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methylprednisolone (cont.)

Prolonged use of methylprednisolone can depress the ability of the body's adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids. Abruptly stopping methylprednisolone in these individuals can cause symptoms of corticosteroid insufficiency, with accompanying nausea, vomiting, and even shock. Therefore, withdrawal of methylprednisolone usually is accomplished by gradually lowering the dose. Gradually tapering methylprednisolone not only minimizes the symptoms of corticosteroid insufficiency, it also reduces the risk of an abrupt flare of the disease being treated.

Methylprednisolone and other corticosteroids can mask signs of infection and impair the body's natural immune response to infection. Patients on corticosteroids are more susceptible to infections and can develop more serious infections than individuals not on corticosteroids. For example, chickenpox and measles viruses can produce serious and even fatal illnesses in patients on high doses of methylprednisolone. Live virus vaccines, such as smallpox vaccine, should be avoided in patients taking high doses of methylprednisolone since even vaccine viruses may cause disease in these patients. Some infectious organisms, such as tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, can remain dormant in patients for years. Methylprednisolone and other corticosteroids can allow these infections to reactivate and cause serious illness. Patients with dormant TB may require anti-TB medications while undergoing prolonged corticosteroid treatment.

By interfering with the patient's immune response, methylprednisolone can prevent vaccines from being effective. Methylprednisolone also can interfere with the TB skin test and cause falsely negative results in patients with dormant TB infections.

Methylprednisolone impairs calcium absorption and new bone formation. Patients on prolonged treatment with methylprednisolone and other corticosteroids can develop osteoporosis and an increased risk of bone fractures. Supplemental calcium and vitamin D are encouraged to slow this process of bone thinning. In rare individuals, destruction of large joints can occur while undergoing treatment with methylprednisolone or other corticosteroids (aseptic necrosis). These patients experience severe pain in the joints involved, and can require joint replacement. The reason behind such destruction is not clear. Methylprednisolone can be used in pregnancy, but is generally avoided.


Last Editorial Review: 11/16/2007




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