METHYLPREDNISOLONE

(METH il pred NIS oh lone) Brand: Medrol, Medrol Dosepak, MethylPREDNISolone Doze Pack

What is the most significant information I must know about methylprednisolone?

• You must not use this medicine if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.

What is methylprednisolone?

• Methylprednisolone is a steroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that reason inflammation.

• Methylprednisolone is used to treat much various inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, allergic disorders, gland (endocrine) disorders, and conditions that affect the skin, eyes, lungs, stomach, nervous system, or blood cells.

• Methylprednisolone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking methylprednisolone?

• You must not use methylprednisolone if you are allergic to it, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.

• Methylprednisolone 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. Tell your doctor about any diseases or infection you have had within the past different weeks.

• To create certain methylprednisolone is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· heart malady, tall blood pressure;

· kidney or liver malady (especially cirrhosis);

· a history of tuberculosis;

· a parasite infection (pinworms);

· glaucoma or cataracts;

· a last head injury;

· stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis;

· a thyroid disorder;

· low bone mineral density (steroid medicine can magnify your risk of bone loss);

· depression or mental illness;

· a muscle mess such as myasthenia gravis;

· seizures or epilepsy; or

· an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of calcium or potassium in your blood).

• It is not known whether methylprednisolone will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

• It is not known whether methylprednisolone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Speak your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• Steroids can affect growth in children. Conversation with your doctor if you think your baby is not growing at a usual course while using this medication.

How must I take methylprednisolone?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your doze to create certain you get the excellent results. Do not take this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• If you have major surgery or a severe injury or infection, your methylprednisolone doze needs may change. Create certain any doctor caring for you knows you are taking this medicine.

• Steroid medicine can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection. Call your doctor if you have any signs of infection (fever, chills, body aches).

• You must not stop using methylprednisolone suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.

• Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take methylprednisolone. Any medical care provider who treats you must know that you take steroid medication.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a doze of methylprednisolone.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

• An overdose of methylprednisolone is not expected to manufacture life threatening symptoms. However, long term use of tall steroid doses can lead to symptoms such as thinning skin, light bruising, changes in the shape or location of body thick (especially in your person, neck, back, and waist), heighten acne or facial hair, menstrual problems, impotence, or loss of interest in sex.

What must I avoid while taking methylprednisolone?

• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with methylprednisolone and lead to unwanted side effects. Avoid the use of grapefruit commodity while taking methylprednisolone.

• Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using methylprednisolone. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and nasal flu (influenza) vaccine.

• Avoid being around people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles. These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroid medication.

What are the possible side effects of methylprednisolone?

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

• Call your doctor at once if you have:

· blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos near lights;

· shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;

· severe depression, changes in personality, unusual thoughts or behavior;

· new or unusual pain in an hand or leg or in your back;

· bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

· seizure (convulsions);

· low calcium (numbness or tingly feeling near your mouth, quick or slow heart course, muscle tightness or contraction, overactive reflexes); or

· low potassium (confusion, uneven heart course, extreme thirst, heighten urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling).

• General side effects may include:

· headache;

· mild muscle pain or weakness; or

· stomach discomfort, bloating.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect methylprednisolone?

• Speak your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with methylprednisolone, especially:

· aspirin (taken on a daily basis or at tall doses);

· cyclosporine;

· insulin or oral diabetes medication;

· St. John's wort;

· antifungal medication--itraconazole, ketoconazole; or

· HIV/AIDS medication--efavirenz, nevirapine, ritonavir;

· seizure medication--phenobarbital, phenytoin, and others; or

· tuberculosis medication--rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine.

• This list is not complete. Another drugs may interact with methylprednisolone, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal commodity. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medicine manual.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about methylprednisolone.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.