Prednisone is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works to treat inflammation, swelling, severe allergies, skin conditions, and many other issues by reducing swelling and redness, and by changing the way the immune system works.¹

A typical initial dose can range from 5 mg to 60 mg per day. The exact dosage and time between dosage will be determined by your healthcare provider.² RedBox Rx prescribes prednisone in five-day treatments of 10 mg or 20 mg to treat rashes, hives, and eczema.

Prednisone is usually taken with food one to four times a day or once every other day. Your doctor will probably tell you to take your dose(s) of prednisone at certain time(s) of day every day. Your personal dosing schedule will depend on your condition and on how you respond to treatment. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take prednisone exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it, or take it more often or for a longer period of time than prescribed by your doctor.

Tell your doctor if your symptoms improve or get worse, or if you get sick or have any changes in your health during your treatment.³

For itchy skin, prednisone can start working in just a few hours, but it may take a few days to achieve full effect.⁴

Yes, prednisone is a prescription steroid medication.⁵

Methylprednisolone and prednisone are not the exact same drug, but they are very similar synthetic corticosteroids that treat inflammation and suppress the immune system. The main difference between oral methylprednisolone and oral prednisone is that methylprednisolone is slightly stronger than prednisone.⁶ Learn more about methylprednisolone.

Prednisone is not available over the counter and requires a prescription. RedBox Rx offers prednisone at $25 per five-day treatment (5 or 10 tablets) following a $39 online doctor consult with a licensed medical provider.

For skin treatment, RedBox Rx offers prednisone at $25 per five-day treatment (5 or 10 tablets) following a $39 online doctor consult with a licensed medical provider. No insurance required and no membership fees.

You save money on your doctor consultation fee by selecting RedBox Rx pharmacy and having treatment shipped to your address. Consult fee increases to $69 if another pharmacy is used.

Yes, weight gain is a common side effect of prednisone.⁷

Drinking alcohol while taking prednisone is not recommended because they share certain side effects, and taking them together will increase the risk of these side effects occurring.

These potential side effects include:⁸

• Changes in blood sugar levels

• Stomach irritation

• Dehydration with electrolyte imbalances

• Development of diabetes type 2

• Immune system suppression

• Muscle weakness

• Mood changes

• High blood pressure

• Impaired wound healing

• Osteoporosis (weakening of the bones)

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

• Slower wound healing

• Suppression of the adrenal glands

• Weight gain

Do not take this medication with any of the following:

• Metyrapone

• Mifepristone

This medication may also interact with the following:

• Aminoglutethimide

• Amphotericin B

• Aspirin and aspirin-like medications

• Barbiturates

• Certain medications for diabetes, like glipizide or glyburide

• Cholestyramine

• Cholinesterase inhibitors

• Cyclosporine

• Digoxin

• Diuretics

• Ephedrine

• Female hormones, like estrogens and birth control pills

• Isoniazid

• Ketoconazole

• NSAIDs, medications for pain and inflammation, like ibuprofen or naproxen

• Phenytoin

• Rifampin

• Toxoids

• Vaccines

• Warfarin

This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your healthcare provider a list of all medicines, herbs, nonprescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.⁹

Before taking prednisone:¹⁰

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to prednisone, any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in prednisone tablets or solutions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of the inactive ingredients.

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Pacerone); anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin); certain antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and voriconazole (Vfend); aprepitant (Emend); aspirin; carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol); cimetidine (Tagamet); clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); delavirdine (Rescriptor); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others); dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexpak); diuretics (water pills); efavirenz (Sustiva); fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); fluvoxamine (Luvox); griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, Gris-PEG); HIV protease inhibitors, including atazanavir (Reyataz), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir (in Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), and saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase); hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections); lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor); medications for diabetes; nefazodone; nevirapine (Viramune); phenobarbital; phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate); sertraline (Zoloft); troleandomycin (TAO); verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); and zafirlukast (Accolate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

• Tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking or plan to take, especially St. John's wort.

