What is Methylprednisolone?

What is methylprednisolone, and what is it used for?

Methylprednisolone is a type of steroid medication. Doctors prescribe steroids to reduce inflammation for specific medical situations or conditions, including severe allergies, breathing disorders (like sarcoidosis), inflammatory conditions (such as arthritis and bursitis), collagen vascular diseases (including lupus and polymyositis), certain blood disorders, and ulcerative colitis.

How long does it take for methylprednisolone to work?

After someone ingests methylprednisolone, it is absorbed through the gut into the bloodstream within one to two hours and distributed throughout the body. 

What to avoid while taking methylprednisolone

To avoid drug interactions, talk to your doctor before adding other medications while taking methylprednisolone. Medications known to interact with methylprednisolone include phenytoin, carbamazepine, or erythromycin. Since methylprednisolone may cause changes in the body’s handling of salt and potassium, people taking it may need to change their diet. In addition, individuals taking high doses of methylprednisolone should not be given certain vaccinations. 

Does methylprednisolone make you sleepy?

Methylprednisolone generally does not make people sleepy; instead, it does the opposite, causing alertness. If taken too late in the day, methylprednisolone may cause difficulty sleeping at night. Methylprednisolone can cause noticeable side effects such as irritability, euphoria, mood swings, personality changes, increased appetite, or insomnia. Gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea and stomach pain, can also occur in people who take methylprednisolone. Blood sugar levels and blood pressure may increase while on methylprednisolone. 

How to take methylprednisolone

Physicians often advise patients to take methylprednisolone at the beginning of the day, with food or milk to avoid gastrointestinal side effects. Methylprednisolone is typically prescribed on different schedules depending on the condition treated. Standard methylprednisolone schedules include a taper or alternate-day therapy schedule. In a taper, the patient gradually decreases the amount taken over the following days or weeks. In an alternate-day therapy schedule, methylprednisolone is taken every other morning.

What should I do if I take too much methylprednisolone?

If you experience adverse or unexpected symptoms after taking methylprednisolone, or if someone takes too much methylprednisolone, get expert guidance from Poison Control online at www.poison.org and by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.

Caleb Howard, PharmD
PGY-1 Resident