Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Corticosteroids may cause infections such as chickenpox or measles to be more serious in children who catch them. These medicines can also slow or stop growth in children and in growing teenagers, especially when they are used for a long time. Before this medicine is given to children or teenagers, you should discuss its use with your child's doctor and then carefully follow the doctor's instructions.

Geriatric

Older patients may be more likely to develop high blood pressure or osteoporosis (bone disease) from corticosteroids. Women are especially at risk of developing bone disease.

Pregnancy

Studies on birth defects with corticosteroids have not been done in humans. However, studies in animals have shown that corticosteroids cause birth defects

Breastfeeding

Corticosteroids pass into breast milk and may cause problems with growth or other unwanted effects in nursing babies. Depending on the amount of medicine you are taking every day, it may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Adenovirus Vaccine, Live
  • Artemether
  • Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin Vaccine, Live
  • Cholera Vaccine, Live
  • Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine, Live
  • Desmopressin
  • Ebola Zaire Vaccine, Live
  • Influenza Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Levoketoconazole
  • Measles Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Mumps Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Poliovirus Vaccine, Live
  • Praziquantel
  • Rilpivirine
  • Rotavirus Vaccine, Live
  • Rubella Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Smallpox Monkeypox Vaccine, Live Non-Replicating
  • Smallpox Vaccine
  • Typhoid Vaccine, Live
  • Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Yellow Fever Vaccine
  • Zoster Vaccine, Live

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Abametapir
  • Aceclofenac
  • Acemetacin
  • Adagrasib
  • Aldesleukin
  • Alfentanil
  • Amiodarone
  • Amphetamine
  • Amprenavir
  • Amtolmetin Guacil
  • Apalutamide
  • Aprepitant
  • Asparaginase
  • Aspirin
  • Atazanavir
  • Atogepant
  • Avacopan
  • Balofloxacin
  • Bemiparin
  • Benzhydrocodone
  • Berotralstat
  • Besifloxacin
  • Boceprevir
  • Bosentan
  • Bromfenac
  • Bufexamac
  • Buprenorphine
  • Bupropion
  • Carbamazepine
  • Celecoxib
  • Ceritinib
  • Cholestyramine
  • Choline Salicylate
  • Cilostazol
  • Cimetidine
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Clarithromycin
  • Clofazimine
  • Clonixin
  • Cobicistat
  • Codeine
  • Conivaptan
  • Cosyntropin
  • Crizotinib
  • Cyclosporine
  • Dabrafenib
  • Daclatasvir
  • Darunavir
  • Dasabuvir
  • Delavirdine
  • Desogestrel
  • Dexibuprofen
  • Dexketoprofen
  • Dextroamphetamine
  • Diclofenac
  • Dienogest
  • Diflunisal
  • Dihydrocodeine
  • Diltiazem
  • Dipyrone
  • Doxorubicin
  • Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
  • Dronedarone
  • Drospirenone
  • Droxicam
  • Duvelisib
  • Efavirenz
  • Elvitegravir
  • Enoxacin
  • Enzalutamide
  • Erythromycin
  • Estetrol
  • Estradiol
  • Ethinyl Estradiol
  • Ethynodiol
  • Etodolac
  • Etofenamate
  • Etonogestrel
  • Etoricoxib
  • Etravirine
  • Fedratinib
  • Felbinac
  • Fenoprofen
  • Fentanyl
  • Fepradinol
  • Feprazone
  • Fexinidazole
  • Fleroxacin
  • Floctafenine
  • Fluconazole
  • Flufenamic Acid
  • Flumequine
  • Flurbiprofen
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Fosamprenavir
  • Fosaprepitant
  • Fosnetupitant
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Gatifloxacin
  • Gemifloxacin
  • Gestodene
  • Hemin
  • Hydrocodone
  • Ibuprofen
  • Idelalisib
  • Imatinib
  • Indinavir
  • Indomethacin
  • Itraconazole
  • Ivacaftor
  • Ivosidenib
  • Josamycin
  • Ketoconazole
  • Ketoprofen
  • Ketorolac
  • Lapatinib
  • Larotrectinib
  • Lefamulin
  • Lenacapavir
  • Letermovir
  • Levofloxacin
  • Levonorgestrel
  • Lisdexamfetamine
  • Lomefloxacin
  • Lomitapide
  • Lonafarnib
  • Lopinavir
  • Lorlatinib
  • Lornoxicam
  • Loxoprofen
  • Lumacaftor
  • Lumateperone
  • Lumiracoxib
  • Lurasidone
  • Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate
  • Macimorelin
  • Maribavir
  • Mavacamten
  • Meclofenamate
  • Medroxyprogesterone
  • Mefenamic Acid
  • Meloxicam
  • Meperidine
  • Mestranol
  • Methadone
  • Mibefradil
  • Mifepristone
  • Mitotane
  • Modafinil
  • Morniflumate
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Nabumetone
  • Nadifloxacin
  • Nadroparin
  • Nafcillin
  • Naproxen
  • Nefazodone
  • Nelfinavir
  • Nepafenac
  • Netupitant
  • Nevirapine
  • Nifedipine
  • Niflumic Acid
  • Nilotinib
  • Nimesulide
  • Nimesulide Beta Cyclodextrin
  • Nimodipine
  • Nirmatrelvir
  • Nomegestrol
  • Norelgestromin
  • Norethindrone
  • Norfloxacin
  • Norgestimate
  • Norgestrel
  • Ofloxacin
  • Oliceridine
  • Olutasidenib
  • Omaveloxolone
  • Oxaprozin
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxyphenbutazone
  • Pacritinib
  • Palbociclib
  • Parecoxib
  • Paritaprevir
  • Pazufloxacin
  • Pefloxacin
  • Pentazocine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenylbutazone
  • Phenytoin
  • Piketoprofen
  • Piperaquine
  • Piroxicam
  • Pirtobrutinib
  • Posaconazole
  • Pranoprofen
  • Primidone
  • Proglumetacin
  • Propyphenazone
  • Proquazone
  • Prulifloxacin
  • Ranitidine
  • Ribociclib
  • Rifampin
  • Ritlecitinib
  • Ritonavir
  • Rofecoxib
  • Rufloxacin
  • Salicylic Acid
  • Salsalate
  • Saquinavir
  • Sargramostim
  • Schisandra sphenanthera
  • Segesterone
  • Sodium Salicylate
  • Somatrogon-ghla
  • Sorafenib
  • Sparfloxacin
  • St John's Wort
  • Sufentanil
  • Sulindac
  • Sunitinib
  • Tacrolimus
  • Telaprevir
  • Telithromycin
  • Tenoxicam
  • Thalidomide
  • Tiaprofenic Acid
  • Tipranavir
  • Tolfenamic Acid
  • Tolmetin
  • Tosufloxacin
  • Tramadol
  • Trofinetide
  • Troleandomycin
  • Tucatinib
  • Ubrogepant
  • Ulipristal
  • Valdecoxib
  • Velpatasvir
  • Verapamil
  • Vincristine Sulfate Liposome
  • Vonoprazan
  • Voriconazole
  • Voxelotor
  • Voxilaprevir
  • Zolpidem
  • Zuranolone

