Petacort
Petacort is a steroid medicine used to treat various conditions, including serious illnesses.
Form
tabletti
Strength
5 mg
Active Ingredient
Hydrocortisone
Manufacturer
Hualan Pharmaceuticals Limited
How to Use
Dosage
Adults typically take 20-30 mg daily. For children, the dose is 0.4-0.8 mg per kg of body weight daily, divided into 2-3 doses. Always follow your doctor's instructions.
Method
Take this medicine by mouth.
Important
Your doctor will decide your maximum daily dose. It's important not to take more than prescribed and never to stop suddenly.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Feeling depressed, including thoughts of harming yourself.
- •Feeling unusually high (mania) or having extreme mood swings.
- •Feeling anxious, having trouble sleeping, difficulty thinking clearly, feeling confused, or memory loss.
- •Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there (hallucinations), having strange or frightening thoughts, changes in your behavior, or feeling alone.
RARE
- •Itching or skin rash.
- •Swelling of the face, lips, or throat.
- •Difficulty breathing or wheezing.
- •Heart failure, causing swollen ankles, chest pain, breathing difficulties, irregular or fast/slow heartbeat, high blood pressure.
- •High blood pressure, causing headaches or feeling unwell.
- •Thickening of the heart muscle in premature babies.
- •Becoming more likely to get infections, which can sometimes be life-threatening.
- •Worsening of chickenpox or measles, or recurrence of tuberculosis.
- •High number of red blood cells.
- •High number of white blood cells (granulocytes).
- •Low number of white blood cells (eosinophils).
- •Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system).
- •Bleeding stomach ulcers, causing stomach pain, rectal bleeding, black stools, or bloody vomit.
- •Inflammation of the pancreas, causing stomach pain and discomfort.
- •Infection or ulcer in the esophagus, causing pain when swallowing or chest pain.
- •Increased pressure in the head (pseudotumor cerebri), reported in children after stopping treatment, causing headache, vomiting, weakness, and drowsiness.
- •Muscle weakness or muscle wasting.
- •Osteoporosis (thinning or weakening of bones, increasing fracture risk, especially in older women).
- •Bone fractures.
- •Joint inflammation in the knee and groin (aseptic necrosis).
- •Changes in vision, such as cataracts, blurred vision, or glaucoma (increased eye pressure).
- •Irregular or missed periods in women.
- •Development of Cushing's syndrome (round or 'moon' face, enlarged cheeks and belly, thin arms and legs, red face, increased appetite).
- •Slowed growth in children.
- •Adrenal and pituitary glands not producing enough hormones, especially after surgery, injury, or illness.
- •Hair growth on the face and abdomen in women.
- •Retention of sodium and fluid.
- •Potassium deficiency in the body (hypokalemic alkalosis).
- •Weight gain.
- •Increased appetite.
- •Slow wound healing.
- •Redness.
- •Easy bruising, red or purple spots, acne.
- •Misleading results from skin tests.
- •Carbohydrate intolerance, high blood sugar (leading to extreme thirst and frequent urination).
- •Breakdown of body protein stores (resulting in weight loss and muscle mass loss in arms and legs).
- •Calcium and nitrogen loss.
- •Loss of potassium salts from the body, leading to cramps and spasms.
Important Warnings
- Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor, as your dose may need to be lowered gradually.
- Avoid contact with people who have chickenpox, shingles, or measles if you haven't had these illnesses before. If you come into contact, see a doctor immediately. Petacort can make you more prone to infections.
- This medicine can cause serious mental health problems, such as depression (including thoughts of self-harm), mood changes, anxiety, or confusion. Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of these symptoms.
- Tell your doctor if you are going to get a vaccine. You should not receive live virus vaccines while taking Petacort.
- If you have an accident, get sick, or need surgery (including dental surgery) while taking Petacort, or after you have stopped, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking steroids.
Show 5 more warnings
- If you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, planning to have a baby, or breastfeeding, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
- This medicine can affect your ability to drive or use machines. If you experience muscle weakness, vision problems, or mood changes, do not drive or use machines.
- You must take this medicine regularly to get the most benefit from it.
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to hydrocortisone or any other ingredient in Petacort.
- Tell your doctor about all your other health conditions and any other medicines you are taking, as Petacort may interact with them.