Prednisolone 5mg E/C 1 tablet

Illnesses (sometimes called collagen disease) which cause inflammation of the skin, muscles or joints. These include rheumatic fever and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Blood problems such as anaemia and leukaemia
Skin and kidney problems
Bowel problems such as ulcerative colitis

Stop taking your medicine and see a doctor or go to a hospital straight away if:
You get swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing. You could also notice an itchy, lumpy rash (hives) or nettle rash (urticaria). This may mean you are having an allergic reaction to Prednisolone Tablets You pass black tarry stools or notice fresh or clotted blood in your stools (faeces). You may also notice dark bits that look like coffee grounds in your vomit. These could be signs of a stomach ulcer You get severe stomach pain which may reach through to your back. This could be a sign of pancreatitis

Serious effects: Tell a doctor straight away if you notice any of the following side effects:
Steroids including prednisolone can cause serious mental health problems. These are common in both adults and children. They can affect about 5 in every 100 people taking medicines like prednisolone. These side effects include:
Feeling depressed, including thinking about suicide
Feeling high (mania) or moods that go up and down
Feeling anxious, having problems sleeping, difficulty in thinking or being confused and losing your memory
Feeling, seeing or hearing things which do not exist. Having strange and frightening thoughts, changing how you act or having feelings of being alone

Other serious side effects include:
A very sore throat. You may also have difficulty in swallowing and the inside of your mouth may have white areas on the surface
Headache, which is usually worse in the morning, on coughing or straining, and feeling sick (nausea). Also, fits, fainting, eyesight problems, painful eyes or confusion can occur If you notice any of these problems talk to a doctor straight away.

Other side effects:
If any of these side effects gets serious or lasts longer than a few days, or if you notice any side effects not listed in the leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Stomach or bowel problems such as feeling full or bloated, indigestion, heartburn or stomach pain
Increase in appetite and weight gain including developing a rounder face. Or, you may lose weight or feel weak.
Bones and tendons may break or tear more easily than usual (called osteoporosis)
Irregular periods in women or they may stop altogether
Hair, including body or facial hair, grows more than normal
Increased thirst and needing to pass water more often than usual. These could be signs of diabetes. If you are already diabetic, your doctor may prescribe more of your diabetes medicine to balance the effect of prednisolone. You should discuss this with your doctor
Raised blood pressure and increased water retention
Tiredness, confusion, muscle weakness or muscle cramps. This may be due to low levels of potassium in your body
Mood changes, difficulty in sleeping
Becoming dependent on prednisolone (also called psychological dependence)
If you have epilepsy you may notice you get fits (seizures) more often than usual or that they are more severe. If this happens, tell your doctor as he/she may want to change the dose of your epilepsy medicine while you are taking prednisolone
If you have schizophrenia your symptoms may get worse
If you have had tuberculosis (TB) in the past it may return
Eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts can happen if you take this medicine for a long time
Eye infections (fungal or viral) may spread or return if you have had them in the past
Increase in the risk of clots forming in your blood
Blood problems such as leukocytosis
Wounds and cuts do not heal as quickly as usual
Skin problems such as acne, flushing, redness, thinning of the skin and appearance of stretch marks
General muscle weakness or tiredness
You may get infections more easily than usual
Sudden or severe muscle weakness or tiredness following an operation or time spent as a patient in an Intensive Care Unit (see Section 2 above on ‘Vaccinations or operations’) Some of the above effects are more likely to happen if you are elderly Children and teenagers taking this medicine may grow less than normal. If you think this is happening to a child, tell your doctor. If any of the side effects get serious or lasts longer than a few days, or if you notice any side effects not listed in the leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep out of the reach and sight of children. Do not take this medicine after the expiry date, which you will find on the pack. Keep this medicine below 25°C, in a dry place and protect it from light. Keep it in the pack in which it was given to you. Do not transfer your medicine to another container. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. Do not dispose of medicines by flushing down a toilet or a sink or by throwing out with your normal household rubbish. This will help to protect the environment.