Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSimilaritiesDifferencesSafetyWarnings
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Similarities
Differences
Safety
Warnings
In the United States, about 53 million adults have arthritis—a disease that causes inflammation in the joints.Many of them turn to medications to help relieve pain and inflammation and improve their quality of life.
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How Prednisone and Methylprednisolone Are Similar
Prednisone and methylprednisolone are both corticosteroids. This class of medication is used to treat arthritis and other conditions including allergies and asthma.
How Prednisone and Methylprednisolone Are Different
Prednisone and methylprednisolone act on the body in very similar ways. The biggest difference between the medications are in regards to dosage and how they are administered.
When you’re considering whether to take Rayos or Medrol, it’s important to consider that Rayos is a delayed-release tablet. For many people, that means that Rayos can be taken once-daily, while Medrol may require more than one dose per day.
Rayos is formulated to take effect during the night. That’s when cells calledcytokines, which can contribute to inflammation, become most active. Because of this approach, some people experience a better reduction of inflammation taking Rayos than they do while taking Medrol. Others may prefer Rayos because they only need to take one pill a day, rather than multiple.
Is It Safe to Take Prednisone and Methylprednisolone?
However, there are risks involved with taking corticosteroids, including Rayos and Medrol, especially when they’re used for a long period of time. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using either medication long-term to manage your arthritis.
Combining Steroid MedicationsIn most cases, a person should only take one type of steroid medication, so it’s unlikely that you would take prednisone and methylprednisolone at the same time.
Combining Steroid Medications
In most cases, a person should only take one type of steroid medication, so it’s unlikely that you would take prednisone and methylprednisolone at the same time.
Always talk with your healthcare provider about all medications that you’re taking, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and supplements. Even these substances can interact with corticosteroids.
In most cases, a person should only take one type of steroid medication, so it’s unlikely that you would take prednisone and methylprednisolone at the same time.Always talk with your healthcare provider about all medications that you’re taking, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and supplements. Even these substances can interact with corticosteroids.
People who are taking prednisone and methylprednisolone for arthritis should talk to their healthcare provider about the interactions between these corticosteroids andnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications, known as NSAIDs.
NSAIDs include medications like:
If you’re taking both corticosteroids and NSAIDs, you could increase your risk for gastrointestinal bleeding, a side effect of NSAIDs.
Corticosteroid Warnings
Rayos and Medrol share many of the same side effects. In the short-term, side effects include:
Occasionally, people on prednisone and methylprednisolone can experience serious side effects. You should contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following:
If you use corticosteroids for a long time, they can affect your body’s natural production of steroids.Because of that, you’ll have to taper off the synthetic steroids slowly to avoid complications. Other long-term side effects include osteoporosis (bone thinning) and diabetes.
Summary
Rayos and Medrol provide similar relief for arthritis symptoms since both mimic the naturally occurring steroid cortisol. Your healthcare provider can help you determine whether one or the other might provide better relief in your specific case. If you’re considering a steroid medication like Rayos and Medrol, be sure to talk to your practitioner about side effects and work on a plan to only use the medications for a short period of time.
Dealing with the pain from arthritis can be very challenging. If you have arthritis, you’ll need to work with your healthcare provider to develop a pain-management regimen that provides you relief without exposing you to long-term side effects.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.University of Washington Medicine: Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.Corticosteroids for arthritis.DailyMed.Rayos.MedlinePlus.Methylprednisolone.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Rayos.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.University of Washington Medicine: Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.Corticosteroids for arthritis.DailyMed.Rayos.MedlinePlus.Methylprednisolone.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Rayos.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis.MedlinePlus.Prednisone.University of Washington Medicine: Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.Corticosteroids for arthritis.DailyMed.Rayos.MedlinePlus.Methylprednisolone.Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Rayos.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis.
MedlinePlus.Prednisone.
University of Washington Medicine: Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.Corticosteroids for arthritis.
DailyMed.Rayos.
MedlinePlus.Methylprednisolone.
Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Rayos.
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