroidism : You have a higher risk of side effects from this drug.
Tell your doctor about your history of thyroid disease. You may need a lower dosage of this drug. For people with herpes of the eye: Ask your doctor if this drug is safe for you. You may have a higher risk of side effects. For people with systemic sclerosis : Corticosteroids, including this drug, increase your risk of scleroderma renal crisis.
Key symptoms of this condition include kidney failure and increased blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor you carefully if you have systemic sclerosis and you take methylprednisolone. Methylprednisolone should only be used during pregnancy if the benefits outweigh potential risks to the pregnancy. For women who are breastfeeding: Methylprednisolone may pass into breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed.
Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or to stop taking this medication. For seniors: The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. Children should use the lowest effective dosage of this drug to decrease the risks of slowed growth. Methylprednisolone oral tablet is used for long-term or short-term treatment.
Your length of treatment depends on your condition and how your body responds to treatment. This drug can disrupt how your body controls hormones. Stopping it suddenly can cause side effects. If you need to stop taking this drug, your doctor will slowly lower your dosage.
This will reduce your risk of side effects. For this drug to work well, a certain amount needs to be in your body at all times. If you take too much: You could have dangerous levels of the drug in your body. Signs and symptoms of an overdose of this drug can include:. But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
However, when doses are adjusted and monitored for response, each can be effective in treatment. One study sought to compare the effects of intravenous methylprednisolone to oral prednisone in acute asthma exacerbations in children.
Two treatment groups were randomized to receive either 30 mg of intravenous methylprednisolone or 30 mg of oral prednisone. Both groups received albuterol, and researchers evaluated symptomatic relief, peak expiratory flow PEF , and pulse oximetry readings. Readings were taken for each group at two, four, and six hours after beginning treatment.
There was no clinically or statistically significant difference at each interval between the two groups. Researchers concluded that oral prednisone would be the superior choice due to lower cost and a less traumatic administration. Sign up for methylprednisolone price alerts and find out when the price changes! Methylprednisolone is a prescription medication that is typically covered by both commercial insurance plans as well as Medicare.
Prednisone is also a prescription medication typically covered by both commercial insurance plans and Medicare. It is important to note that for certain disease states, corticosteroids may not be covered under the medicare drug benefit, but may be covered under Medicare Part B.
Your pharmacist can provide more information on coverage. Prednisone is metabolized to its active metabolite prednisolone by the liver. Prednisolone and methylprednisolone are chemically very similar, and therefore their potential side effects closely mirror each other. Glucocorticoids are known to cause fluid and electrolyte imbalances which may lead to sodium and fluid retention, high blood pressure, and in some cases, congestive heart failure.
Methylprednisolone and prednisone may also lead to muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass. Glucocorticoids are known to be disturbing to the gastrointestinal system and may lead to nausea, vomiting, or abdominal bloating. Steroids may slow the healing of wounds. Prolonged use of methylprednisolone and prednisone may slow the growth of children, and for this reason, their use should be limited to as short of a duration as possible to achieve remission of symptoms.
Patients on long-term steroid therapy may be up to four times more likely to develop diabetes. Patients who depend on injectable insulin or other antidiabetic drugs may have to increase their dose while on steroids. It is not uncommon for well-controlled diabetics to see a rise in their blood sugar even on a very short-term dose of steroids.
The following table is not intended to be a comprehensive list of side effects. Please consult your pharmacist or physician for a complete list of all side effects. Methylprednisolone and prednisone are each substrates of the cytochrome P enzyme 3A4. The P enzyme system in the liver is responsible for the metabolism of many drugs, and therefore there is the potential for many drug interactions. Corticosteroids are commonly used in patients who are also on other immunosuppressant agents.
One agent may affect the metabolism of another, but they may still be used together if monitored appropriately. For instance, tacrolimus and cyclosporine are each inhibitors of CYP 3A4. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks. You should also limit caffeine intake colas, tea, coffee and chocolate, especially. These beverages may irritate your stomach. If you experience symptoms or side effects, especially if severe, be sure to discuss them with your health care team.
It is usual to take methylprednisolone once daily at breakfast-time. If you have been told otherwise, you must take the tablets exactly as you have been told by your doctor. Take methylprednisolone with food. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. This medicine may cause changes in mood or behavior for some patients.
Do not stop taking methylprednisolone without talking to your doctor. Stopping the drug abruptly can cause loss of appetite, upset stomach, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, headache, fever, joint and muscle pain, peeling skin, and weight loss.
If you take large doses for a long time, your doctor probably will decrease your dose gradually to allow your body to adjust before stopping the drug completely. Watch for these side effects if you are gradually decreasing your dose and after you stop taking the tablets.
If these problems occur, call your doctor immediately. You may need to increase your dose of tablets temporarily or start taking them again. Your doctor may instruct you to follow a low-sodium, low-salt, potassium-rich, or high-protein diet.
Follow these directions. When you start to take methylprednisolone, ask your doctor what to do if you forget a dose. Write down these instructions so that you can refer to them later. If you take methylprednisolone once a day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children.
Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them.
0コメント