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Cortril (Generic Hydrocortisone)

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Why is this medication prescribed?

A corticosteroid called hydrocortisone is like a hormone your adrenal glands naturally generate. When your body cannot produce enough of this chemical, it is frequently utilised to replace it. It treats specific types of arthritis, skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, and intestinal problems (including colitis), severe allergies, and asthma by reducing inflammation (swelling, heat, redness, and discomfort). Some cancers can also be treated with hydrocortisone.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you’re interested in using this drug for any other conditions.

How should this medicine be used?

The oral forms of hydrocortisone include tablets and suspensions. The ideal dosing regimen will be recommended by your doctor for you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the hydrocortisone directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Stop using hydrocortisone only after consulting your physician. Stopping the medication suddenly might result in weight loss, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, headaches, fevers, joint and muscular discomfort, peeling skin, and loss of appetite. In order to give your body time to adjust after taking high doses of a medication for a lengthy period of time, your doctor will likely gradually reduce your dosage. After you stop taking the pills or oral liquid, even if you switch to an inhalation, as well as after you stop taking the medication, keep an eye out for these adverse effects. Call your doctor right away if any of these issues arise. It’s possible that you’ll need to temporarily up your oral hydrocortisone dosage or begin taking it again.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking hydrocortisone,

  • Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you have any drug allergies, including those to hydrocortisone, aspirin, tartrazine (a yellow food and medicine colouring), or any other medication.
  • Aspirin, cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics (‘water pills’), oestrogen (Premarin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), oral contraceptives, phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), rifampin (Rifadin), theophylline (Theo-Dur), and vitamins are examples of anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’) that should
  • Do not take hydrocortisone if you have a fungal infection (other than one that is skin-related) without first consulting your doctor.
  • Inform your physician if you now or previously had any of the following conditions: myasthenia gravis, osteoporosis, herpes eye infection, seizures, TB, ulcers, liver, kidney, intestinal, or cardiac disease; diabetes; an underactive thyroid gland; high blood pressure; or any mental illness.
  • Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking hydrocortisone.
  • You should inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking hydrocortisone if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
  • Limit your alcohol intake while taking this medication if you have a history of ulcers, take high doses of aspirin, or other medications for arthritis. Your stomach and intestines are more sensitive to the irritating effects of alcohol, aspirin, and several arthritis drugs when you are using hydrocortisone. Your chance of developing ulcers goes up as a result.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Your doctor could advise you to eat a diet high in protein, low in sodium, low in salt, and rich in potassium. Observe these guidelines.

Taking hydrocortisone may affect your stomach. Consume milk or food while taking hydrocortisone.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Ask your doctor what to do if you forget to take a dose when you first start taking hydrocortisone. To remember these guidelines in the future, write them down.

Take the missing dose of hydrocortisone right away if you only take it once per day. You should fully ignore the missed dose and only take the regularly scheduled dose if you don’t notice you missed a dose until it’s time for the next one.

Take the missed dose if you take more than one dose per day as soon as you are aware of it. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. Never take two doses to make up for a missing one.

What side effects can this medication cause?

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

  • Stomach discomfort
  • Stomach irritability
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Insomnia
  • Restlessness
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Acne
  • Higher hair growth
  • Simple bruising
  • Irregular or nonexistent menstruation

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Body rash
  • Face, lower legs, or ankle swelling
  • Vision issues
  • Duration of a long-lasting cold or infection
  • Muscular tremor
  • Tarry or dark stool

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).

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

In case of emergency/overdose

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, 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.

What other information should I know?

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor how you are responding to hydrocortisone, your doctor will request a few lab tests. Children should have checkups more frequently because hydrocortisone can impede bone growth.

Call your doctor if your situation gets worse. You might need to change your dose.

Carry a note that states that you may need to augment your hydrocortisone dosage during stressful times. Be sure to record the full dose you take before lowering it over time (injuries, infections, and severe asthma attacks). Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to get this card. On the card, include your name, address, phone number, and a list of your health issues, medications and dosages, and doctor.

This medication increases your susceptibility to disease. Call your doctor if you contract measles, the chicken pox, or TB while taking hydrocortisone. If you are using hydrocortisone, wait until your doctor says you can get vaccinated, immunised, or have a skin test.

Report any wounds or infection symptoms (fever, sore throat, pain when urinating, and muscle aches) that develop while receiving treatment.

You could be told by your doctor to weigh yourself every day. Any unusual weight increase must be reported.

Call your doctor if your sputum (the substance you cough up during an asthma episode) thickens or changes from clear white to yellow, green, or grey; these changes could be indicators of an infection.

Hydrocortisone may raise your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. Test your blood or urine more frequently than normal if you monitor your blood sugar (glucose) at home. If your blood sugar is high or there is sugar in your urine, call your doctor right away. You may need to adjust your diet and the dosage of your diabetic medication.

No one else should take your medication. 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.

Brand names

  • Cortef®
  • Cortril®
  • Hydrocortone®
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