How to Use

For diseaseds taking this drug by mouth:

• Take this drug with food to help prevent stomach upset. If stomach upset, burning, or pain continues, check with your family doctor.
• Stomach problems may be more likely to occur if you drink alcoholic beverages while being treated with this drug. You must not drink alcoholic beverages while taking this drug, unless you have first checked with your family doctor.

For diseaseds taking budesonide extended-release capsules :

• Swallow the capsule whole, without breaking, crushing, or chewing it.

Use this drug only as directed by your family doctor . Do not use more or less of it, do not use it more often and do not use it for a longer time than your family doctor ordered. To do so may increase the risk of side effects.

Dosage

The number of capsules, tablets, teaspoonfuls of liquid or amount of injection that you use depends on the strength of the drug. Always the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses and the length of time you take the drug depend on the medical problem for which you are taking the corticosteroid. In addition, your family doctor may need to change the dose from time to time .

For betamethasone
• For oral dosage forms:
  • Syrup, tablets, effervescent tablets:
    • Adults and teenagers Dose may range from 0.25 to 7.2 milligrams - mg a day, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
  • Extended-release tablets:
    • Adults and teenagers 2 to 6 mg a day.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: Dose may range from 1.2 to 12 mg injected into a joint, lesion, muscle, or vein as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For budesonide
• For oral dosage form - extended-release capsules:
  • Adults: At first, the dose is 9 milligrams - mg a day for up to eight weeks. Then your family doctor may decrease the dose to 6 mg a day. Each dose must be taken in the morning before breakfast.
  • Children: Use and dose must be determined by your family doctor.

For cortisone
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 25 to 300 milligrams - mg a day, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 20 to 300 mg a day, injected into a muscle.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For dexamethasone
• For oral dosage forms - elixir, oral solution, tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 0.5 to 10 milligrams - mg taken as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 0.2 to 40 mg injected into a joint, lesion, muscle, or vein as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For hydrocortisone
• For oral dosage forms - oral suspension, tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 20 to 800 milligrams - mg every one or two days, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 5 to 500 mg injected into a joint, lesion, muscle, or vein, or under the skin as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For methylprednisolone
• For oral dosage form - tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 4 to 160 milligrams - mg every one or two days, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 4 to 160 mg injected into a joint, lesion, muscle, or vein as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For prednisolone
• For oral dosage forms - oral solution, syrup, tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 5 to 200 milligrams - mg taken as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 2 to 100 mg injected into a joint, lesion, muscle, or vein as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For prednisone
• For oral dosage forms - oral solution, syrup, tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 5 to 200 milligrams - mg every one or two days, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

For triamcinolone
• For oral dosage forms - syrup, tablets:
  • Adults and teenagers: 2 to 60 milligrams - mg a day, as a single dose or divided into few doses.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • Adults and teenagers: 0.5 to 100 mg injected into a joint, lesion, or muscle, or under the skin as often as necessary, as determined by your family doctor.
  • Children: Dose is based on body weight or size and must be determined by your family doctor.

Missed dose If you miss a dose of this drug and your dosing schedule is:

• One dose every other day Take the missed dose as soon as possible if you remember it the same morning, then go back to your regular dosing schedule. If you do not remember the missed dose until later, wait and take it the following morning. Then skip a day and start your regular dosing schedule again.
• One dose a day Take the missed dose as soon as possible, then go back to your regular dosing schedule. If you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and do not double the next one.
• Several doses a day Take the missed dose as soon as possible, then go back to your regular dosing schedule. If you do not remember until your next dose is due, double the next dose.

If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.

Storage To store this drug:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store capsules or tablets in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the drug to break down.
• Keep the liquid dosage forms of this drug from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated drug or drug no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded drug is out of the reach of children.