Community Pediatric Asthma Service

oral steroids

Oral Steroids

Sometimes asthma flare-ups cannot be controlled with your inhaled corticosteroid medicine.  You may be prescribed an add-on corticosteroid therapy in a pill or liquid form, often taken for 3-5 days.

 

Remember to check with your local pharmacy on how to dispose of unwanted/expired medication, including asthma devices.



Medicine Tips for Patents

Medicine Tips

Tablets

  • If children are old enough to swallow them, tablets seem to be preferred. A tablet in a spoonful of jam or chocolate syrup helps the medicine go down :-)
  • While a tablet seems to be the easier medicine to take, it is not always the first to be prescribed in a hospital setting. Ask your doctor if it is available and appropriate

Liquid

  • Liquid corticosteroids often cause some children to vomit.
  • If your child vomits within 30 minutes of taking liquid corticosteroid medicine, it has not had a chance to be absorbed by the body and the dose must be repeated.
  • If the liquid corticosteroid is repeatedly vomited, talk to your doctor about the alternatives.

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If you have specific questions, please consult your doctor or appropriate health care professional.