THERAPEUTICS

Brands

• Sterapred, Cordrol, Orasone, Prednicot, Panasol, Meticorten, Deltasone, Sterane, Flo-Pred

Generic?

• Yes

Class

• Corticosteroid

Commonly Prescribed for

(FDA approved in bold)

• Acute exacerbation of multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Optic neuritis

• Inflammatory myopathies: dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM)

• Temporal arteritis (TA)

• Cerebral edema associated with brain tumor or head injury

• Asthma

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Rheumatological disorders: gouty arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis (many others)

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Neoplastic disorders: lymphoma and acute leukemia

• Hematological disorders: hemolytic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (many others)

• Allergic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity reactions

• Acute episodes in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

• Nephrotic syndrome

• Tuberculous meningitis

• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)

• Myasthenia gravis (MG)

• Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD)

• Migraine headache

• Cluster headache

• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

• Acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM)

• Graves’ ophthalmopathy

• Ophthalmoplegic migraine

How the Drug Works

• Glucocorticoids have anti-inflammatory effects, modify immune responses to stimuli, and have numerous metabolic effects. Prednisone is a synthetic steroid with glucocorticoid and mineralcorticoid activity

How Long Until It Works

• MS, migraine, cluster: days

• MG, DM, PM, CIDP: weeks to months

• TA: days

If It Works

• MS: use for acute exacerbation that causes significant disability. In relapsing-remitting form, long-term disease-modifying treatments improve prognosis

• Migraine: usually used for intractable headache or status migrainosus for short periods of time. After resolution, revert to safer preventive and abortive therapy

• Cluster: start preventive therapy and prednisone at the beginning of a cycle

• MG: weakness and fatigability improve. Decrease dose cautiously if clinical remission occurs

• DM/PM: improves strength and mobility. Start a corticosteroid-sparing agent if needed and taper dose cautiously with clinical remission

• CIDP: improves strength and sensory symptoms and prevents disability. Decrease dose cautiously if clinical remission occurs

• TA: monitor clinical response and sedimentation rate