Prednisolone

Corticosteroids are often used to treat eczema because of their anti-inflammatory qualities. They’re used often to help manage dermatological conditions because of their ability to reduce swollen and irritated skin.

How does Prednisolone work?

Prednisolone works in two ways — by reducing inflammation and suppressing your immune system.^[1] Calming your immune response is particularly useful for managing certain kinds of eczema, such as atopic eczema, which is aggravated by allergens.

Treating eczema often involves a combination of things. Avoiding irritants, using emollients, calcineurin inhibitors, and clearing any secondary infections you have can all help improve your symptoms.^[2] Oral corticosteroids might be prescribed if your eczema is severe, and isn’t responding to more conventional topical treatments.

What doses of Prednisolone are there?

There are lots of different doses of Prednisolone tablets available, ranging between 1 mg-30 mg daily.

The dose you’re prescribed will depend on the severity of your eczema symptoms, and how you respond to the medication. This means you might be started on a low dose to see how well you react to it.

The amount of Prednisone you take is usually reduced once your skin condition starts to improve.^[1] The opposite might also be the case — your clinician might increase your dose if they feel like it will help improve your eczema.

If you need to take multiple tablets a day, you should make sure to space each of them apart. Setting an alarm, or remembering to take your tablets at the same time each day, can help you stick in a dosage routine. You’re less likely to forget a tablet by doing this, or take more than you need.

How long does Prednisolone take to work?

Oral corticosteroids can have an immediate impact on eczema symptoms,^[1] but because everyone responds to medications differently, there’s no guarantee how long the tablets will take to work. They are usually prescribed when topical treatments, such as creams or gels, haven’t worked.

You won’t need to use any topical corticosteroids alongside Prednisolone, as it should be strong enough to work on its own. Once you’ve finished your course of tablets, you can start using topical corticosteroids again.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Prednisolone?

If you take more Prednisolone than you need, go to your hospital’s nearest hospital’s emergency department for urgent help. If you can, bring the patient information leaflet (PIL) with you so the hospital staff can get you the help you need quickly.

The amount of Prednisolone people take differs person-to-person, but you should always take the tablets exactly how they’ve been prescribed to avoid making any mistakes.

If you want to stop using the tablets, you’ll need to do so gradually. Stopping Prednisolone treatment at once can cause unwanted side effects, so if you’re thinking of using another medication instead, talk to a clinician about weaning off the tablets.