CME

DRUG MONOGRAPH

Prednisone
Drug Classes: Corticosteroid, Immune Suppressant,
Endocrine-Metabolic Agent, Immunological
Agent, Adrenal Glucocorticoid

Routes: oral

Topic Tools

< Previous Next >

Topic Menu

Dosing/Administration

Adult Dosing

● Important Note

⚬ This drug has one or more orphan drug designations,

which may include approval or withdrawal of status.
Access citation for FDA Orphan Drug Information 3 .

● General Dosage Information

⚬ (Switching to predniSONE delayed-release) Patients

receiving predniSONE immediate-release, predniso-
LONE, or methylPREDNISolone may be switched to
predniSONE delayed-release at an equivalent dose
based on relative potency. Delayed-release tablets re-
lease the active substance about 4 hours after admin-
istration 4 .

⚬ (Dosage equivalents of steroids) PredniSONE 5 mg de-

layed-release tablets are equivalent to betametha-
sone 0.75 mg, cortisone 25 mg, dexamethasone 0.75
mg, hydrocortisone 20 mg, methylPREDNISolone 4
mg, paramethasone 2 mg, prednisoLONE 5 mg, and
triamcinolone 4 mg 5

● Adrenal insu!ciency

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Alcoholic hepatitis, Severe disease

⚬ PrednisoLONE 40 mg/day or equivalent orally for 4

weeks. Consider discontinuation if no response at 7
days (discontinuation recommended if Lille score 0.45
or greater) (guideline dosage) 7

⚬ Concomitant medication, use with or without IV N-

acetylcysteine (guideline dosage) 7

● Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● Allergic condition (Severe), Intractable to adequate trials

of conventional treatment
⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Arthropathy - Pulmonary histoplasmosis, acute

⚬ 0.5 to 1 mg/kg daily (maximum 80 mg daily) in taper-

ing doses over 1 to 2 weeks (guideline dosing) 8

● Aspiration pneumonitis

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response 4 , 9 ; delayed-release tablets re-
lease the active substance about 4 hours after admin-
istration 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 , 9 .

● Asthma

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response (FDA dosage) 4 , 9 ; delayed-release
tablets release the active substance about 4 hours af-
ter administration 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time (FDA dosage) 4 , 9 .

⚬ (Moderate and severe exacerbation) 40 to 80 mg/day

orally in 1 or 2 divided doses until peak expiratory
"ow rate reaches 70% of predicted or personal best;
outpatient burst, 40 to 60 mg ORALLY in 1 or 2 divided
doses for a total of 3 to 10 days (guideline dosage) 10

⚬ (Long-term therapy) 7.5 to 60 mg orally daily in the

morning or every other day as needed for control of
asthma (guideline dosage) 10

● Bell's palsy

⚬ 1 mg/kg orally once daily or in 2 equally divided doses

for 5 to 10 days with gradual taper over 5 to 6 days,
plus arti#cial tears during the day as well as oil-based
eye ointment before sleep (o$-label dosage) 11 , 12

● Berylliosis

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response 9

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 9 .

● Carcinoma of breast

⚬ Optimal dosing and timing not yet de#ned

● Cerebral edema, Associated with brain tumor, cranioto-

my, head injury
⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5

● Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting;

Prophylaxis
⚬ Optimal dosing and timing not yet de#ned

● Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Exacerbation

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; tablets release the active substance
about 4 hours after administration (FDA dosage) 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time (FDA dosage) 4 .

⚬ Prevention of exacerbation in patients presenting to

emergency department with acute COPD exacerba-
tion: MethylPREDNISolone 40 mg IV on day 1, then
predniSONE 40 mg orally daily on days 2 to 5 (5-day
course) was noninferior to the 14-day course (o$-label
dosage) 13

● Cluster headache; Prophylaxis

⚬ Initial, 60 to 100 mg orally taken as a single dose in

the morning for 5 days, then taper by 10 mg every 4
to 5 days; cluster headaches may recur when 10 to 20
mg/day is reached, and dosage may be increased
again; gastroprotective medication should be admin-
istered concurrently (guideline dosage) 14

● Collagen disease

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily; dose should be individu-

alized until an appropriate response is achieved and
then decreased in small decrements until the lowest
maintenance dose that maintains a favorable re-
sponse is found 5 , 6

● Community acquired pneumonia; Adjunct

⚬ 40 to 50 mg orally/day for 5 to 10 days (o$-label

dosage) 15

● Crohn's disease

⚬ Dosage requirements are variable and should be indi-

vidualized based on severity of disease and patient re-
sponse (FDA dosage) 9 , 4

⚬ (Immediate-release tablets or oral solution) Initial, 5 to

60 mg orally daily in the morning before 9 AM; admin-
ister before, during, or immediately after meals or
with food or milk (FDA dosage) 9

⚬ (Delayed-release tablet) Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily;

active substance begins releasing approximately 4
hours after intake; exogenous corticosteroids sup-
press adrenocorticoid activity the least when adminis-
tered at time of maximal activity of the adrenal cortex,
which is between 2 and 8 AM (FDA dosage) 4

⚬ Dosage tapering: After a favorable response is

achieved, decrease the initial dosage in small decre-
ments at appropriate time intervals until the lowest
dosage that maintains an adequate clinical response
is reached (FDA dosage) 9 , 4

⚬ (Immediate-release tablets or oral solution) Concomi-

tant medication: With large doses, administration of
antacids between meals may help prevent peptic ul-
cers (FDA dosage) 9

⚬ Usual dosage range with active disease, 40 to 60 mg

orally daily for 1 to 2 weeks; MAX 60 mg/day; taper at
5 mg weekly until dosage of 20 mg is reached, then
reduce by 2.5 to 5 mg weekly; tapers should generally
not exceed 3 months (guideline dosage) 16

● Disorder of endocrine system

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Disorder of eye

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Disorder of hematopoietic structure

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 17

● Disorder of skin

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on severity; main-

tain or adjust initial dosage to achieve desired re-
sponse 18 , 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 18 , 4 .

● Exacerbation of multiple sclerosis, Acute

⚬ (delayed-release) 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary

dose depending on patient response 5 , 6

⚬ (Deltasone(R)) ORAL, 200 mg/day for 1 week, followed

by 80 mg every other day for 1 month 19

● Extrinsic allergic alveolitis

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● Fever, Due to malignancy

⚬ Optimal dosing and timing not yet de#ned

● Gout, acute, Short-term to tide patient over acute

episode or exacerbation; Adjunct
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg/day orally; vary dose depending on

patient response (FDA dosage) 5 , 6

⚬ 0.5 mg/kg/day or more orally for 5 to 10 days and

then discontinued, or alternatively, 2 to 5 days at full
dose, followed by a 7- to 10-day taper and then dis-
continued (guideline dosage) 20

● Graft versus host disease

⚬ Standard dosage, initial: 1 to 2 mg/kg/day orally; 2

mg/kg/day with a rapid taper for patients with grade
IIb or higher manifestations (o$-label dosage) 21

⚬ Lower dosage (mild to moderately severe symptoms),

initial: 0.5 mg/kg/day orally (o$-label dosage) 21

● Granulomatosis with polyangiitis

⚬ Active severe disease: Initiate reduced-dose regimen

for remission induction after initial pulse IV glucocorti-
coids (guideline dosage) 22 , 23 .

⚬ (Less than 50 kg) Reduced-dose regimen: Initial, 50

mg/day orally for 1 week then follow taper schedule
(guideline dosage) 22

⚬ (50 to 75 kg) Reduced-dose regimen: Initial, 60 mg/day

orally for 1 week then follow taper schedule (guideline
dosage) 22

⚬ (Greater than 75 kg) Reduced-dose regimen: Initial, 75

mg/day orally for 1 week then follow taper schedule
(guideline dosage) 22

⚬ Dosage taper, reduced-dose regimen: Reduce dosage

by approximately 50% in the second week; reduce
dosage by 5 mg every 2 weeks in the third to sixth
weeks; reduce dosage by 1 to 2.5 mg every 2 weeks to
reach 5 mg/day at 15th week (guideline dosage) 22

● Hodgkin's disease

⚬ 40 mg/m(2)/day ORALLY on days 1 through 14 as part

of the MOPP/ABV regimen 24 , 25

● Hypercalcemia of malignancy

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Hyperemesis gravidarum, Refractory

⚬ MethylPREDNISolone 125 mg IV once, followed by oral

predniSONE 40 mg on day 1, followed by 20 mg for 3
days, 10 mg for 3 days, and 5 mg for 7 days was used
in a study (o$-label dosage) 26 .

⚬ (Greater than 10 weeks gestation) If vomiting recurs

during taper, stop taper and continue on least e$ec-
tive dosage. Limit total duration of corticosteroid
treatment to 6 weeks (guideline dosage) 27 .

⚬ (Greater than 10 weeks gestation) Concomitant med-

ications, use in combination with standard treatment
including antiemetics and IV "uids (guideline dosage)
27

● Idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● Idiopathic pulmonary #brosis

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● IgA nephropathy

⚬ 1 mg/kg/day orally for 2 months (MAX 75 mg daily);

taper by 0.2 mg/kg/month for a total duration of 6
months (guideline dosage) 28

● Immune thrombocytopenia

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● In"ammatory disorder of musculoskeletal system, Dur-

ing exacerbation or as maintenance therapy; Adjunct
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg/day orally; vary dose depending on

patient response 5 , 6

● Intracranial tumor, Primary

⚬ Optimal dosing and timing not yet established

● Leukemia, Palliative therapy

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 17

● Liver transplant rejection; Prophylaxis

⚬ MethylPREDNISolone 500 or 1000 mg IV intraopera-

tively, followed by a switch to oral prednisoLONE or
predniSONE when appropriate. Taper predniSONE or
prednisoLONE until discontinuation at 3 to 6 months
post-transplant (o$-label dosage) 29 , 30

● Lung transplant rejection; Prophylaxis

⚬ Conversion from methyPREDNISolone to predniSONE

20 mg/day on postoperative day 6, with further reduc-
tion in 2.5- to 5-mg decrements after 3 months in the
absence of rejection, was used in combination with
tacrolimus (target 12-hour trough level, 10 to 15
nanograms (ng)/mL during the #rst year) and either
mycophenolate mofetil (2 g/day) or azathioprine (2
mg/kg/day). Some patients were converted from my-
cophenolate mofetil or azathioprine to sirolimus 2
mg/day (target trough level, 6 to 11 ng/mL) at 1 year
posttransplant along with a tacrolimus dosage reduc-
tion to target trough level of 4 to 7 ng/mL. Patients re-
maining on the original regimen had a tacrolimus tar-
get 12-hour trough level of 9 to 12 ng/mL after the
#rst year (o$-label dosage) 31 .

⚬ PredniSONE tapered to 10 mg/day or less by 3

months posttransplant in combination with
tacrolimus (target trough level, 5 to 15 ng/mL) and
azathioprine (2 mg/kg daily dose adjusted for
leukopenia), with or without a switch from azathio-
prine to sirolimus (target trough level, 5 to 15 ng/mL)
at 90 days posttransplant (o$-label dosage) 32 .

⚬ Mild or moderate renal dysfunction: A predniSONE

equivalent of 0.2 mg/kg or less was used in a triple
therapy regimen with standard CNI doses (target
tacrolimus trough level, greater than 5 ng/mL) in com-
bination with mycophenolate mofetil, mycophenolate
sodium, or azathioprine. At 3 to 18 months after
transplantation, some patients were randomized to a
quadruple low CNI arm and received a predniSONE
equivalent of 0.15 mg/kg or less in combination with
everolimus (target trough level, 3 to 5 ng/mL), a re-
duced dose of tacrolimus (target trough level, 3 to 5
ng/mL), and either mycophenolic acid or azathioprine
(o$-label dosage) 33 .

● Mediastinal lymphadenopathy - Pulmonary histoplasmo-

sis, acute
⚬ 0.5 to 1 mg/kg daily (maximum 80 mg daily) in taper-

ing doses over 1 to 2 weeks (guideline dosing) 8

● Multiple myeloma

⚬ Optimal dosing and timing not yet de#ned

● Mycosis fungoides

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Neoplastic disease

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 17

● Nephrotic syndrome

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

⚬ 100 mg ORALLY daily on days 1 through 5 as part of

the CHOP regimen; administer every 21 days

● Obliterative bronchiolitis, Idiopathic, with organizing

pneumonia
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and
severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● Pemphigus

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on severity; main-

tain or adjust initial dosage to achieve desired re-
sponse (FDA dosage) 18 , 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time (FDA dosage) 18 , 4 .

⚬ Initial, 0.5 to 1.5 mg/kg/day orally (guideline dosage)

34

⚬ Maintenance, taper dosage once disease control is

achieved or at the end of the consolidation phase (no
new lesions for at least 2 weeks and 80% of lesions
have healed). To taper, decrease dose by 25% every 2
weeks until 20 mg/day is reached, then decrease by
2.5 mg per week until 10 mg/day is reached, then de-
crease by 1 mg/day thereafter. If more than 3 lesions
reappear during tapering, go back to the last dose. If
relapse occurs, increase dose to the second-to-last
dose until lesions are under control within 2 weeks,
and then begin taper again; go back to initial dosage if
disease control is not achieved with this method. Min-
imal therapy is considered to be 10 mg/day or less
with or without minimal adjuvant therapy for at least
2 months. Treat with the lowest dose for the shortest
duration possible (guideline dosage) 34

⚬ Concomitant medications, may use in combination

with an immunosuppressant (guideline dosage) 34

⚬ Discontinuation, consider in patients with complete

remission on minimal therapy (ie, predniSONE 10
mg/day or less) (guideline dosage) 34

● Pericarditis - Pulmonary histoplasmosis, acute

⚬ 0.5 to 1 mg/kg daily (maximum 80 mg daily) in taper-

ing doses over 1 to 2 weeks (guideline dosing) 8

● Pneumocystis pneumonia, With hypoxemia; in HIV posi-

tive patients receiving anti-PCP antibiotics
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and
severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response; delayed-release tablets release the
active substance about 4 hours after administration
4.

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 .

● Pneumocystis pneumonia (Moderate to Severe); Adjunct

⚬ ORAL, 40 mg 2 times a day on days 1 to 5, 40 mg once

a day on days 6 to 10, 20 mg once a day on days 11 to
21; begin as early as possible and within 72 hours of
PCP therapy 35

● Polyarteritis nodosa

⚬ High dose, 1 mg/kg/day orally (generally up to 80

mg/day) or equivalent (guideline dosage) 36

⚬ Moderate dose, 0.25 to 0.5 mg/kg/day orally (general-

ly 10 to 40 mg/day) or equivalent (guideline dosage)
36

⚬ Low dose, 10 mg day or less orally (guideline dosage)

36

⚬ Duration of therapy, should be guided by the patient’s

clinical condition, values, and preferences, since the
optimal duration of glucocorticoid therapy for pol-
yarteritis nodosa (eg, tapering o$ by 6 months or
longer than 6 months) is not well established (guide-
line dosage) 36 .

● Polymyositis

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Prostate cancer

⚬ predniSONE 5 mg ORALLY twice daily continuously

with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) IV over 1 hour every 3
weeks 37

● Renal transplant rejection

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5

● Rheumatoid arthritis; Adjunct

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg/day orally; dose may vary depend-

ing on patient response (FDA dosage) 5 , 6

⚬ Bridging therapy, moderate to high disease activity: 10

mg/day or less orally added at initiation of disease-
modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy; use
at lowest dose and for shortest duration (ie, less than
3 months) possible (guideline dosage) 38

⚬ Adjunct, moderate to high disease activity: 10 mg/day

or less orally added to DMARD or biologic agent; use
lowest possible dose for shortest duration (guideline
dosage) 38

⚬ Disease "are: Use lowest possible dose for shortest

duration (ie, less than 3 months) (guideline dosage)
38

● Sarcoidosis, Symptomatic

⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and

severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response 4 , 9 ; delayed-release tablets re-
lease the active substance about 4 hours after admin-
istration (FDA dosage) 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time (FDA dosage) 4 , 9 .

