Methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood disorders, severe allergic reactions, certain cancers, eye conditions, skin/kidney/intestinal/lung diseases, and immune system disorders. It decreases your immune system’s response to various diseases to reduce symptoms such as swelling, pain, and allergic-type reactions. This medication is a corticosteroid hormone.

Methylprednisolone may also be used with other medications in hormone disorders.

Methylprednisolone is available under the following different brand names: Medrol, Medrol Dosepak, DepoMedrol, and SoluMedrol.

Dosages of Methylprednisolone

Adult and Pediatric Dosage Forms and Strengths

Tablet

• 2 mg
• 4 mg
• 8 mg
• 16 mg
• 32 mg

Injectable suspension

• 2 mg
• 5 mg
• 25 mg
• 20 mg/mL
• 40 mg/mL
• 80 mg/mL

Powder for injection

• 40 mg
• 125 mg
• 500 mg
• 1 g
• 2 g

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:

Allergic Conditions

• Day 1: 8 mg orally before breakfast, 4 mg after lunch and after dinner, and 8 mg at bedtime
• Day 2: 4 mg orally before breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner and 8 mg at bedtime
• Day 3: 4 mg orally before breakfast, after lunch, after dinner, and at bedtime
• Day 4: 4 mg orally before breakfast, after lunch, and at bedtime
• Day 5: 4 mg orally before breakfast and at bedtime
• Day 6: 4 mg orally before breakfast
• Maybe tapered over 12 days (to decrease the chance of dermatitis flare-up)

Acute Exacerbations of Multiple Sclerosis

• 160 mg intravenously (IV) once daily for 1 week, then 64 mg IV every other day for 1 month

Pneumocystis (carinii) jiroveci Pneumonia in AIDS Patients (Off-label)

• Adult: 30 mg intravenously (IV) every 12 hours for 5 days, then 30 mg IV every 24 hours for 5 days, then 15 mg IV every 24 hours for 11 days
• Children over 13 years: 30 mg intravenously (IV) every 12 hours for 5 days, then 30 mg IV every 24 hours for 5 days, then 15 mg IV every 24 hours for 11 days

Acute Spinal Cord Injury (Off-label)

• 1st hour: 30 mg/kg intravenously (IV) over 15 minutes
• Next 23 hours: 5.4 mg/kg/hour IV by continuous infusion

Severe Lupus Nephritis (Off-label)

• Adult: 0.5-1 g intravenously (IV) over 1 hour once daily for 3 days
• Pediatric: 30 mg/kg IV every other day for 6 doses

Inflammation, Pediatric

• 0.5-1.7 mg/kg/day IV/oral/intramuscular (IM) divided every 12 hours

Status Asthmaticus, Pediatric

• Younger than 12 years: 1-2 mg/kg IV/IM in 2 divided doses until peak expiratory flow is 70% of predicted or personal best; not to exceed 60 mg/day
• Older than 12 years: 40-80 mg/day intramuscular (IM) divided every 12-24 hours until peak expiratory flow is 70% of predicted or personal best; not to exceed 60 mg/day

Dosing Considerations

Adult

• Methylprednisolone: Usual dosing range, 2-60 mg/day orally divided every 6-24 hours
• Methylprednisolone acetate: Usual dosing range, 10-80 mg intramuscularly (IM) every 1-2 weeks; as a temporary substitute for orally, given in daily IM dose equal to daily orally dose; for prolonged effect, given in weekly IM dose equal to 7 times daily orally dose; unlike methylprednisolone sodium succinate, may not be given intravenously (IV)
• Methylprednisolone sodium succinate: Usual dosing range, 10-250 mg IM/IV up to every 4 hours as needed

Pediatric

• Methylprednisolone: Usual dosing range, 0.117-1.66 mg/kg/day orally divided every 6-8 hours
• Methylprednisolone sodium succinate: Usual dosing range, 0.03-0.2 mg/kg intramuscularly (IM) every 12-24 hours