Prednisone Side Effects
 | Prednisone is a corticosteroid drug that has many uses because it
contains anti-inflammatory properties and has several prednisone
effects. Physicians prescribe it on a short term or long term basis for
treating conditions such as autoimmune diseases, extreme allergies,
swelling in body tissues, severe asthma, and kidney diseases like
nephrotic syndrome and preventing transplant rejection among others.
Due to prednisone effects, the drug is also utilized as an anti-tumor drug and is highly essential in the treatment of Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, severe lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other tumors sensitive to hormones in combination with certain anticancer drugs. However, there are many prednisone side effects and an example is suppression of the immune system making patients highly likely to get infections. Patients usually take it orally but at times the drug can be administered through intravenous or intramuscular injection. It is a prodrug that the liver converts into prednisolone, the active drug, which is also a steroid. When the drug is used on a short time basis, many patients tolerate it well but when used on a long time basis, prednisone side effect become more apparent. In order to determine whether prednisone effects experienced by a patient can be coped with, it is necessary to evaluate the risks versus the benefits of using it. In the pharmaceutical industry, prednisone tablets are utilized in the calibration of dissolution testing equipments. The first synthesis of the drug meant to find out about prednisone effects that was commercially feasible was carried out in the Schering Corporation’s laboratories in 1955. This was done by Author Nobile and his coworkers. The corporation’s name was later changed into Schering-Plough Corporation. The discovery made by Arthur and his co-workers was that it was possible to microbiologically oxidize cortisone into prednisone by using the bacterium known as Corynebacterium simplex. This same process was utilized in the preparation of prednisolone from hydrocortisone. Schering-Plough introduced prednisolone and prednisone under the brand names Meticortelone and Meticorten respectively in the mid 1960s. These prescription medications are now sold as generic drugs by several manufacturers. The right dosage to get good or bad prednisone effects varies according to the patient’s condition. When physicians prescribe the drug on a short-term basis, they may prescribe a low dosage, increase it and then decreased it in order to gradually withdraw the medication. If tapering does not take place, patients experience a comedown effect, which is one of the prednisone side effects even if they have used the drug for a single week or two. Prednisone Effects Patients who need to take the drug for long periods usually take the same dosage every day. At times, it is recommended that patients should discontinue the drug for a short time before resuming its intake. Patients who have kidney or liver damage should take prednisone with caution because of prednisone side effect that may make their conditions worse. Patients taking prednisone should avoid interacting with people who have active infections due to their low immunity levels. In addition to this, there is a concern about administering vaccines when patients are taking this drug, especially in children. Physicians generally wait until a patient finishes a course of prednisone before they can administer a vaccine because prednisone effects increase the probability of a patient getting sick from the live vaccines. Prednisone effects also lower the probabilty of certian vaccines working as intended. |
