Prednisone dosage depends on a patient's condition, medical history, and response to treatment. This steroid medication limits inflammation and acts to suppress immune responses. It can have severe side effects, and a doctor usually starts with a very low dose and increases it if necessary to find the optimal dosage where a patient benefits from it but experiences low side effects. Patients should not adjust their prednisone dosage without medical guidance.
Medical conditions that respond to prednisone each have their own dosage guidelines. Dosage usually starts around 5 milligrams per day and can increase to as much as 60. For acute inflammation, a doctor may prescribe a high starting dose to get the patient's condition under control, while more mild conditions may require a low dosage.
If the patient is taking other medications, these could interact with the prednisone and change dosage requirements. Patients with kidney and liver disease may need dosage adjustments, as may very old or young patients and patients who are unusually heavy or thin. A doctor may ask for a patient's weight to formulate an appropriate prednisone dosage and must consider how weight gain on prednisone might change dosage requirements.
Patients typically need to be on prednisone for several days before they start responding to the medication. The doctor may adjust the prednisone dosage if the patient responds, but not quickly enough for the doctor's liking. She can also keep the dosage consistent if the patient seems to be on track for recovery. Patients who need to take the drug in the long term to treat chronic diseases like asthma may need periodic prednisone dosage adjustments as their bodies adapt to the medication, and should see a doctor if their symptoms get worse.
When patients take prednisone, the adrenal gland responds to elevated concentrations of steroids and slows the rate of steroid production. If the patient abruptly stops taking the drug, the adrenal gland will not be able to produce enough to meet her needs. Thus, prednisone dosage also includes tapering at the end of a course of therapy. Tapering gives the adrenal gland a chance to recover and start producing its own steroids again, so it will be able to take over once the patient stops taking the medication altogether. Patients who have difficulty affording prednisone and worry about irregular doses can discuss drug assistance programs with their doctors.
