Entocort EC
Entocort Side Effects Center
Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
Entocort EC (budesonide) is used to treat mild to moderate Crohn's disease. It is a steroid. This medication is available in generic form. Common side effects include nausea, heartburn, and headache.
The recommended adult dosage of Entocort EC for the treatment of mild to moderate active Crohn's disease involving the ileum and/or the ascending colon is 9 mg orally taken once daily in the morning for up to 8 weeks. Following an 8 week course(s) of treatment and once the patient's symptoms are controlled 6 mg orally is recommended once daily for maintenance of clinical remission up to 3 months. Entocort EC may interact with ketoconazole (Nizoral). Other drugs may interact with Entocort EC. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you use. During pregnancy, Entocort EC should be used only when prescribed. Infants born to mothers who have used corticosteroids for a long time may have hormone problems. Tell your doctor if you notice persistent nausea/vomiting, severe diarrhea, or weakness. This drug passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects in a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Our Entocort EC (budesonide) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is Patient Information in Detail?
Easy-to-read and understand detailed drug information and pill images for the patient or caregiver from Cerner Multum.
Entocort in Detail - Patient Information: Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist);
- increased blood pressure (severe headache, fast or uneven heart rate, blurred vision); or
- general ill feeling with headache, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting.
Less serious side effects may include:
- thinning of the skin, easy bruising;
- headache;
- runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat;
- muscle pain;
- mild nausea, stomach pain, indigestion;
- mild skin rash; or
- changes in your menstrual periods.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Read the entire detailed patient monograph for Entocort (Budesonide) »
What is Patient Information Overview?
A concise overview of the drug for the patient or caregiver from First DataBank.
Entocort Overview - Patient Information: Side Effects
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Because this drug works by weakening the immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. This may make you more likely to get a serious (rarely fatal) infection or make any infection you have worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you have any signs of infection (such as cough, sore throat, fever, chills). Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a yeast infection. Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth or a change in vaginal discharge.
Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but serious side effects occur: unusual tiredness, vision problems, easy bruising/bleeding, puffy face, unusual hair growth, mental/mood changes (such as depression, mood swings, agitation), muscle weakness/pain, thinning skin, slow wound healing.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Read the entire patient information overview for Entocort (Budesonide)»
What is Prescribing information?
The FDA package insert formatted in easy-to-find categories for health professionals and clinicians.
Entocort FDA Prescribing Information: Side Effects
(Adverse Reactions)
SIDE EFFECTS
Systemic glucocorticosteroid use may result in the following:
- Hypercorticism and Adrenal Suppression [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Symptoms of steroid withdrawal in those patients transferring from Systemic Glucocorticosteroid Therapy [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Immunosuppression [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Increased Systemic Glucocorticosteroid Susceptibilty [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Other Glucocorticosteroid Effects [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice
The safety of ENTOCORT EC was evaluated in 651 patients in five short-term, active disease state studies. They ranged in age from 17 to 74 (mean 35), 40% were male and 97% were white, 2.6% were greater than or equal to 65 years of age. Five hundred and twenty patients were treated with ENTOCORT EC 9 mg (total daily dose). The most common adverse reactions reported were headache, respiratory infection, nausea, and symptoms of hypercorticism. Clinical studies have shown that the frequency of glucocorticosteroidassociated adverse reactions was substantially reduced with ENTOCORT EC capsules compared with prednisolone at therapeutically equivalent doses. Adverse reactions occurring in greater than or equal to 5% of the patients are listed in Table 1:
Table 1 : Adverse Reactions Occurring in greater than or
equal to 5% of the Patients in any treated group
| Adverse Reaction | ENTOCORT EC 9 mg n=520 Number (%) |
Placebo n=107 Number (%) |
Prednisolone 40 mg n=145 Number (%) |
Comparator* n=88 Number (%) |
| Headache | 107(21) | 19(18) | 31(21) | 11(13) |
| Respiratory Infection | 55 (11) | 7(7) | 20(14) | 5(6) |
| Nausea | 57(11) | 10(9) | 18(12) | 7(8) |
| Back Pain | 36(7) | 10(9) | 17(12) | 5(6) |
| Dyspepsia | 31(6) | 4(4) | 17(12) | 3(3) |
| Dizziness | 38(7) | 5(5) | 18(12) | 5(6) |
| Abdominal Pain | 32(6) | 18(17) | 6(4) | 10(11) |
| Flatulence | 30(6) | 6(6) | 12(8) | 5(6) |
| Vomiting | 29(6) | 6(6) | 6(4) | 6(7) |
| Fatigue | 25(5) | 8(7) | 11(8) | 0(0) |
| Pain | 24(5) | 8(7) | 17(12) | 2(2) |
| *This drug is not approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease in the United States. | ||||
The safety of ENTOCORT EC was evaluated in 233 patients in four long-term clinical trials (52 weeks). A total of 145 patients were treated with ENTOCORT EC 6 mg. A total of 8% of ENTOCORT EC patients discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions compared with 10% in the placebo group. The adverse reaction profile in long-term treatment of Crohn's disease was similar to that of short-term treatment with ENTOCORT EC 9 mg in active Crohn's disease.
