Prednisone vs Hydrocortisone: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Prednisone | Hydrocortisone | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 499,794 | 88,710 |
| Serious | 79% | 82% |
| Death outcome | 52,153 | 11,614 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Prednisone | Hydrocortisone | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duodenal ulcer perforation | 4,860 · PRR 82.3 | 2,466 · PRR 119.8 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Secondary immunodeficiency | 420 · PRR 22.4 | 223 · PRR 54.2 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Pemphigus | 9,174 · PRR 119.7 | 2,770 · PRR 67.7 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Hand deformity | 7,949 · PRR 64.7 | 2,709 · PRR 61.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Helicobacter infection | 5,030 · PRR 40.4 | 2,454 · PRR 74.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Folliculitis | 4,563 · PRR 32.7 | 2,092 · PRR 59.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Muscle injury | 4,043 · PRR 40.2 | 1,781 · PRR 65.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rheumatic fever | 3,108 · PRR 104.3 | 1,890 · PRR 181.2 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Sleep disorder due to general medical condition, insomnia type | 3,038 · PRR 37.0 | 1,305 · PRR 60.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Facet joint syndrome | 1,801 · PRR 55.5 | 1,230 · PRR 151.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Peripheral venous disease | 1,457 · PRR 23.7 | 895 · PRR 68.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Deep vein thrombosis postoperative | 1,287 · PRR 80.1 | 947 · PRR 222.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Adjustment disorder with depressed mood | 1,072 · PRR 47.2 | 757 · PRR 142.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Dislocation of vertebra | 1,083 · PRR 39.3 | 728 · PRR 115.1 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Lupus vulgaris | 814 · PRR 91.1 | 553 · PRR 206.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Retinitis | 721 · PRR 31.4 | 427 · PRR 81.2 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Steroid dependence | 506 · PRR 61.4 | 219 · PRR 82.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Prednisone
- Nocardiosis — n=888, PRR 21.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Steroid diabetes — n=492, PRR 21.0 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Hydrocortisone
- Steroid withdrawal syndrome — n=250, PRR 76.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Adrenal suppression — n=148, PRR 50.2 Labeled (related wording)
- Topical steroid withdrawal reaction — n=146, PRR 145.5 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Prednisone or Hydrocortisone?
Prednisone has 499,794 FAERS reports and Hydrocortisone 88,710. 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 82%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Prednisone and Hydrocortisone share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for duodenal ulcer perforation, secondary immunodeficiency, pemphigus, hand deformity, helicobacter infection. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Prednisone or Hydrocortisone 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.