Apply this medication to the affected areas 3 to 4 times daily. If you are using the lotion, shake well before applying. If you are using the medication on skin near your eyes, take care to avoid getting it in your eyes.

Many things can affect the dose of a medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here,do not change the way that you are using the medication without consulting your doctor.

It is important to use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you miss a dose, apply it as soon as possible and continue with your regular schedule. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not apply a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Store this medication at room temperature and keep it out of the reach of children.

Do not dispose of medications in wastewater (e.g. down the sink or in the toilet) or in household garbage. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.

Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent. The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.

The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.

Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.

• burning, dryness, irritation, itching, or redness of skin
• skin rash

Although most of these side effects listed below don't happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not check with your doctor or seek medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

• blood-containing blisters on skin
• changes in skin colour
• excess hair growth
• increased skin sensitivity
• lack of healing of skin condition
• numbness in fingers
• pain when the medication is applied
• painful, red, or itchy pus-containing blisters in hair follicles
• raised, dark-red, wart-like spots on skin
• skin infection
• thinning of skin with easy bruising

Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

• symptoms of an allergic reaction (e.g., swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips, mouth, or throat; difficulty breathing or swallowing)

Some people may experience side effects other than those listed.Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Allergies or sensitization: Stop using this medication and call your doctor if irritation, allergic reaction, or sensitization occurs. Inform all health professionals involved in your care that you have been using corticosteroids.

Excessive use: Prolonged or excessive use of this product could produce effects similar to those seen after taking corticosteroids by mouth for prolonged periods of time (such as thin skin, easy bruising, and thin bones, or increased risk of infections). To minimize this possibility when long-term therapy is anticipated, your doctor may instruct you to periodically interrupt treatment.

Infected areas: Do not use this medication on infected lesions unless you are also using appropriate anti-infective medications as recommended by your doctor.

Pregnancy: This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while using this medication, contact your doctor immediately.

Breast-feeding: It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are using this medication, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.

Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children.

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Allergies or sensitization: Stop using this medication and call your doctor if irritation, allergic reaction, or sensitization occurs. Inform all health professionals involved in your care that you have been using corticosteroids.

Excessive use: Prolonged or excessive use of this product could produce effects similar to those seen after taking corticosteroids by mouth for prolonged periods of time (such as thin skin, easy bruising, and thin bones, or increased risk of infections). To minimize this possibility when long-term therapy is anticipated, your doctor may instruct you to periodically interrupt treatment.

Infected areas: Do not use this medication on infected lesions unless you are also using appropriate anti-infective medications as recommended by your doctor.

Pregnancy: This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while using this medication, contact your doctor immediately.

Breast-feeding: It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are using this medication, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.

Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children.

Take each dose with the first bite of each main meal.

Try to take PRECOSE at the same time each day to help you remember your doses.

Your dosage will be based on your medical condition, weight, and response to treatment.

Your doctor will probably start you on a lower dose of the drug and gradually increase it.

You will probably monitor your blood-sugar levels after meals and share the information with your doctor to decide on dosage changes.

The aim is to find the lowest effective dose with the fewest side effects.

Only people who weigh more than 132 pounds (60 kilograms) should take more than 50 milligrams (mg) per meal (150 mg per day).

The manufacturer recommends that no one exceed more than 300 milligrams (mg) per day of PRECOSE.

Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully when taking this medicine. Don't take more of the drug than is prescribed.

PRECOSE Overdose

If you suspect an overdose, you should contact a poison-control center or emergency room immediately.

Missed Dose of PRECOSE

If you miss a dose of PRECOSE, take it as soon as you remember.

If you plan on having a snack soon, take your dose with the snack.

If it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue on your regular dosing schedule. Don't double up on doses.

Common Side Effects of PRECOSE

Tell your doctor if any of the following side effects become severe or don't go away:

• Mild stomach pain, gas, or bloating
• Mild diarrhea
• Constipation
• Mild itching or skin rash

Serious Side Effects of PRECOSE

Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following serious side effects:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, which include hives; difficulty breathing; or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Severe itching
• Severe stomach pain
• Severe constipation
• Diarrhea that's watery or bloody
• Unusual bleeding
• Easy bruising
• Purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin
• Upper stomach pain, nausea, or loss of appetite
• Dark urine or clay-colored stools
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice)

Before taking PRECOSE, tell your doctor if you have or have ever had:

• An intestinal disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease or a bowel obstruction
• Cirrhosis of the liver or any other type of liver disease
• Any kind of stomach or digestion problem
• Ketoacidosis, a serious condition that occurs after an untreated high-blood-sugar (hyperglycemic) episode

Tell your healthcare provider that you're taking PRECOSE before having any type of surgery, including a dental procedure.

Regular sugar (sucrose) won't work if you use it to treat a low blood-sugar episode while taking PRECOSE.

In case you need to treat mild or moderate low blood sugar, be sure you always have an oral glucose (dextrose) tablet to take by mouth.

You should know the symptoms of a high (hyperglycemic) and low (hypoglycemic) blood-sugar episodes and what to do if you experience them.

