Drug Info: M: Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate Injection

Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate Injection

(meth il pred nis' oh lone)

Brand name(s): A-methaPred; Solu-Medrol

About your treatment

Your doctor has ordered methylprednisolone,a corticosteroid, to relieve inflammation (swelling, heat,redness, and pain). The drug will be added to an intravenousfluid that will drip through a needle or catheter placed inyour vein for at least 1 hour per day.

Methylprednisolone is similar to a naturalhormone produced by your adrenal glands. It is used to treat,but not cure, certain forms of arthritis; skin, blood, kidney,eye, thyroid, and intestinal disorders (e.g., colitis); andmultiple sclerosis. This medication is sometimes prescribed forother uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for moreinformation.

Your health care provider (doctor, nurse,or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effectsof your treatment using laboratory tests and physicalexaminations. It is important to keep all appointments withyour doctor and the laboratory. The length of treatment dependson how you respond to the medication.

Precautions

Before administeringmethylprednisolone,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic tomethylprednisolone, aspirin, or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription andnonprescription medications you are taking, especiallyanticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin(Coumadin), arthritis medications, aspirin, azithromycin(Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), cyclosporine (Neoral,Sandimmune), digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics ('water pills'),erythromycin, estrogen (Premarin), ketoconazole (Nizoral),oral contraceptives, phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin),rifampin (Rifadin), theophylline (Theo-Dur), andvitamins.
• tell your doctor if you have a fungal infection (otherthan on your skin); do not take methylprednisolone withouttalking to your doctor.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver,kidney, intestinal, or heart disease; diabetes; anunderactive thyroid gland; high blood pressure; mentalillness; myasthenia gravis; osteoporosis; herpes eyeinfection; seizures; tuberculosis (TB); or ulcers.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to becomepregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant whiletaking methylprednisolone, call your doctor.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tellthe doctor or dentist that you are takingmethylprednisolone.

Administering your medication

Before you administer methylprednisolone,look at the solution closely. It should be clear and free offloating material. Gently squeeze the bag or observe thesolution container to make sure there are no leaks. Do not usethe solution if it is discolored, if it contains particles, orif the bag or container leaks. Use a new solution, but show thedamaged one to your health care provider.

It is important that you use yourmedication exactly as directed. Do not change your dosingschedule without talking to your health care provider. Yourhealth care provider may tell you to stop your infusion if youhave a mechanical problem (such as a blockage in the tubing,needle, or catheter); if you have to stop an infusion, callyour health care provider immediately so your therapy cancontinue.

Side effects

Although side effects frommethylprednisolone are not common, they can occur. Tell yourdoctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not goaway:

• headache
• dizziness
• insomnia
• restlessness
• depression
• anxiety
• unusual moods
• increased sweating
• increased hair growth
• reddened face
• acne
• thinned skin
• easy bruising
• tiny purple skin spots
• irregular or absent menstrual periods

If you experience any of the followingsymptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• swollen feet, ankles, and lower legs
• muscle pain and weakness
• eye pain
• vision problems
• puffy skin (especially the face)
• a cold or infection that lasts a long time

Storing your medication

• Your health care provider probably will give you aseveral-day supply of methylprednisolone at a time. You willbe told how to prepare each dose.

Store your medication only as directed.Make sure you understand what you need to store your medicationproperly.

Keep your supplies in a clean, dry placewhen you are not using them, and keep all medications andsupplies out of reach of children. Your health care providerwill tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing,and containers to avoid accidental injury.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poisoncontrol center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsedor is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Signs of infection

If you are receiving methylprednisolone inyour vein or under your skin, you need to know the symptoms ofa catheter-related infection (an infection where the needleenters your vein or skin). If you experience any of theseeffects near your intravenous catheter, tell your health careprovider as soon as possible:

• tenderness
• warmth
• irritation
• drainage
• redness
• swelling
• pain