• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is prednisone?
Prednisone is in a class of drugs called steroids. Prednisone prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Prednisone is used to treat many different conditions such as allergic disorders, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, or breathing disorders. Prednisone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Back to Top

What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

Back to Top

What are the possible side effects of prednisone?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• problems with your vision;

• swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath;

• severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizure (convulsions);

• bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood;

• pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate);

• low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• sleep problems (insomnia), mood changes;

• acne, dry skin, thinning skin, bruising or discoloration;

• slow wound healing;

• increased sweating;

• headache, dizziness, spinning sensation;

• nausea, stomach pain, bloating; or

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Back to Top

How should I take prednisone?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Your steroid medication needs may change if you have unusual stress such as a serious illness, fever or infection, or if you have surgery or a medical emergency. Tell your doctor about any such situation that affects you.

Back to Top

What is the most important information I should know about prednisone?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to prednisone, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body. Before taking prednisone, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, and about all other medicines you are using. There are many other diseases that can be affected by steroid use, and many other medicines that can interact with steroids. Your steroid medication needs may change if you have any unusual stress such as a serious illness, fever or infection, or if you have surgery or a medical emergency. Tell your doctor about any such situation that affects you during treatment.

Back to Top

What happens if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose or forget to take your medicine, contact your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.

Back to Top

What other drugs will affect prednisone?
There are many other medicines that can interact with steroids. Below is only a partial list of these medicines: aspirin (taken on a daily basis or at high doses); a diuretic (water pill); a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune); insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth; antibiotics such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane), or troleandomycin (Tao); or seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton).

Back to Top

Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Prednisone has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. However, its active metabolite, prednisoLONE, has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Some animal studies have revealed evidence of fetal harm, although data are conflicting. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Prednisone is only recommended for use during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and benefit outweighs risk.

In the Michigan Medicaid Birth Defects Study involving 229,101 pregnancies from 1985 to 1992, there were 143 first trimester exposures to prednisolone (written communication, Franz Rosa, MD, Food and Drug Administration, 1994). A statistically significant increase in the total number of birth defects was found, with eleven cases reported compared with only six cases expected. However, no association between prednisolone and the six categories of defects studied (cardiovascular, oral clefts, spina bifida, polydactylies, limb reduction defects/syndactylies, hypospadias) was found.

Prednisone and its active metabolite prednisolone are excreted into human milk in small amounts. Animal studies have revealed an increased incidence of cleft palate in offspring. In one study of six lactating women, prednisolone milk concentrations were 5% to 25% of corresponding serum concentrations. The authors estimated that a nursing infant would be exposed to negligible amounts of drug with maternal doses of 20 to 40 mg per day. The excretion of prednisolone into breast milk has been evaluated in six women on chronic prednisolone therapy. Milk prednisolone concentrations ranged from less than 10 to 106 ng/mL in patients receiving 10 mg to 45 mg per day (N=5). In a patient receiving 80 mg per day, milk prednisolone concentrations ranged from less than 10 ng/mL prior to the morning dose to 317 ng/mL at one hour post-dose. The peak milk to plasma concentration ratio ranged from 0.12 to 0.25. The authors recommend that nursing be withheld for four hours after administration of doses greater than 20 mg. In a recent study, prednisolone excretion into breast milk was evaluated in three women following administration of prednisolone phosphate 50 mg intravenously one time. During the six-hour study period, 0.010% to 0.049% of the administered dose of prednisolone was recovered in breast milk. Nursing infants would be expected to experience minimal exposure. Data from this study also suggest that exchange of unbound prednisolone between breast milk and serum is rapid and bi-directional. Prednisone is considered compatible with breast-feeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering prednisone to nursing women.

In one study of six lactating women, prednisolone milk concentrations were 5% to 25% of corresponding serum concentrations. The authors estimated that a nursing infant would be exposed to negligible amounts of drug with maternal doses of 20 to 40 mg per day. The excretion of prednisolone into breast milk has been evaluated in six women on chronic prednisolone therapy. Milk prednisolone concentrations ranged from less than 10 to 106 ng/mL in patients receiving 10 mg to 45 mg per day (N=5). In a patient receiving 80 mg per day, milk prednisolone concentrations ranged from less than 10 ng/mL prior to the morning dose to 317 ng/mL at one hour post-dose. The peak milk to plasma concentration ratio ranged from 0.12 to 0.25. The authors recommend that nursing be withheld for four hours after administration of doses greater than 20 mg. In a recent study, prednisolone excretion into breast milk was evaluated in three women following administration of prednisolone phosphate 50 mg intravenously one time. During the six-hour study period, 0.010% to 0.049% of the administered dose of prednisolone was recovered in breast milk. Nursing infants would be expected to experience minimal exposure. Data from this study also suggest that exchange of unbound prednisolone between breast milk and serum is rapid and bi-directional.

Back to Top

Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to prednisone, any ingredient in the respective formulation, or any other corticosteroid.
• Systemic fungal infections.
• Concurrent administration of live or live, attenuated vaccines in patients receiving immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids. (See Specific Drugs and Laboratory Tests under Interactions.)

Back to Top

What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this medicine. A single large dose of prednisone is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms. However, long-term use of high steroid doses can lead to symptoms such as thinning skin, easy bruising, changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your face, neck, back, and waist), increased acne or facial hair, menstrual problems, impotence, or loss of interest in sex.

Back to Top

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking prednisone?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to prednisone, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body. Steroid medication can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection. Steroids can also worsen an infection you already have, or reactivate an infection you recently had. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks. Other medical conditions you should tell your doctor about before taking prednisone include:

Back to Top

Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

Back to Top

I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

Back to Top

Where can I get more information?
More Information

Back to Top