Comprimés de méthylprednisolone

About methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone tablets belong to a group of medicines called corticosteroids. It is sometimes referred to simply as an oral steroid. Oral steroids are used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Some examples include inflammatory bowel diseases (for example, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), autoimmune diseases (for example, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), sarcoidosis), joint and muscle diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis), and allergies. They are also used to treat some cancers.

Methylprednisolone works in part by interfering with the release of certain chemicals in your body which cause inflammation.

Methylprednisolone is also available in the form of an injection. Some types of injection are used when treatment is needed quickly, or a person is unable to swallow tablets. Other types of injection are given to relieve inflammation in a specific area, such as a painful or swollen joint. This leaflet gives advice for people taking methylprednisolone tablets.

Before taking methylprednisolone

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking methylprednisolone it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous souffrez d'hypertension artérielle.

• Si vous avez eu une crise cardiaque ou si vous avez d'autres problèmes cardiaques.

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie ou des reins.

• Si vous (ou un membre de votre famille proche) souffrez de diabète ou d'une affection oculaire appelée glaucome.

• If you have any of the following conditions: an underactive thyroid, 'thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis), epilepsy, a condition causing muscle weakness (called myasthenia gravis), a stomach ulcer, or a bowel disorder.

• Si vous avez déjà eu un problème de santé mentale.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. (Oral steroids like methylprednisolone can be taken while you are expecting or breastfeeding; however, it is important that your doctor knows about the baby.)

• Si vous avez une infection quelconque en ce moment, ou si vous avez déjà eu la tuberculose.

• Si vous avez déjà eu un caillot de sang indésirable dans une artère ou une veine.

• Si vous avez été récemment vacciné ou si vous êtes sur le point de l'être.

• If you are taking other medicines. This includes any medicines which are available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal and complementary medicines.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament, ou si vous avez déjà développé des douleurs musculaires après avoir pris un médicament stéroïdien.

How to take methylprednisolone tablets

• Before starting the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack and any additional information you are given by your doctor. These will give you more information about methylprednisolone and will also provide you with a full list of side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets to take for each dose. It is usual to take methylprednisolone once daily at breakfast-time. If you have been told otherwise, you must take the tablets exactly as you have been told by your doctor.

• Take methylprednisolone with food. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose à l'heure habituelle, prenez-la dès que vous vous en rendez compte (en mangeant quelque chose). Si vous ne vous en rendez compte que le lendemain, ne prenez pas la dose oubliée. Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.

• Continue to take methylprednisolone until your doctor tells you to stop. Stopping taking the tablets suddenly can cause problems so your doctor will want you to reduce your dose gradually over a period of time if/when this becomes necessary.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• If your course of treatment is due to last more than three weeks, you will be given a 'Steroid Treatment Card' which says that you are on steroids and contains some important advice for you. It is important that you read this card and carry it with you at all times. It also contains details about your dose, how long you have been taking methylprednisolone for, and who prescribed it for you. Please make sure that this information is kept up to date. If you are having an operation or dental treatment or any treatment for an injury, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking methylprednisolone and show them your treatment card. This is because your dose may need adjusting.

• Essayez de vous rendre à vos rendez-vous réguliers avec votre médecin. Il pourra ainsi vérifier vos progrès. Il vous demandera de passer des examens de temps en temps pour s'assurer que vous ne souffrez pas des effets secondaires indésirables du traitement.

• There are several strengths of methylprednisolone tablets available: 2 mg, 4 mg, 16 mg, and 100 mg. Each time you collect a new supply of tablets from your pharmacy, check to see if the tablets are the same as before. If they are different, speak with your pharmacist who will check it out for you.

• Methylprednisolone can suppress your immune system, so it is important if you become ill that you make an appointment to see your doctor straightaway. Also, if you come into contact with anyone who has measles, shingles or chickenpox (or anyone who suspects they might have them), you must see your doctor as soon as possible.

• Some vaccines are not suitable for you while you are being treated with methylprednisolone. If you need any immunisations, make sure you mention that you are taking an oral steroid.

• It is best not to drink grapefruit juice while you are on methylprednisolone. This is because a chemical in grapefruit juice is thought to increase the amount of methylprednisolone in your bloodstream, and could make side-effects more likely.

• If you buy any medicines, check with your pharmacist that they are suitable to take with methylprednisolone.

Can methylprednisolone cause problems?

Along with its useful effects, methylprednisolone can cause unwanted side-effects which your doctor will discuss with you. The benefits of taking an oral steroid usually outweigh the side-effects; however, they can sometimes be troublesome. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with methylprednisolone. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below.

Bien que tout le monde ne ressente pas d'effets secondaires, et que certains s'améliorent au fur et à mesure que votre corps s'adapte au nouveau médicament, parlez à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien si vous vous sentez concerné par l'un des effets suivants :

Important: you should let your doctor know if you start to experience blurred vision or other vision problems whilst taking methylprednisolone.

For more information about side-effects which are possible when methylprednisolone is taken long-term, see the separate leaflet called Oral Steroids.

How to store methylprednisolone tablets

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments