Calcort is a steroid medicine. This can be prescribed for many different conditions, including serious illnesses. It is used to treat inflammation including asthma, arthritis and allergies; treat problems with your skin, kidney, heart, digestive system, eyes or blood; treat problems where your body has growths (tumours); suppress the immune system in transplant operations.

You need to take it regularly to get the maximum benefit. Take this medicine by mouth. Swallow your tablets whole with a glass of water. It is important to take your medicine at the right times. The usual dose for most conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis is half to three tablets each day. The dose for severe asthma may be up to 8 or 12 tablets each day. This dose may be gradually reduced once the asthma attack has been controlled. For some problems up to 20 tablets may be needed each day for several days.

These tablets may make you feel dizzy, feel like everything around you is spinning, or feel disorientated (vertigo). If this happens, do not drive or use any tools or machines. Stopping the treatment suddenly can sometimes cause problems such as a high temperature, a runny nose, sore, red, sticky eyes, aching muscles and joints, itchy skin and weight loss. Also, sickness (vomiting), headaches and drowsiness – this is more likely to happen in children.

Check with your doctor before taking this medicine if you have epilepsy (fits); you or anyone in your family has diabetes; you have high blood pressure; you have kidney, liver or heart problems; you have brittle or weak bones called osteoporosis; you have an eye disease that causes detachment of your retina and bulging eyes; you or anyone in your family has an eye problem called glaucoma; You have an underactive thyroid gland; you have problems with your digestive system, including your food pipe (oesophagitis), gut (ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis) or stomach (peptic ulcer); you have ever had a bad reaction such as muscle weakness to any steroid; you have or ever had an infection caused by a virus or fungus; you have or ever had ‘tuberculosis’ (TB); you have any problems with your blood vessels such as a blood clot; you have a pheochromocytoma (a tumour of adrenal gland tissue; the adrenal glands are located above the kidneys.)

Like all medicines, Calcort can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Common side effects are 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 Calcort. 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. Tell a doctor straight away if you notice serious mental health problems. Other serious side effects include a very sore throat and headache, which is usually worse in the morning.

Check with your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines. Painkillers such as aspirin; aminoglutethimide - used for some types of cancer; ketoconazole - used to treat infections; Water tablets (diuretics) such as spironolactone, triamterene or amiloride; medicines for thinning your blood (such as warfarin); medicines for diabetes; medicines for epilepsy such as phenobarbitone, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, acetazolamide; medicines which contain oestrogens including oral contraceptives; medicines for tuberculosis (TB) such as rifampicin or rifabutin; medicines for high blood pressure; medicines for indigestion and heartburn (antacids); if you are taking an antacid leave at least 2 hours between taking it and Calcort; medicines for asthma such as salbutamol and theophylline.

If you forget to take a dose take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

department straight away. Remember to take with you any tablets that are left and the pack. This is so the doctor knows what you have taken.

Keep out of the sight and reach of children. Keep this medicine below 25°C. Keep it in the pack in which it was given to you. Do not transfer your medicine to another container.

The information presented at the site has a general character. Note please this information cannot be used for self-treatment and self diagnosis. You should consult with your doctor or health care adviser regarding any specific instructions of your condition. The information is reliable, but we concede it could contain mistakes. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other damage caused by use of this information on the site and also for consequences of self-treatment.