Emflaza (Deflazacort)

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking EMFLAZA it is important that your doctor knows:

• If you have high blood pressure.
• If you have had a heart attack, or if you have any other heart problems.
• If you have any problems with the way your liver works, or if you have any problems with the way your kidneys work.
• If you (or a close family member) have either sugar diabetes or an eye condition called glaucoma.
• If you have any of the following conditions: an underactive thyroid, 'thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis), epilepsy, a condition causing muscle weakness (called myasthenia gravis), a stomach ulcer, or a bowel disorder.
• If you have ever had a mental health problem.
• If you are pregnant or breast-feeding. (Oral steroids like EMFLAZA can be taken while you are expecting or breast-feeding; however, it is important that your doctor knows about the baby.)
• If you have any kind of infection at the moment, or if you have ever had tuberculosis (TB).
• If you have ever had an unwanted blood clot in an artery or a vein.
• If you have recently had, or are about to have, any vaccinations.
• If you are taking or using any other medicines. This includes any medicines which are available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal and complementary medicines.
• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine, or if you have ever developed muscle pain after taking a steroid medicine.

EMFLAZA can cause unwanted interactions with other medications, please discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist.

• Before starting the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack and any additional information you are given by your doctor. These will give you more information about EMFLAZA and will also provide you with a full list of side-effects which you could experience from taking it.
• Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets to take for each dose. For an adult, the dose range is usually from ½-3 tablets daily, although it may be higher than this if you are acutely unwell. Take your dose in the morning during breakfast. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. Children are sometimes prescribed a dose to take on alternate days only.
• If you forget to take a dose at your usual time, take it as soon as you remember (with something to eat). If you do not remember until the following day, leave out the missed dose. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.
• Continue to take EMFLAZA until your doctor tells you to stop. Stopping taking the tablets suddenly can cause problems so your doctor will want you to reduce your dose gradually over a period of time if/when this becomes necessary.

Along with its useful effects, EMFLAZA can cause unwanted side-effects which your doctor will discuss with you. The benefits of taking an oral steroid usually outweigh the side-effects; however, they can sometimes be troublesome. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with EMFLAZA. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine.