Generic Prednisolone: General Information, Application, and Side Effects

Prednisolone is a synthetic steroid hormone of the corticosteroid class, which has a pronounced anti—inflammatory, anti-allergic, immunosuppressive, desensitizing, and anti-shock effect.

Brief description of prednisolone

Prednisolone was created in 1955, and therefore the patent for this drug has long expired, which made it possible to produce generics — complete analogues of the original drug, manufactured using identical technology and equivalent in chemical composition.

The most popular among consumers is a generic prednisolone tablet, which is much more convenient to use than intramuscular / intravenous injections or ointment forms.

Why People Choose to Order Generic Prednisolone Online

Generic drugs are bioequivalent to brand-name drugs, meaning they have the same active ingredient, dosage form, strength, route of administration, and indications. Therefore, purchasing generic medicine is a much cheaper endeavor than dealing with its brand-name equivalent in the US pharmacies. In fact, generic drugs cost an average of 80-85% less than brand-name drugs in the United States.

Furthermore, thanks to Canada's national healthcare system, you can find Prednisolone for sale online in many Canadian pharmacies at much lower cost, making it an attractive choice for Canadians seeking relief. In addition, anyone who’s able to purchase Prednisolone online from Canadian pharmacies can count on greater flexibility and convenience when they need. With so many advantages and cost-savings associated with ordering prednisolone from a Canadian pharmacy, it's no wonder that it's become such a popular choice among those looking to purchase this drug.

Benefits of Generic Prednisolone

• Generic prednisolone has an equivalent therapeutic effect, absolutely in no way inferior to the original.
• Lower retail cost of the drug, since regional pharmaceutical companies can produce it independently without incurring the cost of purchasing imported raw materials or delivering the drug from abroad.
• A wide range of prednisolone tablets in one package.

Pharmacological properties and uses

What is it used for

Prednisolone is prescribed for acute or intensely pronounced inflammatory, allergic, autoimmune and oncological diseases.

How Prednisolone Works

Prednisolone has a systemic effect on hormone-synthesizing functions, and also actively suppresses metabolic processes involved in the formation of inflammatory and/or allergic conditions:

• limits the spread of the inflammatory process regardless of its cause;
• reduces the intensity and speed of incorrect immune reactions;
• suppresses the synthesis of TSH and FSH hormones;
• inhibits the activity of leukocytes and macrophages;
• reduces the number of lymphocytes;
• stabilizes capillary permeability;
• stimulates the synthesis of glucose and insulin;
• normalizes the balance of electrolytes (retains sodium and water, removes potassium and calcium)

With prolonged use, prednisolone is addictive, and therefore the withdrawal of the drug should always be carried out gradually. The scheme of gradual reduction of dosage should be developed by the attending physician.

Who Prednisolone is For

The drug is used to treat the following diseases:

• all forms of allergic reactions, regardless of localization;
• all types of arthritis, polyarthritis and osteoarthritis;
• rheumocarditis, rheumatic fever;
• bursitis, synovitis, tenosynovitis, epicondylitis;
• lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, thyroiditis, sarcoidosis;
• alveolitis, bronchial asthma, sarcoidosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer;
• dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema;
• adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal insufficiency, nephrotic syndrome;
• Crohn's disease, enteritis, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis;
• agranulocytosis, hemolytic and hypoplastic anemia
• leukemia, lymphogranulomatosis;
• multiple sclerosis.

How to Take Prednisolone

At the initial stages of treatment, generic Prednisolone tablets are taken 20-30 mg / day once after breakfast. Upon achieving the desired therapeutic result, the dosage is reduced to 5-10 mg / day.

In particularly severe clinical cases, the daily dosage can be increased to 100 mg, which should be divided into 2-4 uneven doses when the highest dose of the drug is taken in the morning.

The scheme and duration of use can and should be established by the attending physician individually, taking into account the characteristics of the patient's disease and his reaction to prednisolone treatment.

Contraindications

• Any viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic diseases.
• At least eight weeks before and two weeks after vaccination, as well as for any post-vaccination complications.
• Recently suffered a myocardial infarction.
• Cushing syndrome.
• Age younger than 3 years.
• Breastfeeding period (in women).

The drug should be taken with caution in the following cases:

• immunodeficiency conditions, including HIV and AIDS;
• ulcerative diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• cardiovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, heart failure);
• diseases and dysfunction of the hormonal system (hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus);
• severe forms of renal and/or hepatic insufficiency, cirrhosis of the liver, hypoalbuminemia, nephrolithiasis;
• myasthenia gravis, osteoporosis, polio;
• open‑ and closed-angle glaucoma;
• predisposition to seizures or thrombosis;
• stage III–IV obesity;
• pregnancy in any trimester;
• mental abnormalities or acute psychoses.

