OpenClaim

Cortisone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cortisone include systemic lupus erythematosus, pain, and pemphigus, based on 12,310 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 47.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cortisone side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for cortisone.

1
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus49.3%6,071
2
Pain48.7%5,998
3
Pemphigus48.6%5,980
4
Alopecia48.1%5,921
5
Drug Ineffective47.9%5,900
6
Abdominal Discomfort47.3%5,824
7
Rheumatoid Arthritis47.1%5,801
8
Fatigue44.1%5,430
9
Glossodynia43.8%5,397
10
Swelling42.7%5,255
11
Hand Deformity40.5%4,986
12
Wound39.0%4,795
13
Rash38.7%4,761
14
Arthropathy37.7%4,644
15
Contraindicated Product Administered35.8%4,410

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that cortisone caused these reactions.

Report severity

95.2%Serious11,713 reports
41.9%Hospitalizations5,155 reports
27.9%Fatal3,438 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cortisone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cortisone. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Abatacept68.6%8,444
2
Methotrexate65.7%8,083
3
Adalimumab65.3%8,040
4
Etanercept64.6%7,954
5
Leflunomide63.4%7,800
6
Prednisone63.2%7,786
7
Certolizumab-pegol62.6%7,707
8
Infliximab62.4%7,676
9
Folic-acid62.3%7,673
10
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate62.3%7,670
11
Tocilizumab61.8%7,612
12
Alendronate-sodium61.7%7,593
13
Cetirizine-hydrochloride61.6%7,586
14
Rituximab60.7%7,468
15
Desoximetasone60.0%7,389

Taken alongside

1
Sulfasalazine25.4%3,131
2
Pantoprazole-sodium23.2%2,858
3
Acetaminophen23.1%2,841
4
Ibuprofen20.7%2,546
5
Tofacitinib18.6%2,294
6
Ergocalciferol16.6%2,049
7
Caffeine15.0%1,846
8
Lisinopril14.6%1,800
9
Quetiapine-fumarate13.8%1,694
10
Diclofenac13.6%1,675
11
Desogestrel13.0%1,597
12
Ethinyl-estradiol13.0%1,596
13
Ramipril12.7%1,567
14
Lorazepam12.7%1,567
15
Dihydrocodeine-bitartrate11.8%1,453

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports cortisone side effects

74.7% of cortisone adverse event reports involve female patients and 9.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 84%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female74.7%
Male9.1%
Unknown16.2%

Age group

< 21.3%
2–110.4%
12–170.3%
18–6483.9%
65+14.1%

What is cortisone used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking cortisone when the adverse event was reported.

AbscessAcneActh DecreasedAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAddison's DiseaseAddison^s DiseaseAdrenal Cortical InsufficiencyAdrenal InsufficiencyAdrenalectomyAdrenocortical Insufficiency ChronicAdrenocortical Steroid TherapyAdrenocorticotropic Hormone DeficiencyAdrenogenital SyndromeAlanine Aminotransferase IncreasedAnkylosing Spondylitis

Showing 15 of 293 indications

Cortisone brand names and reporting trend

Cortisone is sold under the brand name Cortone.

Brand names

Cortone25,585

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking cortisone with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.