Drug interactions
Budesonide + Cortisone
Severity: Moderate
Budesonide and Cortisone: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Both are corticosteroids, so combined use gives additive glucocorticoid effects and adverse effects such as adrenal suppression, hyperglycemia and infection risk. Budesonide does not meaningfully reduce cortisone levels.
What this interaction means in plain words
Budesonide and Cortisone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive glucocorticoid receptor activity; the proposed CYP3A4 effect is not clinically established.
What to do
Avoid unnecessary duplication of corticosteroids and consider total glucocorticoid exposure when assessing dose and adrenal suppression risk.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Budesonide
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Budesonide with Cortisone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Budesonide and Cortisone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Both are corticosteroids, so combined use gives additive glucocorticoid effects and adverse effects such as adrenal suppression, hyperglycemia and infection risk. Budesonide does not meaningfully reduce cortisone levels.
How serious is the interaction between Budesonide and Cortisone?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid unnecessary duplication of corticosteroids and consider total glucocorticoid exposure when assessing dose and adrenal suppression risk.
What other medicines interact with Budesonide?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Budesonide with, for example, Aldesleukin, Atazanavir, Bcg vaccine live. The full list is on the Budesonide page.
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