Managing methylprednisolone oral tablet: A guide to interactions

Methylprednisolone interactions with other medications

Before you start treatment with methylprednisolone oral tablet, tell your doctor and pharmacist which prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and other medications you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Here’s a table of drugs that can interact with methylprednisolone. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with methylprednisolone. Some of these interactions are described in detail in “Drug interactions in depth.”

Quick tip: Screenshot this table or bookmark this page so you can easily come back to it at your next doctor’s appointment.

When to avoid methylprednisolone

In some cases, factors or conditions could prevent your doctor from prescribing methylprednisolone oral tablet due to the risk of harm. These are known as contraindications. Methylprednisolone’s contraindications include:

Having a fungal infection

Doctors typically will not prescribe methylprednisolone for people with a serious fungal infection, such as histoplasmosis. This is because methylprednisolone can weaken your immune system, which can make it harder for your body to fight the infection. This could make the infection worse and more likely to spread.

If you have a fungal infection, such as inside your lungs, your doctor will likely prescribe medication to treat the infection before you start taking methylprednisolone. Or they may prescribe an alternative treatment for your condition.

Having had an allergic reaction to methylprednisolone or any of its ingredients

If you have had an allergic reaction to methylprednisolone or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe methylprednisolone. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Note:Before you start treatment with methylprednisolone, it’s important to tell your doctor if these contraindications apply to you. They can determine whether to prescribe the medication.

Methylprednisolone interaction with alcohol

There aren’t any known interactions between methylprednisolone and alcohol. However, your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit alcohol consumption during treatment.

This is because drinking alcohol while taking the drug may worsen some methylprednisolone side effects, such as heartburn and headache.

In addition, regularly consuming large amounts of alcohol can irritate your digestive system and cause inflammation and ulcers in your stomach or intestines. It can also raise your risk of infections and osteoporosis. Methylprednisolone may also cause these side effects. This means that regularly drinking alcohol during methylprednisolone treatment may increase the risk of these side effects.

If you have questions about drinking alcohol while taking this medication, talk with your doctor.

Drug interactions in depth

Here’s a closer look at certain drug interactions of methylprednisolone oral tablet. If you have questions about these drug interactions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

NSAIDs such as ibuprofen

NSAIDs are pain-relieving drugs that also reduce inflammation (swelling). You can buy some of these drugs OTC for short-term relief of minor pain and inflammation. Doctors may also prescribe NSAIDs for use on a regular basis to reduce inflammation and pain in certain conditions, such as arthritis.

Interaction result: Taking methylprednisolone with an NSAID may cause irritation, ulcers (small sores), and bleeding in your stomach or intestine.

Interaction explained: Methylprednisolone and NSAIDs can both irritate the linings of your stomach and intestine. Taking these drugs together can increase the irritation, which can make ulcers more likely to develop and bleeding more likely to occur.

Examples of NSAIDs: Here are some NSAIDs that may interact with methylprednisolone:

• aspirin
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve)

Steps you or your doctor may take: While taking methylprednisolone, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking OTC pain relievers that contain NSAIDs. They’ll likely recommend alternate medications for short-term pain relief. For example, they may recommend taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache or using ibuprofen gel for muscle pain. (Topical NSAIDs are less likely to irritate your stomach.)

If you take an NSAID on a regular basis, talk with your doctor before taking methylprednisolone. If you take these medications together, your doctor will likely prescribe medication such as omeprazole (Prilosec) to help protect your stomach.

See your doctor if you have symptoms of stomach irritation or ulcers while taking methylprednisolone with an NSAID. These symptoms can include heartburn, indigestion, or nausea and vomiting.

But see your doctor right away if you have symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestine. These can include passing bloody, black, or tar-like stools and vomiting blood or a substance that looks like coffee grounds.

Quinolone antibiotics

Quinolone antibiotics are a class of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections.

Interaction result: Taking methylprednisolone with a quinolone antibiotic may cause tendon problems, such as tendon pain, inflammation, or rupture. (Tendons are cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones.)

Interaction explained: Methylprednisolone and quinolone antibiotics can both cause tendon problems, in particular, rupture of the Achilles tendon. Taking these drugs together can increase the risk of this side effect.

Examples of quinolone antibiotics: Here are some quinolone antibiotics that may interact with methylprednisolone:

• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• levofloxacin
• ofloxacin

Steps you or your doctor may take: Your doctor will typically avoid prescribing methylprednisolone with a quinolone antibiotic.

If your doctor prescribes these drugs together, see your doctor right away if you have symptoms of tendon problems. These can include pain or swelling in a tendon. For example, in the Achilles, shoulder, hand, thumb, or other tendon sites.

