Prednisone - Benefits, dosage & side effects

Prednisone is a drug to reduce inflammation in allergies, autoimmune diseases, joint and muscle diseases, and skin diseases. Prednisone is a type of corticosteroid drug

Predison works by suppressing the immune system response thereby reducing inflammation. Prednisone can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription.

Prednisone trademark: Eltazon, Flites 5, Ifison, Inflason, Lexacort, Pehacort, Prednisone, Prednisone, Remacort, Trifacort.

What is Prednisone?

Class	Corticosteroids
Categories	Prescription drugs
Benefits	Reduce inflammation
Used by	Adults and children
Prednisone for pregnant and lactating women	Category C: Animal studies have shown adverse effects on the fetus, but there are no controlled studies in pregnant women. Drugs should only be used if the expected benefit outweighs the risk to the fetus. Category D (delayed-release tablets): There is positive evidence of risks to the human fetus, but the benefits may outweigh the risks, for example in dealing with life-threatening situations. Prednisone is absorbed into breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, do not use this medicine without consulting your doctor first.
Medicine form	Tablets and caplets

Warning Before Using Prednisone:

• Do not use prednisone if you are allergic to this medicine or to other corticosteroid medicines.
• Tell your doctor if you have or are currently suffering from kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, infectious disease, or heart failure.
• Tell your doctor if you have ever had a peptic ulcer, diverticulitis, or colitis.
• Tell your doctor if you have or are currently suffering from osteoporosis, myasthenia gravis, diabetes, or hypertension.
• Tell your doctor if you plan to get vaccinated while taking prednisone.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy.
• Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines and supplements.
• If you have an allergic reaction or overdose after taking prednisone, see a doctor immediately.

Dosage and Instructions for Use of Prednisone

The following are the doses of prednisone that are generally given by doctors based on the disease experienced by the patient:

Condition: Allergy

• Adults: 5–60 mg per day. Maintenance dose and duration of treatment will be adjusted according to the response to therapy and the patient's condition.

Condition: Acute asthma

• Adults: 40–60 mg, 1-2 times a day, for 3–10 days.
• Children aged 0–11 years: 1–2 mg/kgBW per day, for 3–10 days. The maximum dose is 60 mg per day.

Condition: Bursitis

• Adults: 5–60 mg per day. The maintenance dose and duration of treatment will be adjusted according to the response to therapy and the patient's condition.

Condition: Rheumatoid arthritis

• Adult: 10 mg/day. The maintenance dose and duration of treatment will be adjusted according to the response to therapy and the patient's condition.

Condition: Multiple sclerosis

• Adults: 200 mg per day, for a week, followed by 80 mg every 2 days, for a month.

Condition: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)

• Adult: 1–2 mg/kgBW per day. The maintenance dose and duration of treatment will be adjusted according to the patient's body response to therapy and the patient's general condition.

Condition: Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis (carinii) jirovecii (as adjunctive therapy)

• Adults: 40 mg, 2 times a day, for the first 5 days; followed by 40 mg, once daily, for the next 5 days. The dose can be reduced to 20 mg, over the next 11 days until the inflammation subsides.

How to Use Prednisone Correctly

Be sure to always read the instructions on the medicine package and follow the doctor's advice before using prednisone. Do not increase or decrease the dose, and do not take this medicine for longer than recommended.

Do not stop using prednisone without consulting your doctor first. Discontinuation of this drug needs to be done gradually to prevent withdrawal symptoms and side effects.

It is recommended to take prednisone with food or milk to prevent stomach pain. Food or milk will protect the stomach wall from being irritated.

If you forget to take prednisone, it is recommended to take it immediately if the break with the next schedule is not too close. If it's close, ignore it and don't double the dose.

Store prednisone in a dry place with a cool temperature. Keep out of reach of children.

Interaction of Prednisone with Other Drugs and Ingredients

The following are some possible interactions when taking prednisone with certain medications:

• Increased effectiveness of prednisone, if used with estrogen hormone preparations (eg birth control pills)
• Decreased efficacy of prednisone, if used with rifampicin, phenytoin, barbiturates, or bupropion
• Increased risk of hypokalemia, if used with amphotericin B
• Reduced blood levels of prednisone, if used with antacids
• Increasing the effectiveness of cardiac glycosides and cyclophosphamide
• Reduced levels of praziquantel in the blood
• Decrease in the effectiveness of antidiabetic drugs
• Decreased effectiveness of somatropin
• Increased removal of potassium from the body, when used with laxatives
• Increase the risk of gastric bleeding, if taken with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Increased pressure inside the eyeball (intraocular), when used with anticholinergic drugs, such as atropine
• Increased risk of myopathy (muscle disorders), when used with hydroxychloroquine

If given with a live vaccine, such as the MMR vaccine, prednisone can reduce the body's ability to respond to this type of vaccine.

Side Effects and Dangers of Prednisone

Some of the side effects that can occur after using prednisone are:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Excessive sweat
• Acne
• Difficulty sleeping
• Loss of appetite

Consult a doctor if the side effects mentioned above do not subside. Call your doctor right away if you experience an allergic reaction to the drug, such as an itchy rash on the skin, swelling of the lips and eyes, and difficulty breathing or experience serious side effects, such as:

• muscle cramps
• irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Unexplained fatigue
• Swelling of the legs or hands and face
• Rapid weight gain
• Easy to bruise
• severe stomach pain