PREDNISOLONE and PREDNISONE oral

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