Community Pediatric Asthma Service

Oral Corticosteroids

Sometimes asthma symptoms worsen
and cannot be controlled with your
inhaled corticosteroid medicine alone.
Oral corticosteroids are used to treat
severe asthma attacks.

You may be prescribed extra corticosteroid
therapy in a pill or liquid form, often taken for
3-5 days to help reduce swelling/inflammation.

They usually get asthma under control quickly...

and this allows you to start feeling well sooner

They are called "add-ons"...

which means they are taken in addition to your regular inhaled corticosteroids

Once the flare-up is controlled...

you can return to your regular treatment of inhaled corticosteroid medicine

Common names for oral corticosteroids...

for asthma are Dexamethasone, Pediapred, Prednisone and Predisolone