Injections of hydrocortisone are used to address the effects of low corticosteroid levels (lack of certain substances that are usually produced by the body and are needed for normal body functioning). Serious allergic responses are also treated with it. Multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the nerves are not functioning properly), lupus (a disease in which the body attacks many of its own organs), gastrointestinal disorders, and some types of arthritis are all treated with hydrocortisone injection. Other disorders that affect the blood, skin, eyes, neurological system, thyroid, kidneys, and lungs are also treated with hydrocortisone injection. The drug hydrocortisone injection belongs to the corticosteroid class of drugs. The body’s normal natural production of corticosteroids is replaced in order to treat patients with low corticosteroid levels. It also helps cure other illnesses by lowering inflammation and redness and altering how the immune system functions.

Injections of hydrocortisone are available as powder to be combined with liquid and administered intravenously or intramuscularly (into a vein). Your illness and how you react to treatment will determine your dose regimen.

A hospital or other medical facility may give you an injection of hydrocortisone, or you may be given the drug to use at home. Your doctor will demonstrate how to inject the drug if you plan to use hydrocortisone injection at home. Make sure you comprehend these instructions, and if you have any issues, consult your healthcare professional. If you experience any issues while using hydrocortisone injection, ask your healthcare practitioner what to do.

Throughout your therapy, your doctor may adjust the amount of hydrocortisone injection you receive to ensure that you are always receiving the lowest dose that is effective for you. If your body is put under unusual stress, such as through surgery, illness, or infection, your doctor could also need to adjust your dose. During your therapy, let your doctor know if your symptoms grow better or worse, if you get sick or experience any changes in your health.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before receiving hydrocortisone injection,

• If you have any drug allergies, including those to benzyl alcohol, hydrocortisone, other drugs, or any of the chemicals in hydrocortisone injection, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: Amphotericin B (Abelcet, Ambisome, Amphotec), aminoglutethimide (Cytadren; no longer available in the United States), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and selective COX-2 inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex);cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil (Aricept, in Namzaric), galantamine (Razadyne), neostigmine (Bloxiverz), pyridostigmine (Mestinon, Regonol), and rivastigmine (Exelon); carbamazepine (Equetro, Tegretol, Teril); digoxin (Lanoxin), cholestyramine (Prevalite), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), diuretics (often known as “water pills”), erythromycin (E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, among others), medicines for diabetes such as insulin; oestrogens, hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, and injections), isoniazid (Laniazid, Rifamate, in Rifater), ketoconazole (Nizoral, Xolegel), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), rifabutin (Mycobutin), and rifampin, among other drugs (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater). Your doctor might need to adjust your medication doses or keep a close eye out for any negative side effects.
• If you have a fungal infection, tell your doctor (other than on your skin or nails). Most likely, your doctor will advise against using hydrocortisone injection. Tell your physician if you also suffer from idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP; an ongoing condition that may cause easy bruising or bleeding due to an abnormally low number of platelets in the blood). If you have ITP, your doctor probably won’t inject you with hydrocortisone.
• If you now have or have ever had: cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens); glaucoma (an eye disease); Cushing’s syndrome (condition where the body produces excessive amounts of the hormone cortisol); diabetes; high blood pressure; heart failure; a recent heart attack; tuberculosis (TB) or any of the following: cataracts; glaucoma; glaucoma; cataract surgery; glaucoma; emotional issues, depression or other mental illnesses, osteoporosis, seizures, ulcers, liver, renal, heart, intestinal, or thyroid disease, myasthenia gravis (a disorder in which the muscles become weak), depression, or other mental illnesses. Also let your doctor know if you have any untreated bacterial, parasite, viral, or herpes eye infections, or any other sort of infection anywhere on your body (a type of infection that causes a sore on the eyelid or eye surface).
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you get pregnant while receiving an injection of hydrocortisone.
• Inform the surgeon or dentist that you are receiving an injection of hydrocortisone if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• Without seeing your doctor, avoid getting any immunisations (shots to prevent infections).
• It’s important to be aware that hydrocortisone injections may impair your ability to fight infection and may shield you from the signs of infection. Avoid contact with sick persons while taking this drug, and wash your hands frequently. Avoid those who have the measles or chicken pox. If you believe you may have come into contact with someone who had the chicken pox or measles, call your doctor right once.

Your doctor might advise you to consume less salt or eat more potassium or calcium. Additionally, your doctor might advise or prescribe a calcium or potassium supplement. Pay close attention to these guidelines.

Side effects from hydrocortisone injection are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Slowed-down wound and contusion healing
• Acne
• Dry, brittle, or thin skin
• Under-the-skin blotches or streaks that are red or purple
• Skin abrasions where the injection was made
• Body fat accumulation or a shift in where you move it
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep
• Unsuitable happiness
• Extreme mood swings and personality changes
• Extreme fatigue
• Depression
• Increased perspiration
• Muscle tremor
• Aching joints
• Dizziness
• Irregular or nonexistent menstruation
• Higher appetite
• Hiccups

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:

• Infection-related symptoms including a sore throat, a fever, chills, or a cough
• Seizures
• Vision issues
• Swelling of the lower legs, hands, feet, ankles, lips, tongue, throat, arms, or other body parts
• Bloating or discomfort in the stomach
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Breathing difficulty
• Gaining weight quickly
• Rash
• Hives
• Itching
• Patches of abnormal skin in the mouth, nose, or throat

The injection of hydrocortisone might make kids develop more slowly. While utilising hydrocortisone injection, your child’s doctor will closely monitor your child’s growth. The hazards of giving your child this medication should be discussed with your child’s doctor.

Long-term hydrocortisone injectable users run the risk of developing cataracts or glaucoma. Ask your doctor how frequently you should have your eyes checked while undergoing therapy and about the potential hazards of taking hydrocortisone injection.

Your chance of developing osteoporosis may increase after receiving a hydrocortisone injection. Discuss the dangers of using this drug with your doctor.

Other negative effects from hydrocortisone injection are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this drug, call your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to hydrocortisone injection, your doctor will request a number of lab tests.

Inform the doctor or technician if you are undergoing any skin testing, such as allergy or tuberculosis tests, that you are receiving an injection of hydrocortisone.

Inform the lab staff and your doctor that you are using hydrocortisone injection prior to any laboratory test.

Do not share your medication with anybody else. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.