Product Details

Product Information Prednisolone 5mg

What you need to know before you take Prednisolone Tablets

Do not take Prednisolone Tablets if you: • are allergic to prednisolone or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). • have a fungal infection • have recently had any ‘live’ vaccinations. Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Prednisolone Tablets if you have: • an infection or get an infection while being treated with prednisolone • underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) • liver disease or kidney failure • or have had seizures • myasthenia gravis (a disease that causes muscle weakness) • tuberculosis or have ever been treated for tuberculosis Prednisolone 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 25mg and 30mg Tablets Package leaflet: Information for the patient Continued top of next column Continued over page • gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease (e.g. ulcerative colitis or diverticulitis) • diabetes • heart disease, e.g. heart failure or high blood pressure • had blood clots in the past (e.g. vein thrombosis) or have blood clots • mood swings or psychotic tendencies • any drug allergy • osteoporosis • adrenal tumour (phaeochromocytoma) • new surgically created blood vessels or intestinal connections • scleroderma (also called systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune disease) as daily doses of 15mg or more can increase the risk of a serious complication called acute kidney crisis. Signs of acute kidney crisis include high blood pressure and decreased urine output. Your doctor may advise you to check your blood pressure and urine levels regularly. Contact your doctor if during treatment you: • get serious psychological side effects, e.g. depression and suicidal thoughts. These can also occur when you stop taking prednisolone. • experience blurred vision or other visual disturbances. • are subjected to unusually severe physical or mental strain of any kind (e.g. infection, surgery, trauma) while you are being treated with prednisolone. The dose may need to be increased. Increased susceptibility to infections Prednisolone treatment can reduce your resistance to infections, making it easier for you to contract infections during treatment. Chickenpox and measles can become more serious when taking cortisone preparations. Therefore, if you have not previously had these diseases, you should avoid exposing yourself to chickenpox or measles during treatment and talk to a doctor straight away if this should still happen. • You are more likely to develop infections whilst taking Prednisolone Tablets, and existing infections may become worse, especially during periods of stress. Certain infections can be serious if not controlled. • You may become very ill if you get chickenpox whilst taking Prednisolone Tablets. You should avoid contact with people who have chickenpox or shingles whilst taking, and for up to 3 months after you have stopped taking, Prednisolone Tablets. Do not stop taking Prednisolone Tablets. • You should avoid contact with people who have measles. If you need to be vaccinated during prednisolone treatment, tell your doctor about your treatment before you receive the vaccination. Corticosteroids can cause growth retardation in infants, children and diseases and therefore long-term use should be avoided. If long-term use is necessary, the growth of infants and children will be closely monitored by the physician. Other medicines and Prednisolone Tablets Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines including medicines obtained without a prescription. It is especially important that your doctor know if you are taking any of the following medicines: • rifampicin, isoniazid (to treat tuberculosis) • blood thinners • carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin (antiepilepsy drug) • anticholinergics (e.g. medicines for Parkinson’s disease or asthma) • cholinesterase inhibitors (for myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer’s disease) • insulin or diabetes drugs in the form of tablets. Cortisone preparations can impair the blood sugar lowering effect of diabetes drugs • cobicistat (for HIV infection) • oestrogens (e.g. birth control pills) • acetylsalicylic acid or other non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs) (used to treat pain and inflammation). The risk of peptic ulcer may increase when combined with cortisone preparations • thiazides, furosemide, ethacrylic acid (potassiumlowering diuretics) • xanthines (e.g. theophylline, for treating asthma) • beta-2 stimulants (e.g. salbutamol, terbutaline, salmeterol, formoterol, for treating asthma) • amphotericin B (antibiotic for fungal infection). If you need to be vaccinated, tell your doctor that you are taking Prednisolone Tablets. Pregnancy and breast-feeding Pregnancy If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. Breast-feeding If you are breast-feeding you must tell your doctor before you start the treatment. Your doctor will want to examine your baby during your time of treatment. Small amounts of steroids are present in breast milk. Driving and using machines Dizziness, visual disturbances and fatigue can occur when using prednisolone. If you experience such symptoms, do not drive or use machines. You are responsible for assessing whether you are in a position to drive a motor vehicle or perform work that requires increased attention. One of the factors that may affect your ability in these respects is the use of drugs because of their effects and / or side effects. A description of these effects and side effects can be found in other sections. Read all the information in this leaflet for guidance. Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure. Prednisolone Tablets contain lactose If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact them before taking this medicine. Information on sodium content This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free