Side effects

During the course of treatment, the following side effects may occur: sweating, dizziness, appetite disorders, nausea and vomiting, weight gain, esophageal candidiasis, skin rash and/ or itching, peripheral edema, hypokalemic syndrome, hypocalcemia, arrhythmia, bradycardia, hypertension, thrombosis, ulcerative erosive gastrointestinal diseases, dermatological and hepatic disorders, increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections.

Prednisolone can also negatively affect the development (including sexual) of children and adolescents.

The probability of occurrence of these complications depends on the duration of the course of therapy and the amount of the dose taken.

Overdose

Exceeding the recommended dosages of prednisolone causes the same symptoms and disorders that are characteristic of the development of side effects.

Treatment: symptomatic, simultaneously with the correction of the dosage of the drug.

With a single use of high doses of Prednisolone, gastric lavage should be performed and activated charcoal should be taken at the rate of 1 tablet for each 10 kg of the patient's weight.

Interaction with other drugs

It is strictly forbidden to take generic prednisolone simultaneously with the following drugs:

• Mifepristone: reduces the effect of prednisolone for 3-4 days.
• Methotrexate, Etoposide: in combination with prednisolone, the drugs become toxic.
• Amphotericin B: may cause heart failure.
• Indomethacin, Cyclosporine, Ketoconazole: significantly increase the likelihood of side effects of prednisolone.

Combination of generic prednisolone with the following drugs also requires caution:

• Sodium-containing drugs, androgens, steroid anabolics: provoke peripheral edema.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants, thrombolytics: increase the risk of internal bleeding.
• Neuroleptics: due to the likelihood of cataracts.
• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: contribute to the development of osteoporosis.
• M‑holinoblockers, nitrates: increase intraocular pressure.
• Paracetamol: the combination of prednisolone and paracetamol increases the hepatotoxicity of paracetamol.
• Cardiac glycosides: risk of ventricular extrasystole.
• Immunosuppressants: increase the body's susceptibility to infectious diseases.

The therapeutic effect of Prednisolone may decrease when the drug is combined with inhibitors of the adrenal cortex, antacids, antithyroid drugs, and inducers of microsomal liver enzymes.

The therapeutic effect of prednisolone may increase when the drug is combined with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroid hormones, and estrogen-containing drugs.

Prednisolone is able to reduce the effectiveness of such drugs: Isoniazid, Mexiletin, Praziquantel, somatotropic hormone, vitamin D, insulin, acetylsalicylic acid, hypotensive and oral hypoglycemic drugs, anticoagulants of indirect action, as well as all live antiviral vaccines.

Special instructions and precautions

• The patient should always try to use a minimum dosage of prednisolone, and once remission is achieved, abandon further use of the drug.
• Long—term treatment with prednisolone is allowed only under the condition of regular observation by the attending physician in order to avoid the development of irreversible pathologies, such as diabetes mellitus, optic nerve damage, osteoporosis or developmental delay (in children).
• Prednisolone also has the ability to mask the symptoms of infectious diseases.
• With cirrhosis of the liver and hypothyroidism, the body's sensitivity to prednisolone increases, which should be taken into account when selecting an individual dose.
• At the initial stages of therapy, some patients may experience reversible mental disorders. In this case, you need to reduce the dose of prednisolone or temporarily stop taking the medication.

FAQ

What is the danger of abruptly stopping taking prednisolone?

Abruptly stopping taking prednisolone may result in the development of acute adrenal insufficiency, up to a fatal outcome. In milder cases, patients have withdrawal syndrome, which is characterized by nausea and vomiting, headache and joint pain, peeling of the skin, fever, hypotension, and a sharp decrease in body weight.

How to taper off prednisolone correctly?

The optimal scheme for tapering off prednisolone should be developed by the attending physician who prescribed you the treatment — taking into account the duration of therapy, as well as the patient's sensitivity to the drug. It is recommended to reduce the dosage by ¼ tablet every 3-5 days.

Can I take prednisolone with alcohol?

It is not recommended. The combination of prednisolone and ethanol increases the likelihood of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Is it true that stress reduces the effectiveness of prednisolone?

Yes, it's true. During severe stressful situations, it is recommended to temporarily increase the daily dose of prednisolone — after consulting with your doctor.

What should I do if I missed my dose?

You just need to return to the usual schedule of taking the drug at set intervals. Categorically, it is not recommended to take a double dose of prednisolone — most likely, this will lead to an overdose.