Methylprednisolone Vs. Prednisone?

    • Anonymous
      June 6, 2011 at 12:23 am

      Greetings,

      I have been on Solumedrol (Methylprednisolone) at a dosage of 1000 mg (IV) once per week. I have very little side effects and am getting some slow improvement. It looks like I may need a long period – say 6 months – to get remission.

      What would the tradeoffs be to switch to oral prednisone? What is an equivalent dosage? Are side effects worse? Which is better for long term usage?

      Thanks for your help!

      Mark

    • Anonymous
      June 7, 2011 at 1:20 am

      [COLOR=black]Methylprednisolone is a bit more potent than prednisone, but otherwise they are quite similar. A 500 mg dose of methylprednisolone equates to a 650 mg dose of prednisone.[/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black] [/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black]Dr. Parry, an expert in using steroids in the treatment of CIDP, uses 500 mg per week. You might see if that dose works for you. If so, then switching to 650 mg prednisone is practical.[/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black] [/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black]The side effects profiles of the two are similar, although you may find that you are quite moody for a day or two after a prednisone dose. The side effects of both drugs tend to cumulative, meaning that few side effects now does not mean that you won’t develop side effects later. [/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black] [/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black]In general, long-term use of steroids in high doses (>10 mg/day) is not a good idea if you can avoid it. There is a long list of side effects. A couple of side effects I have suffered, for example, include cataracts and severe irritability. Many people find controlling their appetite is difficult, leading to considerable weight gain. Others find that they become diabetic. Make sure that you and your doctor are aware of all of the side effects and are monitoring them.[/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black] [/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black]Godspeed in your steroid usage,[/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black]MarkEns[/COLOR]

    • Anonymous
      June 8, 2011 at 3:40 pm

      MarkEns

      I am still a bit confused. I have almost no side effects with 1000 mg/week of Methylprednisolone. But for me to take the equivalent in Prednisone that would be 1300 mg/week or 185 mg/day – which sounds crazy high. I have read posts from people taking 60mg/day of prednisone with strong side effects.

      Am I not seeing something correctly?

      Thanks for you help!

      Mark

    • Anonymous
      June 9, 2011 at 1:05 am

      Maybe we are confusing oral vs. IV. I am taking IV solumedrol (1000 mg/wk) and I am wondering what would be an equivalent dosage of oral Prednisone. Would it be 1300 mg/wk of oral Prednisone?

      Thank you for any clarifications.

    • Anonymous
      June 9, 2011 at 1:31 am

      MCJohnson,

      Yes, 1000 mg methylprednisolone is the equivalent to 1300 mg prednisone. Yes, it is a crazy high amount. I don’t know if it is possible to take 1300 mg as a single dose. I do know it is possible to take 650 mg as a single dose once a week, because I did so for a while. Other than severe irritability and elevated blood sugar, I did not seem to experience any side effects. However, years of taking prednisone led to cataracts for me and pushed me further towards diabetes.

      I don’t know why you have so few side effects from methylprednisolone. From everything I read, the side effects profiles of the two drugs are very similar. Perhaps getting it once a week minimizes the short-term side effects. Still, be on guard against the long term side effects. Most serious are osteoporosis, cataracts, significant weight gain, and drug-induced diabetes.

      ~MarkEns

    • Anonymous
      June 11, 2011 at 9:19 pm

      I am presently in a course of Solumedrol IV of 1000mg which I get once per week.

      But, I would prefer an oral approach so I van avoid the hassle of weekly needle sticks and nurse visits. I will ask my Neuro about it.

      Thanks for all of your help!