People's Pharmacy

Cortan

Generic Name:prednisone

Other Brand Names: Meticorten, Deltasone, Orasone

Revised:4/1/2000

Table of Contents

Overview

Prednisone is available both by generic name and under several brand names.

It is a corticosteroid, or hormone-like medication prescribed for a wide variety of conditions.

Other cortisone-like medicines that are similar to prednisone include prednisolone or Delta-Cortef, cortisone or Cortone, hydrocortisone or Cortef, and triamcinolone, also prescribed as Aristocort or Kenacort.

Much of the information on prednisone is also applicable to these other medications.

It is quite effective in short-term treatment for flare-ups of rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout and other rheumatic conditions; for short-term or long-term treatment of conditions like lupus (SLE) or polymyositis; for a number of severe skin problems; to control incapacitating allergic reactions from hay fever and asthma to poison ivy or drug reactions; and for many eye disorders.

It is also indicated in certain cancers, blood diseases, respiratory diseases, multiple sclerosis, a severe kidney problem (nephrotic syndrome), some endocrine disorders and to tide a patient over a critical episode of ulcerative colitis or regional enteritis.