$Unique_ID{BRK02030}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{METHYLPREDNISOLONE (SYSTEMIC)}
$Subject{Medrol (Upjohn)
methylprednisolone (various manufacturers)}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (C) 1991 Publications International, Ltd.


METHYLPREDNISOLONE (SYSTEMIC)
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BRAND NAMES (Manufacturers):
     Medrol (Upjohn)
     methylprednisolone (various manufacturers)
TYPE OF DRUG:
     Adrenocorticosteroid hormone
INGREDIENT:
     methylprednisolone
DOSAGE FORM:
     Tablets (2 mg, 4 mg, 8 mg, 16 mg, 24 mg, and 32 mg)
STORAGE:
     Store at room temperature in a tightly closed container.

USES

     Your adrenal glands naturally produce certain cortisone-like chemicals.
These chemicals are involved in various regulatory processes in the body (such
as those involving fluid balance, temperature, and reactions to inflammation).
Methylprednisolone belongs to a group of drugs known as adrenocorticosteroids
(or cortisone-like medications).  It is used to treat a variety of disorders,
including endocrine and rheumatic disorders; asthma; blood diseases; certain
cancers; eye disorders; gastrointestinal disturbances, such as ulcerative
colitis; respiratory diseases; and inflammations, such as arthritis,
dermatitis, and poison ivy.  How this drug acts to relieve these disorders is
not completely understood.

TREATMENT

     In order to prevent stomach irritation, you can take methylprednisolone
with food or milk.
     If you are taking only one dose of this medication each day, try to take
it before 9:00 A.M.  This will mimic the body's normal production of this type
of chemical.
     It is important to try not to miss any doses of methylprednisolone.
However, if you do miss a dose of this medication, follow these guidelines:
     1. If you are taking it more than once a day, take the missed dose as
soon as possible and return to your regular schedule.  If it is already time
for the next dose, double the dose.
     2. If you are taking this medication once a day, take the dose you missed
as soon as possible, unless you don't remember until the next day.  In that
case, do not take the missed dose at all; just follow your regular schedule.
Do not double the next dose.
     3. If you are taking this drug every other day, take it as soon as you
remember.  If you missed the scheduled time by a whole day, take it when you
remember, and then skip a day before you take the next dose.  Do not double
the dose.
     If you miss more than one dose, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR.

SIDE EFFECTS

     Minor.

     Dizziness, false sense of well-being, increased appetite, increased
susceptibility to infections, increased sweating, indigestion, menstrual
irregularities, nausea, reddening of the skin on the face, restlessness, sleep
disorders, or weight gain.  These side effects should disappear as your body
adjusts to the medication.

     Major.

     Tell your doctor about any side effects that are persistent or
particularly bothersome.  IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about
abdominal enlargement; abdominal pain; acne or other skin problems; back or
rib pain; bloody or black, tarry stools; blurred vision; convulsions; eye
pain; fever and sore throat; growth impairment (in children); headaches;
impaired healing of wounds; increased thirst and urination; mental depression;
mood changes; muscle wasting; muscle weakness; nightmares; rapid weight gain
(three to five pounds within a week); rash; shortness of breath; thinning of
the skin; unusual bleeding or bruising; and unusual weakness.

INTERACTIONS

     Methylprednisolone interacts with several other types of medications:
     1. Alcohol, aspirin, and anti-inflammatory medications (diclofenac,
diflunisal, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen,
mefenamic acid, meclofenamate, naproxen, piroxicam, sulindac, or tolmetin)
aggravate the stomach problems that are common with use of this medication.
     2. The dosage of oral anticoagulants (blood thinners, such as warfarin),
oral antidiabetic medications, or insulin may need to be altered when this
therapy with systemic methylprednisolone is started or stopped.
     3. The loss of potassium caused by methylprednisolone can lead to serious
side effects in individuals taking digoxin.  Thiazide diuretics (water pills)
can increase the potassium loss caused by methylprednisolone.
     4. Phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, and ephedrine can increase the
elimination of methylprednisolone from the body, thereby decreasing its
effectiveness.
     5. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and estrogen-containing
drugs may decrease the elimination of this medication from the body, which can
lead to an increase in side effects.
     6. Methylprednisolone can increase the elimination of aspirin and
isoniazid, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of these two medications.
     7. Cholestyramine and colestipol can chemically bind this medication in
the stomach and gastrointestinal tract and prevent its absorption.
     BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR about any medications you are currently
taking, especially any of those listed above.

WARNINGS

     * Tell your doctor about unusual or allergic reactions you have had to
any medications, especially to methylprednisolone or other
adrenocorticosteroids (such as betamethasone, cortisone, dexamethasone,
hydrocortisone, paramethasone, prednisolone, prednisone, and triamcinolone).
     * Tell your doctor if you now have or if you have ever had bone disease,
diabetes mellitus, emotional instability, glaucoma, fungal infections, heart
disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, myasthenia gravis,
peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, tuberculosis, ulcerative
colitis, kidney disease, or liver disease.
     * To help avoid potassium loss while using this drug, take your dose with
a glass of fresh or frozen orange juice or eat a banana each day.  The use of
a salt substitute also helps to prevent potassium loss.  Check with your
doctor before using a salt substitute.
     * If you are using this medication for longer than a week, you may need
to have your dosage adjusted if you are subjected to stress, such as serious
infections, injury, or surgery.  Discuss this with your doctor.
     * If you have been taking this drug for more than a week, do not stop
taking it suddenly.  If it is stopped suddenly, you may experience abdominal
or back pain, dizziness, fainting, fever, muscle or joint pain, nausea,
vomiting, shortness of breath, or extreme weakness.  Your doctor may,
therefore, want to reduce the dosage gradually.  Never increase the dosage or
take the drug for longer than the prescribed time, unless you first consult
your doctor.
     * While you are taking methylprednisolone, you should not be vaccinated
or immunized.  This medication decreases the effectiveness of vaccines and can
lead to overwhelming infection if a live-virus vaccine is administered.
     * Before having surgery or other medical or dental treatment, be sure to
tell your doctor or dentist about this drug.
     * Because this drug can cause glaucoma and cataracts with long-term use,
your doctor may want you to have your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist
periodically during treatment.
     * If you are taking this medication for prolonged periods, you should
wear or carry a notice or identification card stating that you are taking an
adrenocorticosteroid.
     * This medication can raise blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.
Blood sugar levels should, therefore, be monitored carefully with blood or
urine tests when this medication is being taken.
     * Some of these products contain the color additive FD&C Yellow No. 5
(tartrazine), which can cause allergic-type reactions (rash, wheezing,
fainting, shortness of breath) in certain susceptible individuals.
     * Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant.  This drug crosses the
placenta.  Although studies in humans have not been conducted, birth defects
have been observed in the fetuses of animals that were given large doses of
this type of drug during pregnancy.  Also, tell your doctor if you are
breast-feeding an infant.  Small amounts of methylprednisolone pass into
breast milk and may cause growth suppression or a decrease in natural
adrenocorticosteroid production in the nursing infant.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
