Drug Interactions

Drug interactions

Corticosteroids can interact with other drugs. Pay careful attention when using corticosteroids with:

• drugs that affect the levels of potassium in blood (e.g. diuretics, certain laxatives)
• drugs that have known side effects when potassium levels drop in the bloodstream. (e.g. digitalis)
• drugs resulting in decreased cortisone in the blood (e.g. rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone) or decrease the gastrointestinal absorption of cortisone (e.g. gastric dressing)
• lithium (corticosteroids decrease blood levels of lithium)

Moreover, corticosteroids can increase blood sugar and blood pressure. Patients taking anti-diabetic or anti-hypertensive drugs have to adapt their treatment accordingly.