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use your medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Grapefruit Juice

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or
  • Fungus infection or
  • Herpes simplex infection of the eye or
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or
  • Infection at the place of treatment or
  • Other infection or
  • Recent surgery or serious injury or
  • Strongyloides (worm) infestation or
  • Tuberculosis (active TB, nonactive TB, or past history of)—Corticosteroids can cause slower healing, worsen existing infections, or cause new infections.
  • Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
  • Measles (including recent exposure)—Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body.
  • Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)—Corticosteroids may cause a loss of control of diabetes by increasing blood glucose (sugar).
  • Diverticulitis or
  • Stomach ulcer or other stomach or intestine problems or
  • Ulcerative colitis, severe—Corticosteroids may cover up symptoms of a worsening stomach or intestinal condition. A patient would not know if his or her condition was getting worse and would not get medical help when needed.
  • Glaucoma—Corticosteroids may cause the pressure within the eye to increase.
  • Heart disease or
  • High blood pressure or
  • Kidney disease (especially if you are receiving dialysis) or
  • Kidney stones—Corticosteroids cause the body to retain (keep) more salt and water. These conditions may be made worse by this extra body water.
  • High cholesterol levels—Corticosteroids may increase blood cholesterol levels.
  • Liver disease or
  • Overactive thyroid or
  • Underactive thyroid—With these conditions, the body may not eliminate the corticosteroid at the usual rate, which may change the medicine's effect.
  • Myasthenia gravis—When you first start taking corticosteroids, muscle weakness may occur. Your doctor may want to take special precautions because this could cause problems with breathing.
  • Osteoporosis (bone disease)—Corticosteroids may worsen bone disease because they cause the body to lose more calcium.
  • Psychosis—This condition may be made worse.
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—This condition may cause certain side effects of corticosteroids to occur more easily.

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Portions of this document last updated: May 01, 2024

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