Certain diuretics

Diuretics (sometimes called water pills) are drugs used to treat edema (fluid buildup) and high blood pressure.

Interaction result: Taking methylprednisolone with certain diuretics can cause low potassium.

Interaction explained: Methylprednisolone and certain diuretics can both cause low potassium. So taking these drugs together can raise the risk of this side effect.

Examples of diuretic drugs: Here are some diuretics that may interact with methylprednisolone:

• furosemide (Lasix)
• hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide)
• indapamide

Steps you or your doctor may take: If your doctor prescribes methylprednisolone with a diuretic medication, they’ll likely order blood tests to monitor your potassium levels.

Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of low potassium while taking these drugs together. These symptoms can include:

• constipation
• fatigue
• muscle cramps or weakness

Methylprednisolone and other interactions

Methylprednisolone oral tablet may have other interactions, such as with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. You’ll find details below. Keep in mind that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with methylprednisolone.

Methylprednisolone and health-related interactions

Certain medical conditions and other factors may increase the risk of interactions with methylprednisolone oral tablet. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Methylprednisolone may not be the right treatment option if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health.

Health conditions or factors that might interact with methylprednisolone include:

• Infections: Before starting this medication, tell your doctor if you have an ongoing infection or infections that keep coming back. Your doctor may also test you for certain infections, such as tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis B. If you’ve had these infections in the past, taking methylprednisolone could make them flare up again. Your doctor may treat any infections you have before prescribing methylprednisolone.
• Heart failure: Fluid buildup is a possible side effect of methylprednisolone treatment. If you have heart failure, this could make your symptoms worse. Talk with your doctor about whether this drug is right for you.
• High blood pressure: This is a possible side effect of methylprednisolone. If you already have high blood pressure, your doctor will likely monitor your blood pressure while you’re taking the drug.
• Hypokalemia (low potassium level): This medication can lower your potassium levels. If you have hypokalemia, your doctor may prescribe potassium supplements to correct this before you start taking methylprednisolone.
• Diabetes: Methylprednisolone can increase your blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, this could make your blood sugar harder to manage. Talk with your doctor about whether you may need changes to your diabetes monitoring or treatment plan while taking this medication.
• Peptic ulcer: A serious side effect of methylprednisolone is ulcers in your stomach or small intestine. If you have a history of peptic ulcer, talk with your doctor about whether this medication is right for you.
• Certain eye conditions: Methylprednisolone can also cause glaucoma and cataracts. If you already have one of these eye conditions, your doctor will determine whether this drug is a safe treatment option for you.
• Mental health problems: Depression, mood swings, and personality changes are possible side effects of methylprednisolone. If you have a history of mental health problems, talk with your doctor before taking methylprednisolone. They can advise you on the right treatment plan for you.
• Osteoporosis: If you have osteoporosis, your doctor will help determine whether you should take this drug. This is because methylprednisolone can weaken your bones and worsen osteoporosis.
• Myasthenia gravis: Methylprednisolone can cause muscle weakness and could worsen myasthenia gravis (MG). If you have MG, talk with your doctor about taking this medication. They’ll determine whether to prescribe a different medication instead.
• Kidney or liver problems: If you have kidney or liver problems, methylprednisolone can build up in your body and raise your risk of side effects. Because of this, your doctor may prescribe a dosage that’s lower than usual.
• Hypothyroidism: If you have low thyroid hormone levels, you may have a raised risk of side effects with methylprednisolone. Because of this, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage than usual.
• Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to methylprednisolone or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe methylprednisolone. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
• Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to take this drug while breastfeeding. There isn’t enough information to determine whether the drug passes into breast milk or what effects the medication may have on a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to, talk with your doctor before starting methylprednisolone. They can talk with you about treatment options and ways to feed your child.
• Pregnancy: There haven’t been enough clinical trials to determine whether methylprednisolone is safe to use while pregnant. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell your doctor before starting this medication. They can advise you on the right treatment plan for you.

Next steps: Preventing interactions

You can take certain steps to help prevent interactions with methylprednisolone oral tablet. Your doctor and pharmacist are key resources, so reach out to them before starting treatment. For example, you should plan to do the following:

• Let them know if you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• Tell them about any other medications you take, as well as any supplements, herbs, and vitamins.
• Create a medication list, which your doctor and pharmacist can help you fill out.

It’s also important to read the methylprednisolone label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. The label may have colored stickers that mention an interaction. And the paperwork, sometimes called the medication guide or patient package insert, may contain details about interactions.