PREDNISOLONE and PREDNISONE oral

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    Last updated: September 2023

     

    Prescription under medical supervision

     

    Therapeutic action

    • Intermediate-acting steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (corticosteroid)

    Indications

    • Symptomatic treatment of allergic and inflammatory diseases or reactions

    Forms and strengths

    • 5 mg tablet and 5 mg soluble tablet

    Dosage and duration

    • Dosage varies according to indication,  symptoms severity,  clinical response and patient's tolerance. In the event of treatment longer than 10 days, a high initial dose should be reduced as quickly as possible to the lowest effective dose. 
      • Child and adult: 0.5 to 2 mg/kg once daily in the morning or in 2 divided doses (max. 80 mg daily)
    • Duration varies according to indication. In the event of treatment longer than 3 weeks, decrease doses gradually to avoid adrenal suppression.

    Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

    • In case of systemic infection, only administer if patient is under antimicrobial treatment.
    • Do not administer to patients with active peptic ulcer (except if ulcer under treatment).
    • May cause (if prolonged treatment with high doses): adrenal suppression, muscle atrophy, growth retardation, increased susceptibility to infections, sodium and water retention (oedema and hypertension), osteoporosis, hypokalaemia, digitalis toxicity due to potassium loss in patients taking digitalis glycosides.
    • Pregnancy: no contra-indication
    • Breast-feeding: no contra-indication; use the lowest effective dose; for treatment longer than 7 days with doses higher than 40 mg daily, take tablets just after a feed and wait 4 hours before the next feed if possible.

    Remarks

    • Take with food.
    • Prednisolone is also used for preventing inflammatory reaction triggered by certain antiparasitic treatment (e.g. trichinellosis, african trypanosomiasis).
    • 5 mg of prednisolone or prednisone has the same anti-inflammatory activity as 0.75 mg of dexamethasone and 20 mg of hydrocortisone.

    Storage

     
    –  Below 25 °C