Prednisone vs Cortisone: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Prednisone | Cortisone | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | – |
| Brand names | – | Cortisone Acetate |
| FAERS reports | 499,794 | 12,273 |
| Serious | 79% | 96% |
| Death outcome | 52,153 | 3,750 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Prednisone | Cortisone | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duodenal ulcer perforation | 4,860 · PRR 82.3 | 3,437 · PRR 1,520.3 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Pemphigus | 9,174 · PRR 119.7 | 6,161 · PRR 1,699.2 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Glossodynia | 8,626 · PRR 25.9 | 5,549 · PRR 566.1 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Synovitis | 8,900 · PRR 40.3 | 4,441 · PRR 559.6 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Hand deformity | 7,949 · PRR 64.7 | 5,139 · PRR 1,113.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Pericarditis | 6,736 · PRR 28.0 | 4,474 · PRR 629.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Helicobacter infection | 5,030 · PRR 40.4 | 3,453 · PRR 880.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Folliculitis | 4,563 · PRR 32.7 | 2,393 · PRR 516.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Muscle injury | 4,043 · PRR 40.2 | 2,148 · PRR 608.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rheumatic fever | 3,108 · PRR 104.3 | 2,431 · PRR 2,177.6 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Sleep disorder due to general medical condition, insomnia type | 3,038 · PRR 37.0 | 1,503 · PRR 521.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Facet joint syndrome | 1,801 · PRR 55.5 | 1,354 · PRR 1,297.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Peripheral venous disease | 1,457 · PRR 23.7 | 951 · PRR 535.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Deep vein thrombosis postoperative | 1,287 · PRR 80.1 | 1,016 · PRR 1,860.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Adjustment disorder with depressed mood | 1,072 · PRR 47.2 | 635 · PRR 789.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Dislocation of vertebra | 1,083 · PRR 39.3 | 608 · PRR 645.1 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Lupus vulgaris | 814 · PRR 91.1 | 611 · PRR 1,825.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Retinitis | 721 · PRR 31.4 | 478 · PRR 688.4 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
Labeled signals distinctive to Prednisone
- Nocardiosis — n=888, PRR 21.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Steroid diabetes — n=492, PRR 21.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Secondary immunodeficiency — n=420, PRR 22.4 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Cortisone
- Wound — n=4,979, PRR 373.5 Labeled adverse reaction
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Prednisone or Cortisone?
Prednisone has 499,794 FAERS reports and Cortisone 12,273. 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 (79% vs 96%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Prednisone and Cortisone share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for duodenal ulcer perforation, pemphigus, glossodynia, synovitis, hand deformity. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Prednisone or Cortisone 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.