Prednisolone is a corticosteroid used to treat a number of diseases processes, including asthma, autoimmune disease and severe allergic reaction or inflammation. Prednisolone is given by mouth in pill or liquid form or as an ophthalmic drop. Prednisolone can also be given in injection or intravenous form. Like any medication, prednisolone can cause side effects, especially if taken long-term.
Eye Problems
In people taking prednisolone ophthalmic drops long-term, nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract growth may occur. In kidney transplant patients taking 10 mg of prednisolone a day, 33 percent developed subcapsular cataracts, after an average time period of 26 months, Drugs.com states. Elevated pressure within the eye that can permanently damage the optic nerve, a condition called glaucoma, can also occur if prednisolone is taken for six weeks or more.
Diabetes
People taking prednisolone long-term may develop diabetes, high blood sugar levels. In people who already have diabetes, prenisolone may cause higher than normal blood sugars that require insulin and dietary adjustments. In people taking the drug every other day, their sugar levels may be much higher on the day they take prednisolone, Drugs.com states.
High Blood Pressure
Around 12 percent of people taking prednisolone long-term develop high blood pressure, Drugs. com reports. Sodium retention, which leads to edema, or fluid retention most likely causes high blood pressure in people taking this drug.
Immunosuppression
Prednisolone, like other corticosteroids, suppresses the immune system response, which can lead to increased risk of bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral infection, Drugs.com reports.
Osteoporosis
Prednisolone, like other corticosteroids, can cause bone loss. The American College of Rheumatology states that taking 7.5 mg of corticosteroids a day long-term increases bone loss and fracture risk, with more than 25 percent sustaining fractures at some point. Prednisolone causes as much as a 3 percent drop in bone density in women taking 10 mg per day, Drugs.com reports. Bone loss worsens with age; 16 percent of elderly women taking corticosteroids for five years experience vertebral compression fractures in the spine. Bone loss is most severe in the first six months of therapy, the American College of Rhumatology reports. Patients taking prednisolone long-term should also take calcium, vitamin D and bisphosphonates, along with a weight-bearing exercise program to build muscle mass. Muscle wasting also occurs as a side effect of chronic prednisolone use, and increases the risk of falls and potential fractures.
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