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Prednisone (for transplant patients)
pred-ni-sone
What does it do?
Prednisone is a steroid medicine used with other medicines to prevent transplant rejection.
How should you take it?
Take prednisone regularly as directed, usually in the morning. Take with food and a glass of water.
What if you forget a dose?
Take the missed dose if you remember on the same day. If not, skip the dose and carry on as normal. Do not take two doses at the same time.
Can you take other medicines?
Some medicines available without a prescription may react with prednisone including:
- anti-inflammatories, such as diclofenac (e.g. Voltaren®), ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen®), or aspirin (e.g. Disprin®, in doses used for pain relief). These can also be found in some cold and flu medicines (e.g. Nurofen Cold and Flu®).
Tell your pharmacist or doctor about all medicines or treatments that you may be taking, including vitamins, herbal products (e.g. echinacea) or recreational drugs.
What side effects might you notice?
| Side Effects | Recommended action |
|---|---|
|
Changes in vision Peeing more often, feeling thirsty Muscle or bone aches and pains |
Tell your doctor |
|
Mood changes, restlessness, trouble sleeping Weight gain, swollen feet or legs Thinning of skin, acne |
Tell your doctor if troublesome |
|
Stomach upset |
Take with food and tell your doctor if symptoms persist |
If you notice any other effects, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.
Other information:
- It may be dangerous to stop taking prednisone suddenly. Your doctor at the transplant clinic may reduce the dose gradually.
- Long term use of steroids may be associated with a range of side effects such as: round face, change in body shape, change in hair growth, thinning of the bones, increased blood pressure and diabetes.
- If you take prednisone for a long time, infections may be worse or more common. Contact your doctor if you become unwell or come into contact with someone who has a contagious illness such as chicken pox or measles.
- Prednisone affects your immune system. Before you start and while you are using it, check with your doctor what vaccines you might need. You should not have a live vaccine while using it.
- Prednisone, when used with other immunosuppressant medicines, can rarely cause serious bone damage. This is called avascular necrosis and is caused by a loss of blood supply to the bone. It most commonly occurs in the hip and may cause pain or difficulty walking. In some cases surgery is required to treat this.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
- It is important to tell anyone who gives you medical or dental treatment that you are taking prednisone.
This leaflet contains important, but not all, information about this medicine.
Prepared by the PILs Committee at Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand. September 2018
For more general information about this sheet and its contents, see: What does a My Medicines sheet cover?
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About My Medicines
My Medicines Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) contain important, but not all, information about the medicines they describe.
For more information about the sheets, see: What does a My Medicines sheet cover?
My Medicines is developed by a team at the Canterbury District Health Board. Our team is made up of doctors, pharmacists, and a non-medical person to help us keep to plain language. We also discuss our information with specialist health professionals or groups when needed