Drug interactions
Cortisone + Prednisone
Severity: Moderate
Cortisone and Prednisone: 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 systemic corticosteroids with overlapping glucocorticoid effects, so combining them is duplicate therapy with additive adverse effects. There is no meaningful enzyme-based interaction.
What this interaction means in plain words
Cortisone and Prednisone 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 (therapeutic duplication).
What to do
Avoid concurrent use of two systemic corticosteroids unless intended, and calculate total glucocorticoid dose. Monitor glucose, blood pressure and fluid status.
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 Prednisone
- Bcg vaccine live + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Measles vaccine + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Mifepristone + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Radium-223 dichloride Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Prednisone Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Cortisone with Prednisone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Cortisone and Prednisone 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 systemic corticosteroids with overlapping glucocorticoid effects, so combining them is duplicate therapy with additive adverse effects. There is no meaningful enzyme-based interaction.
How serious is the interaction between Cortisone and Prednisone?
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 concurrent use of two systemic corticosteroids unless intended, and calculate total glucocorticoid dose. Monitor glucose, blood pressure and fluid status.
What other medicines interact with Prednisone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Prednisone with, for example, Bcg vaccine live, Measles vaccine, Mifepristone. The full list is on the Prednisone page.
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