Prednisolone vs Methylprednisolone: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Prednisolone | Methylprednisolone | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 179,389 | 137,404 |
| Serious | 96% | 90% |
| Death outcome | 28,710 | 23,035 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Prednisolone | Methylprednisolone | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid diabetes | 373 · PRR 40.0 | 320 · PRR 42.7 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy | 526 · PRR 34.0 | 490 · PRR 40.6 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Adjustment disorder with depressed mood | 313 · PRR 21.3 | 368 · PRR 33.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Strongyloidiasis | 389 · PRR 36.7 | 285 · PRR 32.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Lupus vulgaris | 210 · PRR 24.9 | 331 · PRR 58.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Polyomavirus viraemia | 257 · PRR 40.3 | 174 · PRR 32.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Pulmonary nocardiosis | 224 · PRR 43.9 | 179 · PRR 42.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Mycobacterium chelonae infection | 164 · PRR 33.3 | 215 · PRR 62.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Delayed graft function | 134 · PRR 27.2 | 198 · PRR 59.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Prednisolone
- Nocardiosis — n=550, PRR 31.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Bk virus infection — n=535, PRR 22.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Varicella zoster virus infection — n=387, PRR 26.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Hepatitis e — n=378, PRR 36.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Jc virus infection — n=284, PRR 25.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Infection reactivation — n=207, PRR 25.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Epstein-barr virus infection reactivation — n=199, PRR 21.7 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Methylprednisolone
- Graft versus host disease in gastrointestinal tract — n=419, PRR 37.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Secondary immunodeficiency — n=274, PRR 45.3 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Prednisolone or Methylprednisolone?
Prednisolone has 179,389 FAERS reports and Methylprednisolone 137,404. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (96% vs 90%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Prednisolone and Methylprednisolone share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for steroid diabetes, polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, strongyloidiasis, lupus vulgaris. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Prednisolone or Methylprednisolone safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.