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Prednisone

Your doctor has prescribed the drug prednisone for you. Prednisone is also called prednisolone or cortisone. It is used for many different complaints, including arthritis, asthma and inflammation of the liver or bowel.

Prednisone is based on a natural hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands in your body. While you are taking prednisone your adrenal glands do not produce much of the natural hormone and it takes a few days to return to normal levels if you stop taking the medication suddenly.

For this reason, it is usually necessary to reduce the dose gradually. It is very important to call your GP or specialist if you have vomiting or diarrhoea and cannot take your prednisone for any reason. If you reduce the dose too quickly you may feel faint or very tired. Call your doctor if this happens.

Side Effects

Unfortunately prednisone, particularly at high dose, can cause a number of problems. Mild or even moderate side effects may cause much less trouble than the disease being treated and it may be best to put up with them for a short period of time. More serious complications occasionally lead to a change in medication.