In the long-term clinical trials, the following adverse reactions occurred in greater than or equal to 5% of the 6 mg ENTOCORT EC patients and are not listed in (Table 1) or by body system below: diarrhea (10%); sinusitis (8%); infection viral (6%); and arthralgia (5%).
Adverse reactions, occurring in patients treated with ENTOCORT EC 9 mg (total daily dose) in short-term active disease state studies and/or ENTOCORT EC 6 mg (total daily dose) long-term, with an incidence less than 5% and greater than placebo are listed below by system organ class:
Blood and lymphatic system disorders: leukocytosis
Cardiac disorders: palpitation, tachycardia, Eye disorders: eye abnormality, vision abnormal
General disorders and administration site conditions: asthenia, chest pain, dependent edema, face edema, flu-like disorder, malaise, fever
Gastrointestinal disorders: anus disorder, Crohn's disease aggravated, enteritis, epigastric pain, gastrointestinal fistula, glossitis, hemorrhoids, intestinal obstruction, tongue edema, tooth disorder
Infections and infestations: Ear infection-not otherwise specified, bronchitis, abscess, rhinitis, urinary tract infection, thrush
Investigations: c-reactive protein increased, weight increased
Metabolism and nutrition disorders: appetite increased, hypokalemia
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: arthritis, cramps, myalgia
Nervous system disorders: hyperkinesia, parasthesia, tremor, vertigo, dizziness, somnolence, amnesia
Psychiatric disorders: agitation, confusion, insomnia, nervousness, sleep disorder
Renal and urinary disorders: dysuria, micturition frequency, nocturia
Reproductive system and breast disorders: intermenstrual bleeding, menstrual disorder
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: dyspnea, pharynx disorder
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: acne, alopecia, dermatitis, eczema, skin disorder, sweating increased, purpura
Vascular disorders: flushing, hypertension
Table 2 displays the frequency and incidence of signs/symptoms of hypercorticism by active questioning of patients in short-term clinical trials.
Table 2 : Summary and Incidence of Signs/Symptoms of Hypercorticism
in Short-Term Studies
| Signs/Symptom | ENTOCORT EC 9 mg n=427 Number (%) |
Placebo n=107 Number (%) |
Prednisolone Taper 40 mg n=145 Number (%) |
| Acne | 63 (15) | 14 (13) | 33 (23) * |
| Bruising Easily | 63 (15) | 12 (11) | 13 (9) |
| Moon Face | 46 (11) | 4 (4) | 53 (37) * |
| Swollen Ankles | 32 (7) | 6 (6) | 13 (9) |
| Hirsutism† | 22 (5) | 2 (2) | 5 (3) |
| Buffalo Hump | 6 (1) | 2 (2) | 5 (3) |
| Skin Striae | 4 (1) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) |
| * Statistically significantly different from
ENTOCORT EC 9 mg † Adverse reaction dictionary included term hair growth increased, local and hair growth increased, general. |
|||
Table 3 displays the frequency and incidence of signs/symptoms of hypercorticism by active questioning of patients in long-term clinical trials.
Table 3 : Summary and Incidence of Symptoms of Hypercorticism
in Long-Term Studies
| Signs/Symptom | ENTOCORT EC 3 mg n=88 Number (%) |
ENTOCORT EC 6 mg n=145 Number (%) |
Placebo n=143 Number (%) |
| Bruising easily | 4 (5) | 15 (10) | 5 (4) |
| Acne | 4 (5) | 14(10) | 3 (2) |
| Moon face | 3 (3) | 6 (4) | 0 |
| Hirsutism | 2 (2) | 5 (3) | 1 (1) |
| Swollen ankles | 2 (2) | 3(2) | 3(2) |
| Buffalo hump | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 0 |
| Skin striae | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 |
The incidence of signs/symptoms of hypercorticism as described above in long-term clinical trials was similar to that seen in the short-term clinical trials.
A randomized, open, parallel-group multicenter safety study specifically compared the effect of ENTOCORT EC (less than 9 mg per day) and prednisolone (less than 40 mg per day) on bone mineral density over 2 years when used at doses adjusted to disease severity. Bone mineral density decreased significantly less with ENTOCORT EC than with prednisolone in steroid-naïve patients, whereas no difference could be detected between treatment groups for steroid-dependent patients and previous steroid users. The incidence of symptoms associated with hypercorticism was significantly higher with prednisolone treatment.
Clinical Laboratory Test Findings
The following potentially clinically significant laboratory changes in clinical trials, irrespective of relationship to ENTOCORT EC, were reported in greater than or equal to 1% of patients: hypokalemia, leukocytosis, anemia, hematuria, pyuria, erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased, alkaline phosphatase increased, atypical neutrophils, C-reactive protein increased, and adrenal insufficiency.
Postmarketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been reported during post-approval use of ENTOCORT EC. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Immune System Disorders: Anaphylactic reactions
Nervous System Disorders: Benign intracranial hypertension
Psychiatric Disorders: Mood swings
Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Entocort (Budesonide) »
Additional Entocort EC Information
Entocort EC - User Reviews
Entocort EC User Reviews
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