Prednisone why take it

Here are some things you can do to keep yourself healthy: Take your medication as prescribed. Avoid double dosing. Find out from your healthcare provider what to do if you miss a dose. Usually your dose of prednisone is tapered or slowly reduced , to help avoid the effects of withdrawal. A sudden stoppage of using prednisone can lead to withdrawal symptoms including: Fatigue Dramatic changes in mood Reduce the amount salt and sugar in your diet. Monitor your weight. COVID patients can become kidney patients.

You can provide lifesaving support today with a special monthly gift. Donate Now. These side effects are most likely to happen if you have taken prednisolone for more than a few weeks or you take more than 40mg daily. Your doctor will probably want to reduce your dose gradually over several weeks to prevent these side effects.

Do not stop taking prednisolone without talking to your doctor - you will need to reduce the dose gradually. Taking prednisolone for many months or years can have several harmful effects on your body. It can lead to:. If you have to take prednisolone for a long time, there are steps you can take to stay as healthy as possible:.

Taking prednisolone makes you more likely to catch infections such as flu , the common cold and chest infections. Keep away from people with an infectious disease, especially chickenpox or shingles. If you have never had these illnesses they could make you very ill. Tell your doctor straight away if you come into contact with someone who has an infectious disease such as chickenpox or shingles. Your doctor may be able to prescribe a medicine to protect you. Taking prednisolone lowers your immune system.

If you have a "live" vaccine, like the shingles vaccine, while you are taking prednisolone your immune system might not be able to handle it. This may lead to an infection. Inactive vaccinations, like the flu vaccine, are safe. If you are taking prednisolone for longer than 3 weeks, or you have been prescribed a high dose of more than 40mg daily, your doctor or pharmacist will give you a blue steroid treatment card.

The card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse. It tells you how you can reduce the risks of side effects. It also gives details of your doctor, how much prednisolone you take and how long the treatment will last for. If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your blue steroid card to the doctor or dentist so they know that you are taking prednisolone.

For most health problems, these steroids are very similar to prednisolone in terms of how well they work and how safe they are. You may notice mood changes and mental health problems while taking prednisolone, including:. There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking prednisolone will reduce fertility in either men or women. However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant. Prednisolone will not affect the contraceptive pill or emergency contraception.

It's thought that real liquorice increases the amount of prednisolone in the body and also increases the risk of low potassium. Page last reviewed: 22 January Next review due: 22 January Prednisolone On this page About prednisolone Key facts Who can and can't take prednisolone How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About prednisolone Prednisolone is a type of medicine known as a corticosteroid or steroid. NHS coronavirus advice As long as you have no symptoms of coronavirus infection, carry on taking your prescribed steroid medicine as usual.

Updated: 20 March Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? Take prednisolone once a day in the morning so it doesn't keep you awake. The most common side effects of prednisolone are insomnia, weight gain, indigestion and sweating a lot. Taking prednisolone can make you more likely to get infections.

Tell your doctor if you're exposed to infectious illnesses like chickenpox or shingles. If you take prednisolone for more than 3 weeks, or you're on a high dose, you'll get a blue steroid card. Show this card to your doctor or dentist before any treatment, so they know you're taking prednisolone. Prednisolone can cause extra side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. Do not stop taking prednisolone if you've been on it for more than 3 weeks or have taken high doses more than 40mg for more than 1 week.

It's also called by the brand names Deltacortril, Deltastab, Dilacort and Pevanti. Prednisolone can be taken by adults and children. Prednisolone isn't suitable for some people. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you: have had an allergic reaction to prednisolone or any other medicine have an infection including eye infections are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or you are breastfeeding have recently been in contact with someone with shingles , chickenpox or measles have recently had, or are about to have, any vaccinations Make sure your doctor is aware if you have: had liver problems had mental health problems either you or close family members any unhealed wounds heart failure or have had a recent heart attack high blood pressure diabetes epilepsy glaucoma underactive thyroid osteoporosis thinning bones a stomach ulcer.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using prednisone. The vaccine may not work as well and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella MMR , polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella chickenpox , zoster shingles , and nasal flu influenza vaccine. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chickenpox or measles.

These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroid medicine. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction : hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Prednisone can affect growth in children. Tell your doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medicine.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines.

Many drugs can affect prednisone, especially:. This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect prednisone. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Not all possible drug interactions are listed here. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

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