Taken alone, PRECOSE is not expected to trigger a low blood-sugar event, but it might if taken with some other drugs.

Tell your physician if you experience illnesses, fevers, injuries, or unusual stress while taking PRECOSE, because these kinds of events can change your blood-sugar levels and may affect the dosage you need.

Avoid taking a digestive enzyme that can make it harder for your body to absorb PRECOSE, such as pancreatin, amylase, or lipase. Some of the products that contain these enzymes are:

• Arco-Lase
• Cotazym
• Donnazyme
• Pancrease
• Creon
• Ku-Zyme

Continue to take this medicine even if you feel well. Don't stop taking PRECOSE without first talking to your doctor.

Your physician will probably want to check your glucose levels often while you are on the drug. Keep all appointments with your healthcare provider and laboratory for tests.

Always wear a diabetic identification (ID) bracelet to be sure you get proper treatment in case of an emergency.

Pregnancy and PRECOSE

PRECOSE is an FDA Pregnancy Category B drug, which means it's not expected to harm an unborn baby.

However, there have not been adequate studies of PRECOSE in pregnant women, so you shouldn't take it unless you definitely need to.

You should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It's not known whether PRECOSE passes into breast milk or could harm a breastfeeding baby.

You shouldn't breastfeed while taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor.

PRECOSE and Weight Loss

PRECOSE may help people with diabetes lose weight, though the results of studies have been mixed.

Tell your doctor about all prescription, non-prescription, illegal, recreational, herbal, nutritional, or dietary drugs you're taking, especially the enzymes listed in the Warning section or any of the following:

• Any medications you take for diabetes and blood-sugar control
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Diuretics (water pills)
• Estrogens
• Isoniazid
• Medicines for high blood pressure or colds
• Medications to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Oral contraceptives
• Phenytoin (Dilantin)
• Thyroid medications
• Niacin
• Nicotine patches or gum
• Steroids
• Diet pills
• Vitamins

PRECOSE and Alcohol

Alcohol can affect your blood-sugar levels.

Talk to your doctor about consuming alcoholic beverages while taking this medicine.

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.

Wash your hands before using PRED MILD ophthalmic.

To apply the eye drops:

• Shake the bottle gently before each use to be sure the medicine is well mixed.
• Tilt your head back slightly and pull down your lower eyelid to create a small pocket. Hold the dropper above the eye with the dropper tip down. Look up and away from the dropper as you squeeze out a drop, then close your eye.
• Gently press your finger to the inside corner of the eye (near your nose) for about 1 minute to keep the liquid from draining into your tear duct. If you use more than one drop in the same eye, wait about 5 minutes before putting in the next drop.
• Use only the number of drops your doctor has prescribed.
• Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including the eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

If you still have pain or swelling after 2 days of treatment, stop using this medication and call your doctor.

Do not stop using PRED MILD ophthalmic suddenly after long-term use without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

If you use PRED MILD ophthalmic for longer than 10 days, your eyes will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the bottle or tube tightly capped. Do not allow this medicine to freeze.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

An overdose of PRED MILD ophthalmic is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.

Use the medication as soon as you remember the missed dose. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• pain behind your eyes, sudden vision changes, severe headache;
• sudden eye irritation;
• blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; or
• signs of new eye infection, such as swelling, draining, or crusting of your eyes.

Less serious side effects may include:

• temporary cloudy vision;
• increased sensitivity to light; or
• mild stinging, burning, itching, or irritation in your eyes.

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to prednisolone or other steroids, or if you have certain types of infection (viral, fungal, or bacterial) that can affect your eyes.

Before using PRED MILD ophthalmic, tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, herpes, or if you have recently had cataract surgery.

Do not use PRED MILD ophthalmic while you are wearing contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause discoloration. Wait at least 15 minutes after using PRED MILD before putting your contact lenses in.

Shake the eye drops gently before each use.

Do not allow the dropper tip to touch any surface, including the eyes or hands. If the dropper becomes contaminated it could cause an infection in your eye, which can lead to vision loss or serious damage to the eye.

If you still have pain or swelling after 2 days of treatment, stop using this medication and call your doctor. Do not stop using PRED MILD ophthalmic suddenly after long-term use without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to PRED MILD or other steroids, or if you have certain types of infection (viral, fungal, or bacterial) that can affect your eyes.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use PRED MILD ophthalmic:

• glaucoma;
• recent cataract surgery; or
• herpes simplex.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether PRED MILD ophthalmic is harmful to an unborn baby. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether PRED MILD ophthalmic passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not wear any contact lens that has not been approved by your doctor.

Do not use PRED MILD ophthalmic while you are wearing contact lenses. This medication may contain a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses and cause discoloration. Wait at least 15 minutes after using PRED MILD ophthalmic before putting your contact lenses in.

Do not use any other eye medications unless your doctor has prescribed them.

PRED MILD ophthalmic can cause side effects that may impair your vision. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to see clearly.

It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on PRED MILD used in the eyes. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.