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Top prednisone alternatives and how to switch your Rx
In many cases, a doctor will inject methylprednisolone into either the muscle or vein. However, for certain conditions, such as RA, they may sometimes inject methylprednisolone directly into a joint to reduce inflammation.
Being injectable makes methylprednisolone easier than prednisone to provide in large doses. Both prednisone and methylprednisolone are very strong medications. Doctors will try to use the lowest possible dosage that is effective, so they may increase or decrease the dosage during treatment. People who stop taking them too quickly may notice side effects, such as:.
As methylprednisolone and prednisone are both very potent, they can cause a range of side effects, including:. The side effects of prednisone can also include losing touch with reality. For this reason, doctors may prescribe methylprednisolone to someone with a risk of mental health conditions instead of prednisone to reduce the risk of psychosis.
Due to these side effects, doctors may avoid prescribing these corticosteroids. They may only recommend them if nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs are not effective or if a person has severe inflammation. Corticosteroids can interact with many other medications, including some nutritional supplements and alternative medicines, such as herbal remedies. Before using corticosteroids, a person should tell their doctor about any other medications that they are taking.
Corticosteroids have a widespread effect on the body. As a result, they can cause complications, some of which are severe. Taking corticosteroids for more than a month, which doctors consider long-term use, increases the likelihood of adverse effects occurring. It is important to note that these drugs can reduce the activity of the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infection. Complications are more likely to affect people who have or have had certain medical conditions, such as:.
Methylprednisolone and prednisone are corticosteroids that can have a significant impact on the body. They are effective medications for reducing inflammation. Both medications can produce a range of side effects and complications.
Methylprednisolone is more potent than prednisone. Doctors can give methylprednisolone orally or through an injection, while prednisone is only available as an oral treatment. Methylprednisolone may, therefore, be more appropriate for people with digestive issues that stop them from taking or fully absorbing oral drugs.
A doctor will decide which medication is best in each situation. People should ensure that their doctor is aware of all their previous health conditions and current medications when discussing taking corticosteroids. Rheumatoid arthritis RA is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints and also produces symptoms throughout the body.
Find out more about how…. While researchers do not know exactly what causes rheumatoid arthritis RA , they do know that heredity plays a role.
Learn more about RA and genetics…. Doctors use a combination of blood tests to help them diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Learn more about these tests and what else the diagnostic process…. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, and inflammation in joints and can affect organs throughout the body. Find out more here. The exact causes of rheumatoid arthritis are unclear, but researchers have identified several risk factors. Learn about 10 of these here. How to understand chronic pain What is behind vaccine hesitancy?
The amazing story of hepatitis C, from discovery to cure New directions in dementia research Can psychedelics rewire a depressed, anxious brain? Medical News Today. Health Conditions Discover Tools Connect. What is the difference between methylprednisolone and prednisone? Medically reviewed by Dena Westphalen, Pharm. How harmful to my body is this?
I have tried every new asthma medication on the market. Nothing works for long. Only prednisone works. I am sure that there will be long-term effects on my body.
I have already been diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. I was told the prednisone was the cause. Will prednisone eventually kill me? Prednisone is an extremely effective anti-inflammatory medicine. Unfortunately, there are many side effects associated with it, the most common being osteoporosis , or weakening of the bones.
Prolonged steroid use also puts you at increased risk for cataracts , glaucoma , fluid retention , frequent infections, weight gain, skin problems, and mood disorders. Oral steroids like prednisone should only be used as maintenance medication in the most severe cases of asthma.
There are many excellent treatments for asthma , including a variety of inhaled steroids, which are the cornerstone of modern asthma therapy. Keep working with your asthma specialist. It would be prudent for you to be re-evaluated to see if a combination of the existing remedies helps with your symptoms and allows you to cut back on the prednisone.
You may also benefit by working with an allergist to identify potential asthma triggers , both inside and outside the home. A careful examination of your living and working environments may be in order, once you know more about allergens. Many asthma triggers can be eliminated or avoided, and in your case this would be time and effort well spent.
I have chronic severe asthma and I have attacks every morning. I have recently stopped taking high doses of prednisone, which I took for 14 years straight. I do not want to take prednisone anymore.
