Arthritis Treatment Medrol Dose Pack Can Help Tame an Arthritis Flare Medrol dose pack must be taken according to specific instructions By Carol Eustice facebook Carol Eustice is a writer covering arthritis and chronic illness, who herself has been diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Learn about our editorial process Carol Eustice Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by David Ozeri, MD on September 01, 2020 linkedin David Ozeri, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist from Tel Aviv, Israel specializing in arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and biologic therapies. Learn about our Medical Review Board David Ozeri, MD on September 01, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Uses Contraindications Dosage Side Effects Warnings and Interactions Medrol (methylprednisolone) dose pack (also spelled dosepak) is a corticosteroid used to treat and control inflammation associated with arthritis and other conditions. Medrol is marketed by Pharmacia and Upjohn. art-4-art / Getty Images Uses Medrol is used to quickly suppress inflammation. It is commonly prescribed to bring an arthritis flare under control which is associated with active inflammation. It is used to treat: Rheumatoid arthritisSystemic lupus erythematosusAcute gouty arthritisPsoriatic arthritis Medrol is also used to treat severe allergic reactions and chronic skin conditions. While some people with inflammatory types of arthritis or other rheumatic diseases may be prescribed Medrol as part of their daily treatment regimen, the Medrol dose pack is a burst of the medication taken according to a specific schedule over six days. Contraindications People who have a known allergy to the components of Medrol should not take the medication. There are many situations in which Medrol should be used with caution, including active or chronic infection, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, or psychiatric illness. Medrol has not been adequately evaluated in pregnant women. Let your doctor know if you are planning to become pregnant or if you do become pregnant while taking Medrol. Dosage Medrol is available as 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-milligram (mg) tablets. Medrol is also available as an injectable solution: 20, 40, and 80 milligrams/milliliter (mg/ml). While Medrol can be prescribed at various daily doses or as alternate day therapy, the typical Medrol dose pack is marketed as 4-mg tablets given over six days in decreasing dosages. Example directions for the Medrol dose pack are: Medrol Tablets to Take Before Breakfast After Lunch After Dinner Before Bedtime Day 1 2 1 1 2 Day 2 1 1 1 2 Day 3 1 1 1 1 Day 4 1 1 None 1 Day 5 1 None None 1 Day 6 1 None None None You should take the Medrol dose pack exactly as prescribed. The directions must be followed precisely. Side Effects Side effects associated with Medrol are largely dependent on the dose and how often it is taken. Short courses of Medrol, as is the case with the Medrol dose pack, are usually well-tolerated with no or few mild side effects. Long-term or high-dose Medrol is more problematic. Warnings and Interactions You should not stop taking the drug suddenly on your own. Call your doctor if you have side effects or problems which make you want to stop the drug before the six-day course is finished. Be sure to tell your doctor about all other medications and supplements which you routinely take. The following drugs may interact with Medrol. Note: This is not a complete list: Arthritis medications, such as NSAIDsAspirinAzithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycinBlood thinners, such as Coumadin (warfarin)Dilantin (phenytoin)Diuretics (water pills)Lanoxin (digoxin)Neoral, Sandimmune (cyclosporine)Nizoral (ketoconazole)Oral contraceptivesPhenobarbitalPremarin (estrogen)Rifadin (rifampin)Theo-Dur (theophylline) A Word From Verywell The Medrol dose pack can seem like a lifesaver to someone in the midst of an arthritis flare. When nothing else seems to tame the increased intensity of arthritis symptoms, Medrol can be very effective. Some doctors allow their patients to keep a dose pack on hand for those times when an unpredictable flare occurs. That said, be sure what you have on hand doesn't expire and replace it if it does. And, never fail to follow the directions for its use precisely. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with chronic inflammation? An anti-inflammatory diet can help. Our free recipe guide shows you the best foods to fight inflammation. Get yours today! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medrol® methylprednisolone tablets, USP. Updated September 2019. MedlinePlus. Methylprednisolone. Updated February 18, 2020. Additional Reading Medrol. RxList.com. Methylprednisolone: Drug Information. Lexicomp. UpToDate.