Drug interactions
Methylprednisolone + Zoster vaccine live
Severity: Contraindicated
Methylprednisolone and Zoster vaccine live: contraindicated interaction.
Last updated Sources: US FDA label
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
Live zoster vaccine may cause disseminated vaccine-strain varicella-zoster infection in patients with significant corticosteroid immunosuppression. Its efficacy may also be reduced.
What this interaction means in plain words
Methylprednisolone and Zoster vaccine live are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Corticosteroid-induced impairment of cell-mediated immunity allows replication of the attenuated virus.
What to do
Avoid live zoster vaccine during high-dose immunosuppressive steroid therapy and wait about one month after stopping. Consider the recombinant non-live zoster vaccine, which can be given to immunosuppressed patients.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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References
Other interactions of Methylprednisolone
- Bcg vaccine live + Methylprednisolone Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Methylprednisolone Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Methylprednisolone Contraindicated
- Measles vaccine + Methylprednisolone Contraindicated
- Methylprednisolone + Mifepristone Contraindicated
- Methylprednisolone + Rubella vaccine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Methylprednisolone with Zoster vaccine live?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Methylprednisolone and Zoster vaccine live are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Live zoster vaccine may cause disseminated vaccine-strain varicella-zoster infection in patients with significant corticosteroid immunosuppression. Its efficacy may also be reduced.
How serious is the interaction between Methylprednisolone and Zoster vaccine live?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid live zoster vaccine during high-dose immunosuppressive steroid therapy and wait about one month after stopping. Consider the recombinant non-live zoster vaccine, which can be given to immunosuppressed patients.
What other medicines interact with Methylprednisolone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Methylprednisolone with, for example, Bcg vaccine live, Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live, Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live. The full list is on the Methylprednisolone page.
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