Fludrocortisone is a corticosteroid that is used to assist regulate your body’s sodium and fluid levels. It’s used to treat Addison’s disease and syndromes where too much salt is lost through the urine. It functions by lowering the amount of sodium lost (excreted) in urine.

You should speak with your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you want to take this drug for a different purpose.

Fludrocortisone is available as a tablet to be swallowed. 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. Fludrocortisone should be taken as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Without consulting your doctor, do not stop taking fludrocortisone. Loss of appetite, an upset stomach, vomiting, tiredness, disorientation, headaches, fevers, joint and muscle discomfort, peeling skin, and weight loss can all result from abruptly stopping the medicine. If you’ve been taking high amounts of a medication for a while, your doctor will likely gradually reduce your dosage to give your body time to adjust before totally quitting the medication. If you are gradually lowering your dose or stopping the pills, keep an eye out for these adverse effects. If any of these issues arise, contact your doctor right once. You might need to temporarily increase your dose or reintroduce the pills.

Fludrocortisone is also used to increase blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Before taking fludrocortisone,

• If you have any drug allergies, including those to aspirin, tartrazine (a yellow food and medicine coloring), fludrocortisone, or other substances, let your doctor and pharmacist know right once.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all of the prescription and non-prescription drugs you are taking, including anticoagulants (sometimes known as “blood thinners”) like warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin, digoxin (Lanoxin), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), diuretics (‘water pills’), estrogen (Premarin), arthritis medicines, oral contraceptives, theophylline (Theo-Dur), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), rifampin (Rifadin), and vitamins.
• Do not take fludrocortisone 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 disorder.
• 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 fludrocortisone.
• Inform the surgeon or dentist that you are taking fludrocortisone if you are undergoing surgery, including dental surgery.
• Limit your alcohol intake while taking this medication if you have a history of ulcers, consume high doses of aspirin, or other arthritis medications. Your stomach and intestines are more sensitive to the irritating effects of alcohol, aspirin, and several arthritis drugs when using fludrocortisone. Your risk of developing ulcers rises as a result of this effect.

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 fludrocortisone may upset your stomach. Use milk or food when taking fludrocortisone.

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

Take the missing dose of fludrocortisone if you take it once daily as soon as you remember. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

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

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

Make a quick call to your doctor if you encounter any of the following signs:

• One’s skin
• Swelling of the face, ankles, or lower legs
• Issues with vision
• Prolonged cold or infection
• Muscular trembling
• Dark or tarry stool

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture.

To make sure that pets, kids, and other people cannot take leftover pharmaceuticals, they should be disposed of in a specific manner. You shouldn’t flush this medication down the toilet, though. The best option to get rid of your medication is instead through a medication take-back program. To find out about take-back initiatives in your neighborhood, speak with your pharmacist or get in touch with your city’s waste/recycling department. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information at the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p).

As 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

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 how you are responding to fludrocortisone, your doctor may request specific lab tests. You should routinely monitor your blood pressure to see how fludrocortisone is impacting you.

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

Carry an identification card that states that you may need to take additional fludrocortisone doses (note the whole dose you took before gradually reducing it) during stressful situations (injuries, illnesses, and severe asthma episodes). To receive this card, inquire with your physician or pharmacist. On the card, provide your name, address, phone number, medical conditions, medications, and dosages.

You are more prone to illness as a result of this medication. While taking fludrocortisone, notify your doctor if you become infected with the measles, chicken pox, or TB. While taking fludrocortisone, avoid getting any shots, other immunizations, or skin tests unless your doctor specifically permits it.

Report any wounds or infections that develop while receiving treatment, including fever, sore throat, urine pain, and muscular aches.

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 gray; these changes could be indicators of an infection.

Fludrocortisone may raise your blood sugar 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.