I want to know how to prevent these really scary attacks - any ideas? You should follow up with your physician so that he or she can discuss with you the numerous asthma controller medications such as inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting bronchodilators, leukotriene modifiers, mast cell stabilizers, methylxanthines, anti-IgE therapy if appropriate and possibly others that are currently available and will hopefully eliminate or at least minimize your need for prednisone.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Asthma Center. Health Conditions A-Z. Health Tools. See All. DailyOM Courses. By Dr. Anna Feldweg.
❿Is There An Alternative To Prednisone?
Any alternatives for Prednisone • Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.
According to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology , two Chinese herbal supplements - ASHMI and FAHF-2 - were seen to have some effects that were similar to those of prednisone on the signs and symptoms of asthma and food allergies, respectively.
Depending on the advice of your doctor, ASHMI might be a supplement you could try to ease both your asthma symptoms and your dependence on prednisone as a long-term therapy. Keep in mind that I am not a doctor and can't diagnose you here or tell you how these options would affect you. Always check with your doctor before taking any medication or herbal remedy. You should know: The answer above provides general health information that is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment recommendations from a qualified healthcare professional.
What can we help you find? Pain Management. Compare prednisone alternatives Dexamethasone Methotrexate Mycophenolate Mercaptopurine Azathioprine Leflunomide Natural alternatives How to switch meds. While the immune system defends our body from infections and cancer, it can also cause health problems if not regulated properly. Common diseases that arise from improper immune activity include inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Prednisone can cause troublesome side effects in the short term, such as fluid retention, round face moon face , increased risk of infection, high blood pressure, cortisol insufficiency, and others. These side effects may be particularly problematic for patients who have pre-existing risks or health conditions such as osteoporosis, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, or cataracts.
Despite its side effects, prednisone is an effective treatment for many diseases and might not always have a suitable replacement. In many cases, however, an adjunct agent can be used with prednisone to reduce the strength and duration of prednisone therapy.
This article will discuss prednisone alternatives and steroid-sparing treatments that can reduce the dose of prednisone for patients with specific conditions. The table below lists common therapies that can replace prednisone or can be used as an adjunct therapy to reduce the cumulative dose of prednisone.
Some common uses, side effects, and dosing regimens are listed for each agent. Other corticosteroid-responsive conditions: 0. Transplant rejection: 0. Rheumatic disorders: 0. Heart or liver transplant: 1. SLE: Loading dose of mg by mouth daily x 3 days. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: mg by mouth once daily based on weight Leflunomide coupons Other alternatives to prednisone Remicade infliximab Enbrel etanercept Humira adalimumab Tocilizumab Dupixent dupilumab for severe asthma Fasenra benralizumab Cinqair reslizumab Xolair omalizumab Lupkynis voclosporin NSAIDs Patients with arthritis may be able to use NSAIDs instead of prednisone if their disease activity is not too severe.
NSAIDs are not as effective as steroids for the treatment of arthritis, but if symptoms are adequately controlled with NSAIDs, patients may not need to take oral corticosteroids. Common over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis include ibuprofen , naproxen , and diclofenac gel. It is important to seek advice from your pharmacist or healthcare provider when using over-the-counter treatments in conjunction with prescriptions as certain drug interactions may occur.
Dexamethasone is a suitable alternative to prednisone for the treatment of acute asthma. In general, dexamethasone is better tolerated and requires a shorter course of therapy five days of prednisone versus one to five days of dexamethasone.
Dexamethasone is approximately six times as potent as prednisone, and a single dose is longer acting. Therefore, fewer doses are required compared with prednisone. A study in showed that two days of dexamethasone had similar efficacy to five days of prednisone and patients on dexamethasone had better compliance and fewer side effects.
A study in also demonstrated that two doses of dexamethasone are as effective as five days of prednisone in children with asthma exacerbation admitted to the emergency department. A meta-analysis in concludes that dexamethasone is associated with less vomiting compared to prednisone when used for asthma exacerbations. Finally, dexamethasone is available in more dosage forms than prednisone.
While prednisone is only available as an oral tablet, dexamethasone is available as a tablet or solution, and can be injected via the intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular route.
Methotrexate is used as a steroid-sparing agent for many diseases. It is common to use DMARDs like methotrexate to reduce prednisone doses and allow for earlier discontinuation of prednisone. Methotrexate is considered a steroid-sparing treatment for many forms of arthritis such as giant cell arteritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyalgia rheumatica, etc. Methotrexate is also commonly used as a steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of uveitis.