• Tell your doctor if you have an eye infection now or have ever had eye infections that come and go, and if you have or have ever had threadworms (a type of worm that can live inside the body); diabetes; high blood pressure; emotional problems; mental illness; myasthenia gravis (a condition in which the muscles become weak); osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become weak and fragile, and can break easily); seizures; tuberculosis (TB); ulcers; or liver, kidney, intestinal, heart, or thyroid disease.

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking prednisone, call your doctor.

• If you are having surgery, including dental surgery, or need emergency medical treatment, tell the doctor, dentist, or medical staff that you are taking or have recently stopped taking prednisone. You should carry a card or wear a bracelet with this information in case you are unable to speak in a medical emergency.

• Do not have any vaccinations (shots to prevent diseases) without talking to your doctor.

• You should know that prednisone may decrease your ability to fight infection and may prevent you from developing symptoms if you get an infection. Stay away from people who are sick and wash your hands often while you are taking this medication. Be sure to avoid people who have chickenpox or measles. Call your doctor immediately if you think you may have been around someone who had chickenpox or measles.

Your doctor may instruct you to follow a low-salt, high-potassium, or high-calcium diet. Your doctor may also prescribe or recommend a calcium or potassium supplement. Follow these directions carefully.

Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while you are taking this medication.¹¹

When you start to take prednisone, ask your doctor what to do if you forget to take a dose. Write down these instructions so that you can refer to them later. Call your doctor or pharmacist if you miss a dose and do not know what to do. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.¹²

No, prednisone does not typically cause sleepiness, but it may cause difficulty staying or falling asleep.¹³

Prednisone may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

• Inappropriate happiness

• Extreme changes in mood

• Changes in personality

• Bulging eyes

• Acne

• Thin, fragile skin

• Red or purple blotches, or lines under the skin

• Slowed healing of cuts and bruises

• Increased hair growth

• Changes in the way fat is spread around the body

• Extreme tiredness

• Weak muscles

• Irregular or absent menstrual periods

• Decreased sexual desire

• Heartburn

• Increased sweating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• Vision problems

• Eye pain, redness, or tearing

• Sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection

• Seizures

• Depression

• Loss of contact with reality

• Confusion

• Muscle twitching or tightening

• Shaking of the hands that you cannot control

• Numbness, burning, or tingling in the face, arms, legs, feet, or hands

• Upset stomach

• Vomiting

• Lightheadedness

• Irregular heartbeat

• Sudden weight gain

• Shortness of breath, especially during the night

• Dry, hacking cough

• Swelling or pain in the stomach

• Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing

• Rash

• Hives

• Itching

Prednisone may increase the risk that you will develop osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking prednisone and about things that you can do to decrease the chance that you will develop osteoporosis.

Some patients who took prednisone or similar medications developed a type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking prednisone.

Prednisone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).¹⁴

Prednisone can take 10 to 20 hours to leave your body after your last dose.¹⁵

Yes. If you abruptly stop taking prednisone or taper off too quickly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, including:

• Severe fatigue

• Weakness

• Body aches

• Joint pain

• Nausea

• Loss of appetite

• Lightheadedness

• Irritability or mood swings

In addition to withdrawal symptoms, not tapering prednisone properly could worsen the symptoms you're being treated for.

The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. Work with your healthcare provider to taper off the drug safely.¹⁶

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children, as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location, out of their sight and reach. Learn more at http://www.upandaway.org.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.¹⁷

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.¹⁸

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your body's response to prednisone.

If you are having any skin tests, such as allergy tests or tuberculosis tests, tell the doctor or technician that you are taking prednisone.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.¹⁹

We offer a variety of prescription medication options for skin rashes, hives, and eczema including:

• Clobetasol 0.05% cream

• Clobetasol 0.05% ointment

• Clobetasol 0.05% topical solution

• Hydroxyzine (Generic Atarax®)

• Triamcinolone 0.1% cream

• Triamcinolone 0.1% ointment

• Hydrocortisone 2.5% cream

• Methylprednisolone (Generic Medrol Dosepak®)

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