Today, in the era of pharmacological advances, people don't have time to keep up with the emergence of new medical drugs. There are many different medicines, but not all are suitable for everyone. Some drugs help, others can harm, it all depends on the individuality of the human body. Each of us asks ourselves which drug to choose, so that the body works in the rhythm accepted by it without negative consequences. The best medical drug to quickly disarm allergies in children, adults appears to be prednisolone. Belongs to a group of glucocorticoids. It possesses a number of positive properties, thanks to which in a short time the body begins to work normally.
Characterized by:
- anti-allergic;
- Immunosuppressive;
- antishock;
- anti-inflammatory;
- desensitizing;
- antiseptic functions that successfully fight irreversible transformations of the body.
Pharmacological group: antiallergic drugs.
Adrenal cortex hormones and their synthetic analogues (except sex hormones and insulin).
Contents
Composition
Active ingredient: prednisolone
Additional substances:
- calcium stearate;
- potato starch;
- lactose;
- gelatin;
- sucrose.
Medicated forms:
- ocular suspension;
- ointment;
- Solutions and suspensions for injection;
- tablets.
Mechanism of action
The anti-allergic effect is manifested:
- suppression of release of mediators of immediate-type allergy;
- decreased levels of basophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes, and increased levels of platelets, red blood cells;
- Allergy alleviation by shock, improves CNS functioning, cleanses the body of toxins, reduces the release of hormones;
- By reducing the permeability of capillaries (small blood vessels), a decrease in the number of basophils, this contributes to the reduction of itching, swelling present in all allergies;
- Suppresses excessive manifestation of the immune system, which leads to allergic reactions.
Uses
Oral: tablets.
Injections: int/m (intramuscular), v/v (intravenous — Slim, drip), v/c (intra-articular) — with a solution, suspension of the drug for injection.
Topical: eye suspensions, ointments.
How to take prednisolone correctly in allergies
In acute conditions (I-II sts. Shock), to relieve an attack in adults administered up to 300 mg v/v.
Approximate intravenous doses for children:
- To newborns — 2-3 mg/kg;
- Preschoolers — 1–2 mg per kg;
- school — 1-2 mg/kg.
Useful ointments for eczema, psoriasis, atypical dermatitis, seborrhea.
Dosage
Tablet form (taken orally, not chewed and swallowed):
- Adults are recommended to take 20 to 30 mg/day, moving up to 5 to 10 mg.
- The initial dose for children should not exceed 1 mg/kg/day–2 mg/kg/day (by 4–6 doses), maintenance – 300-600 mcg/kg per day.
Discontinue therapeutic treatment — successively lowering the dose of the drug.
Injection solutions for shock are administered:
- Adults: 30-90 mg (1-3 ml) intravenously slowly or drip. 150-300 mg for critical conditions. If intravenous administration is not possible, intramuscular injection is done.
- children: 2–12 months – 2–3 mg/kg, 1– 14 years – 1– 2 mg/kg v/v slowly. 20 — 30 minutes, the dose may be repeated.
Prednisolone must not be diluted in any injectable solutions.
Eye drops: administered 3 p./day, by instillation of 1 iodine per day–2 drops.
Apply the ointment 1-3 p./day, thinly applied to the damaged skin area. Occlusive dressings are applied to limited lesions — to improve the effect.
Course of treatment — Two to three weeks at most.
Indications
- urticaria and angioedema;
- pollinosis;
- neurodermatitis;
- eczema;
- Allergic blepharitis, conjunctivitis;
- Contact, atypical dermatitis;
- serum sickness;
- Seasonal, persistent allergic rhinitis.
Contraindications
- Individual hypersensitivity to the drug;
- Vaccination period;
- tuberculosis (active phase);
- viral infections;
- generalized mycoses;
- Herpetic diseases;
- Exacerbation of ulcer disease;
- diabetes mellitus (DM);
- renal insufficiency;
- Severe form of arterial hypertension;
- susceptibility to thromboembolism;
- glaucoma;
- Itzenko's disease — Cushing's;
- pregnancy, etc.
Side effects
- immune suppression;
- stunting in children;
- menstrual cycle disorder;
- Hypotension, hypertension;
- Anaphylactic reactions with circulatory collapse, impaired rhythm, and cardiac arrest;
- Posterior subcapillary cataracts, exophthalmos;
- Steroid-induced gastric and duodenal ulceration, bleeding and perforation of the gastrointestinal wall, pancreatitis;
- Hypokalemic alkalosis;
- Steroid myopathy, osteoporosis, abnormal fractures, necrosis of femoral and humeral heads of bone;
- Delirium, psychosis, euphoria, depression, seizures.
Pros and cons of prescribing to children and pregnant women
It is not advisable to use prednisolone in pregnant women.
Make an exception for — If the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the fetus (mostly in the first trimester of pregnancy).
The doctor should explain to the woman the indications before prescribing the drug, the likely effect, the possible risks to the fetus that may occur.
Treatment with the drug is carried out only with the consent of the pregnant woman.
The drug has a property of penetrating into the breast milk, so it is not recommended to use it while breast-feeding.
Children need to be treated under the supervision of a doctor who:
- determines the appropriateness of the prescription;
- Select the duration of therapy;
- Doses depending on the age category, severity of the disease.
The drug is best used for a short time and in minimal doses, as it may provoke a slowdown in the child's growth.
The benefits of treatment must exceed the risk of side effects.
When using the drug, the development and growth should be monitored, children.
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Interaction with other drugs
- prednisolone should not be used simultaneously with diuretics, as a disruption of the electrolyte balance is inevitable;
- use with salicylates — increases the possibility of bleeding;
- in combination with administration of oral hypoglycemic agents — blood glucose content decreases;
- decreases the effectiveness of hypotensive drugs, when used concomitantly with them;
- decreases absorption function when prednisolone interacts with antacids;
- in therapy with azathioprine, neuroleptics, carbutamide — The risk of cataracts increases;
- Using prednisolone and cardiac glycosides concomitantly, increased risk of arrhythmia;
- with estrogens (including oral contraceptives), clarithromycin, diltiazem, ketoconazole, etc. increase — Therapeutic and toxic effects of the drug;
- decreased effect of prednisolone, with thyroid hormones, pyrimidine, barbiturates;
- with antiemetic drugs — increased antiemetic effect;
- Increase in intraocular pressure, exacerbation of depression, occurs as a result of taking with tricyclic antidepressants;
- Increased risk of infections, lymphoma, or other lymph proliferative lesions associated with Epstein-Barr virus when used concomitantly with immunosuppressants.
Frequent Questions
How to inject correctly?
In urgent allergic conditions, administer a shot of prednisolone.
Prednisolone injection should be sterile, preferably infused slowly for 3 minutes and then infused drip-like.
If this is difficult to give, an intramuscular injection should be given.
In intraarticular injections, 25 — 50 mg in the large joints, 50 mg in the small joints — 10 mg.
Having removed the needle from the joint cleft, it is required to bend and unbend the joint several times to allow the hormone to spread in the body more quickly.
The injection site should be sterilely treated.
Can you be allergic to the drug itself?
Allergic reactions are possible when prednisolone is used for a long time:
- skin itching;
- Urticaria;
- Anaphylactic shock;
- Stevens syndrome – Johnson's;
- Quincke's edema, etc.
Are there risks in self-prescribing?
Yes.
The use of the drug independently without consulting a physician may lead to a number of adverse side effects and complications that may harm health.
Be sure to consult your doctor.
What is better than pills or injections?
Injections of the drug faster to save the lives of patients without consequences for their health in acute allergic reactions.
It is much faster for the body to absorb injectable forms than tablets, which are more likely to help relieve an allergic attack.
The drug helps:
- Deactivate the action of the allergen;
- Relieve severe manifestations of systemic anaphylaxis, which leads to haemodynamic disruption of all vital body systems.
The use of the drug should benefit the health and normal functioning of the body without negative effects.
Be careful when choosing medicines, be sure to consult a doctor, because self-treatment sometimes leads to fatal consequences.