Methotrexate may be a viable steroid-sparing agent for myasthenia gravis , although azathioprine is better studied and more commonly used for this purpose. A study demonstrated that patients with myasthenia gravis who are treated with methotrexate had significant improvement in disease activity and reduced prednisone dosages. Two studies demonstrated that lupus patients taking mycophenolate and voclosporin could achieve clinical response while using much lower doses of oral prednisone.
In fact, these two trials had the lowest peak steroid doses and faster steroid tapering than any other lupus nephritis trial. In patients with lupus without renal involvement, mycophenolate was shown to be superior to azathioprine when combined with steroids, and thus may be a better option than azathioprine for reducing prednisone doses. Mycophenolate can be used to reduce steroid use in many different inflammatory and immune diseases other than lupus.
Mycophenolate has similar steroid-sparing effects as methotrexate when used for uveitis. In a head-to-head study comparing mycophenolate and azathioprine for the treatment of pemphigus, patients taking mycophenolate required significantly lower steroid dose to achieve clinical remission compared to patients taking azathioprine.
Mercaptopurine may be a great option to reduce prednisone doses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The brand name of mercaptopurine is Purinethol.
Azathioprine is another DMARD that can reduce steroid doses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It is often used along with infliximab for this purpose.
Azathioprine may also be used to reduce the use of steroids in patients with myasthenia gravis. A study comparing methotrexate and azathioprine in patients with myasthenia gravis demonstrated that both drugs had a similar degree of steroid-sparing effects. Azathioprine may also be effective at reducing the cumulative steroid dose in patients with giant cell arteritis, although data is mostly limited to case studies.
Azathioprine may effectively lower the need for steroids in patients with recurrent pericarditis. In one study , Leflunomide is an effective steroid-sparing agent for various kinds of arthritis. In a small study, lower steroid doses were required in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis after taking leflunomide. Leflunomide is also an effective steroid-sparing option for patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Another lung disease, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis cHP , may be treated with leflunomide in some cases.
A study showed that leflunomide had a significant steroid-sparing effect—half of the patients discontinued prednisone entirely. In patients with inflammatory diseases related to IgG4 antibodies collectively known as IgG4-related disease , leflunomide can lower the cumulative dose of steroids needed to achieve and maintain remission.
Adding leflunomide to steroid therapy can also shorten the time to complete response and maintain a longer duration of remission compared to steroids alone. Natural remedies are not a replacement for prednisone, but they may work alongside prednisone to help fight inflammation. Antioxidants such as flavonoids and carotenoids protect tissue from damage by reactive oxygen species and other free radicals.
They may have an even stronger effect when taken together.
I have chronic asthma and have been on 20 mg of prednisone for more than 20 years. Is there another drug that can replace prednisone for this kind of long-term use? Many people are stuck on prednisone for long periods of time.
Unfortunately, it's unlikely that anything currently available could replace it completely, but some drugs are also sometimes used to reduce dependence on prednisone. These are very strong drugs as well and must be used with caution, but sometimes they can have good effects when taken in small amounts or as a short-term alternative to prednisone.
According to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunologytwo Chinese herbal supplements - ASHMI and FAHF-2 - were seen to have some effects that were similar to those of prednisone on the signs and symptoms of asthma and food allergies, respectively.
Depending on the advice of your doctor, ASHMI might be a supplement you could try to ease both your asthma symptoms and your dependence on prednisone as a long-term therapy. Keep in mind that I am not a doctor and can't diagnose you here or tell you how these options would affect you. Always check with your doctor before taking any medication or herbal remedy. You should know: The answer above provides general health information that is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment recommendations from a qualified healthcare professional.
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localhost › blog › prednisone-alternatives. These are medicines that are similar to prednisone, but the dose is much lower than prednisone taken by mouth, and the side effects are. Osteoporosis, increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of infections, weight gain are all assocaited with low dose prednisone use. Methylprednisolone and prednisone are both common medications that are similar in price. They can come in branded or generic forms. As with most drugs, the. in helping people successfully wean off drugs like Prednisone, replacing it gradually over a period of months with a safer, more natural regime. These are very strong drugs as well and must be used with caution, but sometimes they can have good effects when taken in small amounts or as a short-term alternative to prednisone. Doctors will try to use the lowest possible dosage that is effective, so they may increase or decrease the dosage during treatment.Methylprednisolone and prednisone are both corticosteroid medications. They have similar effects on the body but differ in their available forms and some of the side effects they cause. Both medications reduce inflammation , and people use them to relieve the symptoms of many health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis RA , lupus , and eczema.
Methylprednisolone and prednisone are both corticosteroids. Corticosteroids can reduce inflammation in the body and relieve related symptoms, such as body pain, swelling, and stiffness. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system. They are a standard treatment for autoimmune conditions, which often cause inflammation in the body.
Methylprednisolone and prednisone are both common medications that are similar in price. They can come in branded or generic forms. As with most drugs, the generic versions cost less but still comprise the same substances. Methylprednisolone is stronger than prednisone:. Prednisone is an oral medication that people take in the form of a tablet, liquid, or concentrated solution. People will take between one and four doses a day depending on the medical condition and the effectiveness of the treatment.
In many cases, a doctor will inject methylprednisolone into either the muscle or vein. However, for certain conditions, such as RA, they may sometimes inject methylprednisolone directly into a joint to reduce inflammation. Being injectable makes methylprednisolone easier than prednisone to provide in large doses. Both prednisone and methylprednisolone are very strong medications. Doctors will try to use the lowest possible dosage that is effective, so they may increase or decrease the dosage during treatment.
People who stop taking them too quickly may notice side effects, such as:. As methylprednisolone and prednisone are both very potent, they can cause a range of side effects, including:. The side effects of prednisone can also include losing touch with reality. For this reason, doctors may prescribe methylprednisolone to someone with a risk of mental health conditions instead of prednisone to reduce the risk of psychosis.
Due to these side effects, doctors may avoid prescribing these corticosteroids. They may only recommend them if nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs are not effective or if a person has severe inflammation.
Corticosteroids can interact with many other medications, including some nutritional supplements and alternative medicines, such as herbal remedies. Before using corticosteroids, a person should tell their doctor about any other medications that they are taking.
Corticosteroids have a widespread effect on the body. As a result, they can cause complications, some of which are severe. Taking corticosteroids for more than a month, which doctors consider long-term use, increases the likelihood of adverse effects occurring.
It is important to note that these drugs can reduce the activity of the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infection. Complications are more likely to affect people who have or have had certain medical conditions, such as:. Methylprednisolone and prednisone are corticosteroids that can have a significant impact on the body.
They are effective medications for reducing inflammation. Both medications can produce a range of side effects and complications. Methylprednisolone is more potent than prednisone. Doctors can give methylprednisolone orally or through an injection, while prednisone is only available as an oral treatment. Methylprednisolone may, therefore, be more appropriate for people with digestive issues that stop them from taking or fully absorbing oral drugs. A doctor will decide which medication is best in each situation.
People should ensure that their doctor is aware of all their previous health conditions and current medications when discussing taking corticosteroids.
Rheumatoid arthritis RA is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints and also produces symptoms throughout the body. Find out more about how…. While researchers do not know exactly what causes rheumatoid arthritis RA , they do know that heredity plays a role. Learn more about RA and genetics…. Doctors use a combination of blood tests to help them diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.
Learn more about these tests and what else the diagnostic process…. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, and inflammation in joints and can affect organs throughout the body.
Find out more here. The exact causes of rheumatoid arthritis are unclear, but researchers have identified several risk factors. Learn about 10 of these here. How to understand chronic pain What is behind vaccine hesitancy? The amazing story of hepatitis C, from discovery to cure New directions in dementia research Can psychedelics rewire a depressed, anxious brain?
Medical News Today. Health Conditions Discover Tools Connect. What is the difference between methylprednisolone and prednisone? Medically reviewed by Dena Westphalen, Pharm. Methylprednisolone vs. Share on Pinterest Methylprednisolone and prednisone reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system. How do people take methylprednisolone and prednisone? Share on Pinterest People can take methylprednisolone orally or as an injection. Image credit: Anonymous, Side effects.
Share on Pinterest Prednisone can cause dizziness and nausea. Image credit: nlm, Drug interactions. Share on Pinterest People with high blood pressure are more likely to experience complications from taking corticosteroids. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Share this article. Latest news Having a sense of purpose may help you live longer, research shows. Dementia vaccines: What are they, and when could they become available?
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