Drug interactions
Hydrocortisone + Salsalate
Severity: Moderate
Hydrocortisone and Salsalate: 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 drugs can damage the gastrointestinal mucosa, so combining them increases the risk of ulceration and bleeding. Corticosteroids can also lower salicylate levels, which may rebound after the steroid is stopped.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrocortisone and Salsalate 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 gastrointestinal mucosal toxicity; corticosteroids may increase renal salicylate clearance.
What to do
Limit the dose and duration of both agents and consider a proton pump inhibitor in patients at risk. Monitor for GI bleeding and for salicylate effect when the steroid dose changes.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Hydrocortisone and Salsalate, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 7 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Hydrocortisone
- Hydrocortisone + Mifepristone Contraindicated
- Hydrocortisone + Poliovirus vaccine live oral trivalent Contraindicated
- Hydrocortisone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Hydrocortisone Major
- Aldesleukin + Hydrocortisone Major
- Aspirin + Hydrocortisone Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Hydrocortisone with Salsalate?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hydrocortisone and Salsalate 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 drugs can damage the gastrointestinal mucosa, so combining them increases the risk of ulceration and bleeding. Corticosteroids can also lower salicylate levels, which may rebound after the steroid is stopped.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrocortisone and Salsalate?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Limit the dose and duration of both agents and consider a proton pump inhibitor in patients at risk. Monitor for GI bleeding and for salicylate effect when the steroid dose changes.
What other medicines interact with Hydrocortisone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydrocortisone with, for example, Mifepristone, Poliovirus vaccine live oral trivalent, Smallpox vaccine live. The full list is on the Hydrocortisone page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
