Before taking hydrocortisone, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of:
- eye disease (such as cataracts, glaucoma)
- heart problems (such as heart failure, recent heart attack)
- high blood pressure
- liver disease
- kidney disease
- thyroid problems
- diabetes
- stomach/intestinal problems (such as diverticulitis, ulcer)
- brittle bones (osteoporosis)
- current/past infections (such as tuberculosis, positive tuberculosis test, herpes, fungal)
- bleeding problems
- blood clots
- mental/mood conditions (such as psychosis, anxiety, depression)
- low salts in the blood (such as low potassium or calcium)
- seizures
This drug may makes you dizzy. This medicine may also cause stomach bleeding. Daily use of alcohol while using this medicine may increase your risk for stomach bleeding. Limit alcoholic beverages. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Using corticosteroid medications for a long time can make it more difficult for your body to respond to physical stress. Therefore, before having surgery or emergency treatment, or if you get a serious illness/injury, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using this medication or have used this medication within the past 12 months. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop unusual/extreme tiredness or weight loss. If you will be using this medication for a long time, carry a warning card or medical ID bracelet that identifies your use of this medication.
This medication may mask signs of infection. It can make you more likely to get infections or may worsen any current infections. Therefore, wash your hands well to prevent the spread of infection. Avoid contact with people who have infections that may spread to others (such as chickenpox, measles, flu). Consult your doctor if you have been exposed to an infection or for more details.
Hydrocortisone may cause vaccines not to work as well. Avoid contact with people who have recently received live vaccines (such as flu vaccine inhaled through the nose).
This medication may slow down a child’s growth if used for a long time. Consult the doctor or pharmacist for more details. See the doctor regularly so your child’s height and growth can be checked.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this drug, especially stomach bleeding.
During pregnancy, hydrocortisone should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Infants born to mothers who have been using this medication for an extended period of time may have hormone problems. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice symptoms such as persistent nausea/vomiting, severe diarrhea, or weakness in your newborn.
This medication passes into breast milk. However, this drug is unlikely to harm a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Interactions
To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor’s approval.
Some products that may interact with this drug include:
- aldesleukin
- other drugs that weaken the immune system (such as azathioprine, cyclosporine, cancer chemotherapy)
- mifepristone
- drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising (including antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel
- “blood thinners” such as dabigatran/warfarin
- NSAIDs such as aspirin/celecoxib/ibuprofen)
Other medications can affect the removal of hydrocortisone from your body, which may affect how hydrocortisone works. Examples include estrogens, azole antifungals (such as itraconazole), rifamycins (such as rifabutin), St. John’s wort, drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin), among others.
If your doctor has directed you to take low-dose aspirin for heart attack or stroke prevention (usually at dosages of 81-325 milligrams a day), you should continue taking it unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
This product may interfere with certain lab tests (such as skin tests). Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.
