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What happens if I miss a dose (Cortef, Hydrocortone)?

If you miss a dose or forget to take your medicine, contact your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.

What happens if I overdose (Cortef, Hydrocortone)?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have received too much of this medicine.

A single large dose of hydrocortisone is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms. However, high doses taken over a long period of time may cause weight gain, roundness of the face, increased facial hair growth, bruising, swelling, and muscle pain or weakness.

What should I avoid while taking hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone)?

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles. These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroid medication.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with hydrocortisone. Vaccines may not work as well while you are taking a steroid.

Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking hydrocortisone.

What other drugs will affect hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone)?

There are many other medicines that can interact with steroids. Below is only a partial list of these medicines:

• aspirin (taken on a daily basis or at high doses);
• a diuretic (water pill);
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
• insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth;
• ketoconazole (Nizoral);
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane); or
• seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with hydrocortisone. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about hydrocortisone.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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