MethylPrednisolone

Product Description

Uses
Methylprednisolone is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood disorders, severe allergic reactions, certain cancers, eye conditions, skin/kidney/intestinal/lung diseases, and immune system disorders. It decreases your immune system's response to various diseases to reduce symptoms such as swelling, pain, and allergic-type reactions. This medication is a corticosteroid hormone.

Methylprednisolone may also be used with other medications in hormone disorders.

How to use Methylprednisolone

Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually with food or milk. Follow your dosing instructions carefully. The dosage and length of treatment are based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Different dosing schedules exist for this medication. If you are not taking the same dose each day or if you take this medication every other day, it may help to mark your calendar with a reminder. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase.

Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Some conditions may worsen or you may experience withdrawal symptoms (such as weakness, weight loss, nausea, muscle pain, headache, tiredness, dizziness) when this drug is suddenly stopped. To prevent these withdrawal symptoms when stopping methylprednisolone, your doctor may reduce your dose gradually. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details and report any withdrawal reactions right away. See also Precautions section.

Side Effects

Nausea, vomiting, heartburn, headache, dizziness, trouble sleeping, appetite changes, increased sweating, or acne may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

This medication may make your blood sugar rise, which can cause or worsen diabetes. Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of high blood sugar such as increased thirst/urination. If you already have diabetes, check your blood sugar regularly as directed and share the results with your doctor. Your doctor may need to adjust your diabetes medication, exercise program, or diet.

This medication may lower your ability to fight infections. This may make you more likely to get a serious (rarely fatal) infection or make any infection you have worse. Tell your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection (such as fever, chills, persistent sore throat, cough, white patches in the mouth).

Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: unusual weight gain, menstrual period changes, bone/joint pain, easy bruising/bleeding, mental/mood changes (such as mood swings, depression, agitation), muscle weakness/pain, puffy face, slow wound healing, swelling of the ankles/feet/hands, thinning skin, unusual hair/skin growth, visionproblems, fast/slow/irregular heartbeat.

This drug may rarely cause serious (rarely fatal) bleeding from the stomach or intestines. If you notice any of the following unlikely but serious side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist right away: black/bloody stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, persistent stomach/abdominal pain.

Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: seizures.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions

Before taking methylprednisolone, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to prednisone; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: bleeding problems, blood clots, brittle bones (osteoporosis), diabetes, eye diseases (such as cataracts, glaucoma, herpes infection of the eye), heart problems (such as recent heart attack, congestive heart failure), high blood pressure, current/past infections (such as those caused by tuberculosis, threadworm, herpes, fungus), kidney disease, liver disease, mental/mood conditions (such as psychosis, depression, anxiety), stomach/intestinal problems (such as diverticulitis, ulcer, ulcerative colitis), seizures.

This drug may make you dizzy. Alcohol or marijuana can make you more dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs alertness until you can do it safely. Talk to your doctor if you are using marijuana.

This medicine may cause stomach bleeding. Daily use of alcohol while using this medicine may increase your risk for stomach bleeding. Limit alcoholic beverages. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Methylprednisolone can make you more likely to get infections or may worsen any current infections. Therefore, wash your hands well to prevent the spread of infection. Avoid contact with people who have infections that may spread to others (such as chickenpox, measles, flu). Consult your doctor if you have been exposed to an infection or for more details.

This medication may cause vaccines to not work as well. Live vaccines may cause serious problems (such as infection) if given while you are using this medication. Do not have immunizations/vaccinations/skin tests without the consent of your doctor. Avoid contact with people who have recently received live vaccines (such as flu vaccine inhaled through the nose).

Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).

Using corticosteroid medications for a long time can make it more difficult for your body to respond to physical stress. Therefore, before having surgery or emergency treatment, or if you get a serious illness/injury, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using this medication or have used this medication within the past 12 months. Tell your doctor right away if you develop unusual/extreme tiredness or weight loss. If you will be using this medication for a long time, carry a warning card or medical ID bracelet that identifies your use of this medication. See also Medical Alert section.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially brittle bones (osteoporosis). Talk to your doctor about the ways to prevent osteoporosis. See also Notes section.

This medication may slow down a child's growth if used for a long time. Consult the doctor or pharmacist for more details. See the doctor regularly so your child's height and growth can be checked.

During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. It may rarely harm an unborn baby. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Infants born to mothers who have been using this medication for a long time may have hormone problems. Tell your doctor right away if you notice symptoms such as persistent nausea/vomiting, severe diarrhea, or weakness in your newborn.

This medication passes into breast milk, but is unlikely to harm a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.