CORTIZONE

Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (SAID)

Cross and Allergic Reactions

Usage

Amoxicillin should not be taken if one has- Mononucleosis, Colitis, Diabetes, Renal Dysfunction, Pku (Phenylketonuria), Hemodialysis--Dose needs to be decreased when in pregnancy

Type

It is 21-carbon steroid hormone.

This medication can be given- intravenously, orally, intra articularly, or transcutaneously.

Cortisone works by suppressing the immune system, thus reducing inflammation and attendant pain and swelling at the site of the injury

History

Cortisone was first identified by the American chemists Edward Calvin Kendall and Harold L. Mason while researching at the Mayo Clinic.

Usage

Use-

It is a hormones released by the body as a reaction to stress. They prepare the body for a fight or flight response.
ARTHRITIS: A cortisone injection can also be used to give short-term pain relief and reduce the swelling from inflammation of a joint, tendon, or bursa in, for example, the joints of the knee, elbow, and shoulder and into a broken coccyx.
ORGAN TRANSPLANT: Cortisone may also be used to deliberately suppress immune response in persons with autoimmune diseases or following an organ transplant to prevent transplant rejection.
ASTHMA: The suppression of the immune system may also be important in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as bronchial asthma
EBV infectious mononucleosis: Cortisone is a common treatment for a severe sore throat that occurs commonly with EBV infectious mononucleosis. Cortisone does not decrease the duration of the viral infection, but is used purely to increase the comfort of a patient with trouble speaking or swallowing as a result of the mononucleosis-induced swollen throat.
LUNG DISEASES: Aspiration pneumonia and pulmonary edema from drowning
SEVERE INFECTIONS: TB, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS, severe bacterial meningitis
CANCERS: Blood cancers such as leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma
SKIN: keloids, eczema, atopic dermatitis
Sarcoidosis

Cross and Allergic Reactions

Cortisone cross reacts with other glucocorticoids and NSAIDS, CNS depressants and alcohol.

Consumption of alcohol will increase dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment when both alcohol and cortisone are taken together.

It does not cause allergic reactions.

Side Effects

Known adverse effects are increase in BP, long term use can have serious side effect, such as-

Cushing’s habitus*
Fragile skin, purple striae
Atrophy of skin after long term topical use
Muscular weakness
Increased susceptibility* to infections
delayed healing of wounds
peptic ulcer
osteoporosis
avascular necrosis* of femoral head
cataract* development
glaucoma*
growth retardation in children
fetal malformations when taken by pregnant women including cleft palate*
suppression of hypopituitary adrenal axis*

Should not be taken if

Patients suffering from following conditions should avoid taking cortisone-

Peptic ulcer
Diabetes mellitus
Hypertension
Osteoporosis
Viral and fungal infection
Tb and other infections
Psychosis
Epilepsy
Chronic heart failure
Renal failure

Shelf Life

Shelf Life:- 2-3 years from manufacturing date.

90% drugs(approved by the FDA) are perfectly good even 15 years after the expiry date, the only exception to this may be tetracycline. If the drugs are kept in a cool environment, like a fridge then they can be used even longer. The expiry date only marks that now there isn’t 100% effectiveness.