Prednisone tablets and methylprednisolone are both short-acting glucocorticoid drugs, the main differences include pharmacological activity, half-life, active ingredients, strength of action and other aspects.
1. Pharmacological activity: there is a difference in the pharmacological activity of water-salt metabolism, glycation metabolism, anti-inflammatory effect, etc. Taking hydrocortisone as the standard, the ratio of water-salt metabolism, glycation metabolism and anti-inflammatory effect of prednisone is 0.8, 4.0 and 3.5 respectively, while the ratio of water-salt metabolism, glycation metabolism and anti-inflammatory effect of methylprednisolone is 0.5, 5.0 and 5.0 respectively.
2. Half-life: the half-life of prednisone is about 60 minutes, while the half-life of methylprednisolone is about 180 minutes.
3. Active ingredient: Prednisone needs to be metabolized by the liver to produce prednisolone in order to play a pharmacological role; Methylprednisolone can play a direct role.
4. Strength of action: methylprednisolone is stronger than prednisone, 5mg prednisone is equivalent to 4mg methylprednisolone.
When you need to use prednisone, methylprednisolone and other glucocorticoid drugs for treatment, it is recommended to apply under the guidance of a doctor.