Drug interactions
Hydrocortisone + Somatrem
Severity: Moderate
Hydrocortisone and Somatrem: 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
Glucocorticoids at higher doses can inhibit growth and blunt the response to growth hormone. Growth hormone also lowers cortisol activation through 11-beta-HSD1 inhibition, potentially revealing cortisol deficiency in patients on replacement therapy.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrocortisone and Somatrem 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
Glucocorticoids antagonize growth hormone effects, and growth hormone inhibits 11-beta-HSD1.
What to do
Use the lowest effective glucocorticoid dose in growing children and monitor growth velocity. Reassess hydrocortisone replacement after starting growth hormone.
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 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 Somatrem?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hydrocortisone and Somatrem 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. Glucocorticoids at higher doses can inhibit growth and blunt the response to growth hormone. Growth hormone also lowers cortisol activation through 11-beta-HSD1 inhibition, potentially revealing cortisol deficiency in patients on replacement therapy.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrocortisone and Somatrem?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the lowest effective glucocorticoid dose in growing children and monitor growth velocity. Reassess hydrocortisone replacement after starting growth hormone.
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.
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