What ZEMPRED is used for?

Boosting your body with extra corticosteroid such as methylprednisolone can help following surgery (e.g. organ transplants), injuries or other stressful conditions.

These include inflammatory or allergic conditions affecting the:

• brain (e.g. tuberculous meningitis)
• bowel and gut (e.g. Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis)
• blood or blood vessels (e.g. leukaemia or arteritis, inflammation of the arteries)
• joints (e.g. rheumatic fever)
• lungs (e.g. asthma, tuberculosis)
• muscle (e.g. dermatomyositis and polymyositis)
• skin (e.g. pemphigus vulgaris, an auto-immune disorder in which the bodys immune system is overactive causing the skin to blister)

Tell your doctor if you are taking:

• acetazolamide - used to treat glaucoma and epilepsy
• aminoglutethimide or cyclophosphamide used for treating cancer
• anticoagulants - used to thin the blood such as acenocoumarol, phenindione and warfarin
• anticholinesterases - used to treat myasthenia gravis (a muscle condition) such as distigmine and neostigmine
• antibacterials (such as isoniazid, erythromycin, clarithromycin and troleandomycin)
• antidiabetics medicines used to treat high blood sugar
• aprepitant or fosaprepitant used to prevent nausea and vomiting
• aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (also called NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen used to treat mild to moderate pain
• barbiturates, carbamezipine, phenytoin and primidone used to treat epilepsy
• carbenoxolone and cimetidine - used for heartburn and acid indigestion
• ciclosporin - used to treat conditions such as severe rheumatoid arthritis, severe psoriasis,organ or bone marrow transplant
• digoxin - used for heart failure and/or an irregular heartbeat
• diltiazem or mibefradil used for heart problems or high blood pressure
• ethinylestridiol and norethisterone an oral contraceptive
• antivirals (such as ritonavir, indinavir) and pharmacokinetic enhancers (such as cobicistat) used to treat HIV infections
• ketoconazole or itraconazole used to treat fungal infections
• pancuronium or vecuronium or other medicines called neuromuscular blocking agents which are used in some surgical procedures
• potassium depleting agents such as diuretics (sometimes called water tablets), amphotericin B, xanthenes or beta2 agonists (e.g. medicines used to treat asthma)
• rifampicin and rifabutin antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis (TB)
• tacrolimus used following an organ transplant to prevent rejection of the organ
• vaccines - You must not have live vaccines while using this medicine. Other vaccines may be less effective

• Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you

For Adults

• The normal daily dose is between 4 mg and 360 mg per day, depending on your condition and how severe it is. Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dose possible
• Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. The score line is not intended for breaking the tablet

If you take more ZEMPRED

• If you take too many ZEMPRED or if someone else has taken your medicine, talk to your doctor immediately and you may need Medical attention

If you forget to take ZEMPRED

• If you have forgotten to take your ZEMPRED take them as soon as possible on the same day. Do not take a double dose

If you stop taking ZEMPRED

• Do not stop taking the ZEMPRED until the doctor has told you to do so