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Methylprednisolone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of methylprednisolone include off label use, fatigue, and pain, based on 174,068 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.2% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Methylprednisolone side effects

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

1
Off Label Use14.2%24,705
2
Drug Ineffective10.2%17,729
3
Fatigue5.7%9,997
4
Pain5.3%9,179
5
Headache5.1%8,881
6
Nausea5.0%8,752
7
Pyrexia4.6%8,016
8
Arthralgia4.5%7,902
9
Dyspnoea4.5%7,803
10
Pneumonia4.3%7,476
11
Diarrhoea4.3%7,435
12
Infusion Related Reaction4.1%7,067
13
Condition Aggravated4.1%7,051
14
Rash3.8%6,687
15
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.6%6,187

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

Report severity

88.7%Serious154,353 reports
41.1%Hospitalizations71,580 reports
15.9%Fatal27,743 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Methylprednisolone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside methylprednisolone. 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
Rituximab17.3%30,094
2
Prednisone10.8%18,776
3
Mycophenolate9.9%17,228
4
Tacrolimus8.7%15,210
5
Methotrexate7.9%13,813
6
Prednisolone5.8%10,179
7
Cyclophosphamide5.1%8,891
8
Infliximab4.9%8,601
9
Cyclosporine4.9%8,600
10
Tocilizumab4.4%7,656
11
Adalimumab4.1%7,130
12
Etanercept3.6%6,310
13
Acetaminophen3.6%6,278
14
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate3.6%6,262
15
Azathioprine3.2%5,556

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen21.5%37,399
2
Diphenhydramine14.8%25,707
3
Prednisone12.2%21,306
4
Pantoprazole-sodium6.6%11,510
5
Ergocalciferol6.1%10,599
6
Aspirin5.9%10,303
7
Furosemide5.9%10,227
8
Methotrexate5.8%10,043
9
Omeprazole5.8%10,013
10
Albuterol5.5%9,644
11
Folic-acid5.5%9,582
12
Ondansetron5.5%9,560
13
Levothyroxine-sodium5.5%9,512
14
Amlodipine4.9%8,580
15
Acyclovir4.3%7,553

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 methylprednisolone side effects

50.5% of methylprednisolone adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 62%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female50.5%
Male36.7%
Unknown12.7%

Age group

< 21.9%
2–115.3%
12–173.8%
18–6461.7%
65+27.3%

What is methylprednisolone used for

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

3m SyndromeAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal InfectionAbdominal LymphadenopathyAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbo IncompatibilityAbo IncompatibilityAbscessAbscess IntestinalAcanthamoeba KeratitisAcarodermatitisAccidentAcid Fast Bacilli Infection

Showing 15 of 4,692 indications

Methylprednisolone brand names and reporting trend

Methylprednisolone is sold under brand names including Neo-medrol, Solu-medrol, M-predrol.

Brand names

Neo-medrol141,684
Solu-medrol23,483
M-predrol7,629

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking methylprednisolone with another medication?

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