How does budesonide work?
Budesonide is a steroid (corticosteroid) medicine.
Steroids closely copy the effects of natural hormones produced in your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are next to your kidneys.
Budesonide works by calming down your immune system to reduce the symptoms of inflammatory conditions. It does not cure these conditions.
There are different types and brands of budesonide tablets, capsules and granules which are used for different conditions. The different types are designed so the budesonide reaches different places in your gut, liver or food pipe. Not much gets into the rest of your body.
When will I feel better?
Depending on why you're taking budesonide, you may start to feel better after a couple of weeks. But it can take a month or more to work fully.
Keep taking budesonide until your doctor tells you to stop or you have finished your course, even if you feel better.
Are there any long-term side effects?
Most people will not need to take budesonide for a long time as it's often just used to get symptoms under control.
Budesonide is different from some other steroids that are swallowed, like prednisolone. Prednisolone works throughout your whole body.
Budesonide tablets, capsules and granules work in the gut, liver or food pipe. Most of the budesonide is then quickly removed by your liver and does not reach the rest of your body. This means you're less likely to get side effects than with other steroid tablets.
But there is still a chance of long-term side effects if you take budesonide for a long time. These could include changes in your mood, problems with your adrenal glands, eyesight problems, weak bones (osteoporosis) and Cushing's syndrome.
Can I have vaccinations while taking budesonide?
If you need any vaccinations, let the doctor or nurse know that you're taking a steroid.
Some types of vaccine are known as live vaccines. These vaccines are not suitable while you're taking budesonide. This is because budesonide affects your immune system, so there's more chance of you getting an infection caused by a live vaccine.
Live vaccines include the BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine and the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.
Non-live vaccines are safe to have while you're taking betamethasone.
Non-live vaccines include the COVID-19 vaccine, the injected flu vaccine and the shingles vaccine.
Why do I need to be careful of infections?
Budesonide can sometimes affect your immune system so you're more likely to catch infections such as flu, the common cold and chest infections.
Keep away from people with an infectious illness, especially chickenpox, shingles or measles. If you've never had these illnesses before they could make you very ill.
Important
Tell your doctor straight away if you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox, shingles or measles. Your doctor may be able to prescribe a medicine to protect you.
Will I put on weight?
It's unlikely that taking budesonide will make you put on weight.
Some steroids may make you hungrier and retain water, so it can be hard to avoid putting on weight. But this is more likely if you take steroids for a long time.
Putting on weight while taking steroids could be a sign of Cushing's syndrome. So talk to you doctor if you put on weight while taking budesonide.
Do I need a steroid card?
Emergency steroid card
If you're taking steroid medicines such as budesonide your adrenal glands may not make as much of some of the hormones your body needs such as cortisol (known as the stress hormone). This is known as adrenal insufficiency.
It's more likely to happen if you take high doses for a long time (especially tablets and injections) or if you regularly use different kinds of steroids at the same time (such as a steroid nasal spray and a steroid inhaler).
Your doctor or pharmacist will assess your risk of adrenal insufficiency based on the type and dose of steroids you're taking, and may recommend that you carry an emergency steroid card (red card). The card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse.
Important
If you need any medical or dental treatment, or are having surgery or an invasive procedure, show your steroid emergency card to your doctor or dentist. This is important so they know you are having steroid treatment and can give you extra steroids as needed.
Blue steroid card
If you're taking budesonide for longer than 3 weeks, or you've been prescribed a high dose, your doctor or pharmacist will give you a blue steroid treatment card.
The card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse. It tells you how you can reduce the risks of side effects. It also gives details of your doctor, how much budesonide you take and how long the treatment will last.
Will it affect my contraception?
Budesonide does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.
But if you're having a flare-up of inflammatory bowel disease with diarrhoea, your contraceptive tablets might not protect you from pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options for you.
Find out more:
Can I drive or ride a bike?
If budesonide affects your eyesight in any way, do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery until your vision is back to normal.
It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking budesonide. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.
Can I drink alcohol while taking budesonide?
Yes, you can drink alcohol with budesonide.
But if you have inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you may find it better not to drink alcohol as it might make your symptoms worse.
Is there any food or drink I need to avoid?
Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you're taking budesonide. It can increase the amount of budesonide in your blood and increase the chance of side effects.
Otherwise, you can eat and drink normally while taking budesonide.
If you have inflammatory bowel disease you may need to avoid certain foods to help your symptoms.