Medrol

Generic name: Methylprednisolone

Drug class: Glucocorticoids

Dosage form: Tablet

Root of administration: Oral

Dose: 4, 8, 16 mg

Mechanism of action: Medrol is a steroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.

Drug usage cases: Medrol is used to treat many different inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, allergic disorders, gland (endocrine) disorders, and conditions that affect the skin, eyes, lungs, stomach, nervous system, or blood cells.

Drug contra indications: You should not use Medrol if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

a fungal infection anywhere in your body. Medrol can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection. Steroids can also worsen an infection you already have, or reactivate an infection you recently had. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks. To make sure Medrol is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

a thyroid disorder, herpes infection of the eyes, stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis,

depression, mental illness, or psychosis, liver disease (especially cirrhosis), high blood pressure, osteoporosis, a muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis; or multiple sclerosis. Also tell your doctor if you have diabetes. Steroid medicines may increase the glucose (sugar) levels in your blood or urine. You may also need to adjust the dose of your diabetes medications.

side effects: Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Medrol may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain, bruising, thinning skin, or any wound that will not heal, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights, severe depression, changes in personality, unusual thoughts or behavior, new or unusual pain in an arm or leg or in your back, bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, seizure (convulsions); or low potassium–leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling. Steroids can affect growth in children. Tell your doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate while using Medrol.

Warnings: You should not use this medicine if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.

Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding: It is not known whether Medrol will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether methylprednisolone passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.