Cortone (Cortisone Acetate)

You should take this medication exactly as it's prescribed by your doctor.

Do not take larger or smaller amounts than recommended.

Your recommended dosage will depend on a range of factors, including your overall health status and the disease or condition for which CORTONE is prescribed.

CORTONE Overdose

If you suspect an overdose, you should contact a poison-control center or emergency room immediately.

Less Serious Side Effects of CORTONE

Some less serious side effects of CORTONE may include:

•Acne, dry skin, or thinning skin

•Bruising or discoloration of skin

•Insomnia

•Mood changes

•Increased sweating

•Headache

•Dizziness

•Nausea, stomach pain, or bloating

•Slow wound healing

•Changes in the shape or location of body fat

Serious Side Effects of CORTONE

You should get emergency medical treatment if you experience any signs of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that may include hives; difficulty breathing; or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

You should call your doctor at once if you experience any of the following serious side effects of CORTONE:

•Vision problems

•Swelling

•Rapid weight gain

•Shortness of breath

•Severe depression or unusual thoughts or behaviors

•Seizures

•Bloody or tarry stools

•Coughing up blood

•Symptoms of pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach that spreads to your back; nausea and vomiting; or fast heart rate)

•Low potassium

•Dangerously high blood pressure

If you have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, then your blood glucose levels may increase while taking CORTONE.

Talk to your doctor about the best way to test and treat this common side effect of CORTONE.

You should not use CORTONE if you are allergic to it.

CORTONE can weaken your immune system, which could worsen an existing infection or make you more likely to get new infections. You should not use CORTONE if you have a fungal infection.

In addition, before taking it, you should tell your doctor if you've experienced a recent illness or infection. You should also avoid being in contact with people who are sick or have infections while taking CORTONE.

You should not receive any "live" virus vaccines while taking CORTONE. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), oral polio, rotavirus, smallpox, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), zoster (shingles), and the nasal flu vaccine.

Inactivated, or "non-live," vaccines can be taken. Ask your doctor if it's okay to be near other people who have been vaccinated with live vaccines.

Contact your doctor right away if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles while taking CORTONE. These conditions can be serious and even life-threatening if you are on corticosteroids.

Steroids may affect growth in kids. You should tell your doctor if you think your child is not growing at a normal rate while taking CORTONE.

Before taking CORTONE, you should tell your doctor if you have any of the following medical conditions:

•A thyroid disorder

•Diabetes

•Liver disease

•Kidney disease

•Tuberculosis

•A history of malaria

•Osteoporosis

•Any muscle disorder (such as myasthenia gravis)

•Herpes infection of the eyes

•Cataracts or glaucoma

•Depression or mental illness

•Congestive heart failure

•High blood pressure

•Stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis

You could experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking this medication suddenly.

Don't stop taking CORTONE without first talking to your doctor.

You should tell all healthcare providers or medical workers that you are taking CORTONE.

It's also a good idea for you to wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card that says you are taking the drug.

Pregnancy and CORTONE

It's not known whether CORTONE can harm an unborn baby.

You should talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or might become pregnant while taking this drug.

CORTONE can pass into breast milk and could harm a breastfeeding baby. Don't breastfeed while taking this medication.

You should tell your doctor about all prescription, nonprescription, illegal, recreational, herbal, nutritional, or dietary drugs you're taking while on CORTONE, especially:

•Aspirin

•Diuretics (water pills)

•Blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)

•Cyclosporine (Restasis, Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)

•Insulin or other diabetes medications you take by mouth

•Ketoconazole (Nizoral)

•Rifampin (Rifadin)

•Seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton)

CORTONE and Alcohol

You should limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages while taking CORTONE.

CORTONE and Other Interactions

This medication may make you dizzy.

You should not drive, operate machinery, or perform any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can do so safely.