Adverse effects
Adverse reactions from the use of prednisolone include:
Increased appetite, weight gain, nausea, and malaise
Increased risk of infection
Cardiovascular events
Dermatological effects including reddening of face, bruising/skin discoloration, impaired wound healing, thinning of skin, skin rash, fluid build up and abnormal hair growth
Hyperglycemia; patients with diabetes may need increased insulin or diabetic therapies
Menstrual abnormalities
Lower response to hormones, especially during stressful instances such as surgery or illness
Change in electrolytes: rise in blood pressure, increased sodium and low potassium, leading to alkalosis
GI system effects: swelling of stomach lining, reversible increase in liver enzymes, and risk of stomach ulcers
Muscular and skeletal abnormalities, such as muscle weakness/muscle loss, osteoporosis (see steroid-induced osteoporosis), long bone fractures, tendon rupture, and back fractures
Neurological effects, including involuntary movements (convulsions), headaches, and vertigo
Behavioral disturbances
Nasal septum perforation and bowel perforation (in some pathologic conditions).Withdrawal from prednisolone after long-term or high-dose use can lead to adrenal insufficiency. Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Although there are no major human studies of prednisolone use in pregnant women, studies in several animals show that it may cause birth defects including increase cleft palate. Prednisolone should be used in pregnant women when benefits outweigh the risks and children born from mothers using prednisolone during pregnancy should be monitored for impaired adrenal function. Prednisolone is found in breast milk of mothers taking prednisolone. Pharmacology
As a glucocorticoid, the lipophilic structure of prednisolone allows for easy passage through the cell membrane where it then binds to its respective glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) located in the cytoplasm.
History
Cases of myocarditis have been documented as early as the 1600s, but the term "myocarditis", implying an inflammatory process of the myocardium, was introduced by German physician Joseph Friedrich Sobernheim in 1837. However, the term has been confused with other cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Following admonition regarding the indiscriminate use of myocarditis as a diagnosis from authorities such as British cardiologist Sir Thomas Lewis and American cardiologist and a co-founder of the American Heart Association Paul White, myocarditis was under-diagnosed.Although myocarditis is clinically and pathologically clearly defined as "inflammation of the myocardium", its definition, classification, diagnosis, and treatment are subject to continued controversy, but endomyocardial biopsy has helped define the natural history of myocarditis and clarify clinicopathological correlations. See also
Viral cardiomyopathy
Eosinophilic myocarditis
Myopericarditis

References
External links

Myocarditis at eMedicine