Prednisone Description

Generic Name : PREDNISONE

Pronunciation : (pred' ni sone)

Trade Name(s) : Deltacortril, Hostacortin, Wysolone

Why it is prescribed: Prednisone, a corticosteroid, is similar to a natural hormone produced by our adrenal glands. It relieves inflammation (swelling, heat, redness, and pain) and is used to-treat certain forms of arthiritis and skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, and intestinal disorders (e.g., colitis). Prednisone also is used with other drugs to prevent rejection of transplanted organs and to treat ceratain types of cancer, severe allergies, and asthma.

When it is to be taken:
1. Follow the instructions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor to explain any part that you do not understand.
2. If you are to take prednisone every other day, take it at breakfast on the first day and do not take it at all on the second day. Then take it at breakfast on the third day, do not take it at all on the fourth day, and so on.
3. If you are to take prenisone once a day, take it in the morning with breakfast.
4. If you are to take prednisone more than once a day, take it at evenly spaced intervals between the time you wake up in the morning and the time you go to the bed at night. For example, if your doctor tells you to take it three times a day, take it at 7 a.m., and 11 p.m.

How it should be taken: Prednisone comes in tablets, oral liquid, concentrate, and syrup to be taken orally. Your prescription label tells you how much to take at each dose. You may obtain a specially marked measuring spoon to be sure of an accurate dose of the solution and syrup. Use the specially marked dropper that comes with the concentrate to measure the dose.

Special Instruction :
1. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. If you take prednisone for a long time, you probably will have periodic blood test; X-rays; eye examinations; blood pressure, height, and weight measurements; and physical examinations.
2. Checkups are particularly important for children because prednisone can slow bone growth.
3. Prednisone must be taken regularly to be effective. However, do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer period than your doctor has directed.
4. If your condition worsens, contact your doctor; your dose may need to be adjusted. Do not stop taking prednisone without consulting your doctor.
5. Stopping the drug abruptly can cause loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, stupor, headache, fever, joint and muscle pain, peeling skin, and weight loss.
6. If you take large doses for a long time, your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually to allow your body to adjust before stopping the drug completely.
7. Your doctor may instruct you to weigh yourself every day. Report any unusual weight gain. Tell every doctor, dentist, and surgeon who treats you that you take prednisone.
8. Your doctor may instruct you to follow a low-sodium, low-salt, potassium-rich, or high-protein diet. Follow these directions.
9. When you start to take prednisone, ask your doctor what to do if you forget a dose. Write down these instructions so that you can refer to them later.
10. In general, if you take prednisone every other day and remember a missed dose on the morning of the day you should have taken it, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. If you remember as missed dose on that afternoon, start a new schedule. Take the missed dose on the next morning, do not take it at all on day two, and take the nextdose on the morning of day three.
11. If you take prednisone once a day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. If you do not remember a missed dose until it is time for your next dose, omit the missed dose completely and take only the regularly scheduled dose.
12. If you take more than one dose a day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it; then take any remaining doses for that day at evenly spaced intervals. If you remember a missed dose when it is time for you to take another, you may take both doses at one time.

Side Effects :
1. Nausea, vomiting, stomach irritation. Take this medication with food or milk. If these effects persist or your stools become black and tarry, contact your doctor.
2. Headache, dizziness, insomnia, restlessness, depression, anxiety, unusual moods, acne, thinned skin, increased sweating, increased hair growth, reddened face, easy bruising, tiny purple skin spots, irregular or absent menstrual periods. If these effects persist or are severe, contact your doctor.
3. Skin irritation, itching, or swelling . Contact your doctor at once.
4. Long-term therapy problems: weight gain; swollen feet, ankles, and lower legs; muscle pain and weakness; eye pain; vision problems; puffy skin; a cold or infection that lasts a long time. Contact your doctor.

Other Precautions :
1. Before you take prednisone, tell your doctor what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin, arthritis medication, anticoagulants, diuretics, estrogen (e.g., birth-control pills), phenytoin, rifampin, and Phenobarbital.
2. Do not have a vaccination, other immunization, or any skin test while you are taking prednisone unless your doctor specifically tells you that you may.
3. Before you take prednisone, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think that you may be pregnant, wish to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. Prednisone can harm an unborn or breast-fed baby.
4. Before you take prednisone, tell your doctor your entire medical history, particularly if you have liver, kidney, intestinal, or heart disease an under active thyroid high blood pressure; myasthenia gravis; osteoporosis; herpes eye infection; or a history of tuberculosis, seizures, ulcers, or blood clots.
5. If you have a history of ulcers or take large doses of aspirin or other arthritis medication, limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages while taking prednisone.
6. Prednisone can make your stomach and intestines more susceptible to the irritating effects of alcohol, aspirin, and certain arthritis medications, increasing your risk of ulcers.
7. Report any injuries or signs of infection that occur during treatment and within 12months after treatment with prednisone. Your dose may need to be adjusted or you may need to start taking the drug again.
8. If you have diabetes, prednisone may increase your blood sugar level. Test your urine for glucose frequently and contact your doctor if sugar is present; your dose of diabetes medication and your diet may need to be changed. Do not allow anyone else to take this medication.

Storage Conditions :
1. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of the reach of children.
2. Store it at room temperature.