methylprednisolone vs theophylline

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Side-by-side comparison of methylprednisolone and theophylline. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

major Known Drug Interaction

albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline,...

Drug Class
methylprednisolone Corticosteroid
theophylline Methylxanthine Bronchodilator
Type
methylprednisolone Prescription
theophylline Prescription
Summary
methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is a corticosteroid medicine. It reduces inflammation and affects the immune system.

theophylline

Theophylline is a medicine that helps you breathe easier. It treats the symptoms of asthma and other lung problems.

What It Treats
methylprednisolone

This medicine can treat many conditions. It can help with allergies, skin problems, and hormone imbalances. It can also help with gut and blood disorders.

theophylline

Theophylline treats the symptoms of long-term asthma and other lung diseases. These include emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which make it hard to breathe. This medicine helps to open up your airways so you can breathe easier.

How It Works
methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone reduces inflammation in the body. It also changes how your immune system works. This can help control symptoms of different diseases.

theophylline

Theophylline is a bronchodilator. It works by relaxing the muscles in your airways. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.

Common Side Effects
methylprednisolone

No common side effects listed.

theophylline
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
FAERS Reports
methylprednisolone
  • Fatigue 7,793
  • Pain 7,274
  • Nausea 7,213
  • Headache 7,058
  • Pyrexia 6,883
theophylline
  • Dyspnoea 2,273
  • Asthma 1,942
  • Pneumonia 1,318
  • Wheezing 1,306
  • Vomiting 1,101
Serious Warnings
methylprednisolone

This medicine is not for injection into the spine. This can cause serious medical problems. Do not take this medicine if you have a fungal infection, unless it's a localized joint condition.

theophylline

If your theophylline levels get too high in your blood, it can cause serious side effects. These include severe vomiting, irregular heartbeats, and seizures. These can be life-threatening.

Pregnancy
methylprednisolone

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

theophylline

It is not known if theophylline can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if theophylline passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This methylprednisolone vs theophylline Comparison

methylprednisolone is classified in the Corticosteroid drug class, while theophylline sits within the Methylxanthine Bronchodilator class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, methylprednisolone has 36,221 submissions while theophylline has 7,940. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to methylprednisolone can change the speed at which your body gets rid of theophylline. this can make the theophylline level in your blood unpredictable.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for methylprednisolone or theophylline.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.