Intermediate-acting steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (corticosteroid)
Indications
Symptomatic treatment of allergic and inflammatory diseasesor 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.