⚬ Initial, 20 mg orally once daily followed by 5 to 10 mg

orally once daily or once every other day (guideline
dosage) 39

⚬ Cardiac sarcoidosis: Base dosage on imaging studies

and clinical #ndings; many patients require long-term
treatment (guideline dosage) 40

⚬ Pulmonary sarcoidosis in symptomatic patients with

parenchymal in#ltrates and abnormal pulmonary
functions tests: Initial, 20 to 40 mg orally daily for 2 to
6 weeks, then tapered by 2.5 to 10 mg/day monthly
over 6 to 18 months until discontinuation; mainte-
nance with 5 to 10 mg daily or every other day may be
required to maintain remission (o$-label dosage) 41

● Simple pulmonary eosinophilia, Not manageable by oth-

er means
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and
severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response 9

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 9 .

● Sjögren's syndrome

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Sweet's syndrome

⚬ 0.5 to 42 1 mg/kg/day orally (usually between 30 and

60 mg/day) as a single morning dose. Taper dose

within 4 to 6 weeks to 10 mg/day for most patients,
although some may require 2 to 3 months of therapy
or IV corticosteroid treatment (o$-label dosage) 43

● Temporal arteritis

⚬ High dose, 1 mg/kg orally daily up to 80 mg/day is

suggested to achieve rapid disease control (guideline
dosage) 44

⚬ Moderate dose, 10 to 40 mg/day OR 0.5 mg/kg/day

orally may be considered in patients at high risk of
glucocorticoid toxicity or in those who have a low risk
for vision loss or other disease-related complications.
Supporting evidence is limited (guideline dosage) 44

⚬ Concomitant treatment, may be given in combination

with tocilizumab or methotrexate, or as monotherapy,
depending on patient condition and preferences, as
well as provider experience. Abatacept has also been
used in combination with glucocorticoids (guideline
dosage) 44

⚬ Duration, taper glucocorticoids over weeks to months

following disease remission and according to individ-
ual patient response and preferences; avoid pro-
longed high-dose exposure to glucocorticoids (guide-
line dosage) 44

● Thyroid eye disease, In radioactive iodine-treated pa-

tients at risk of progression or de novo development;
Prophylaxis
⚬ Low risk: Initial, 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg body weight orally
daily, then tapered and withdrawn after 6 weeks
(guideline dosage) 45

⚬ High risk: Initial, 0.3 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight orally

daily, then tapered and withdrawn after 3 months
(guideline dosage) 45

● Thyroid eye disease (Moderate to Severe), Active

⚬ Initial, 1 mg/kg body weight orally daily (or initial #xed

dose of 100 mg/day); taper gradually by 5 to 10 mg
each week until withdrawal for treatment duration of
4 to 6 months (guideline dosage) 45

⚬ Concomitant medication/procedure: May use in com-

bination with non-steroidal immunosuppressive
agents (eg, cycloSPORINE, azathioprine) or orbital ra-
diotherapy (guideline dosage) 45

● Transplantation of heart

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5

● Trichinosis, With neurologic or myocardial involvement

⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Tuberculosis, Fulminating or disseminated TB; used con-

comitantly with antituberculosis chemotherapy
⚬ Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily based on disease and
severity; maintain or adjust initial dosage to achieve
desired response 4 , 9 ; delayed-release tablets re-
lease the active substance about 4 hours after admin-
istration 4

⚬ Maintenance, decrease dosage in small decrements at

appropriate time intervals to the lowest dosage possi-
ble to achieve clinical response; discontinue therapy if
satisfactory response not achieved in a reasonable
amount of time 4 , 9 .

● Tuberculosis of meninges, With subarachnoid block or

impending block; concurrent use with antituberculosis
therapy; Adjunct
⚬ 5 to 60 mg/day ORALLY initially, vary dose depending

on patient response 5 , 6

● Ulcerative colitis

⚬ Dosage requirements are variable and should be indi-

vidualized based on severity of disease and patient re-
sponse (FDA dosage) 9 , 4

⚬ (Immediate-release tablets or oral solution) Initial, 5 to

60 mg orally daily in the morning before 9 AM; admin-
ister before, during, or immediately after meals or
with food or milk (FDA dosage) 9

⚬ (Delayed-release tablet) Initial, 5 to 60 mg orally daily;

active substance begins releasing approximately 4
hours after intake; exogenous corticosteroids sup-
press adrenocorticoid activity the least when adminis-
tered at time of maximal activity of the adrenal cortex,
which is between 2 and 8 AM (FDA dosage) 4

⚬ Dosage tapering: After a favorable response is

achieved, decrease the initial dosage in small decre-
Find In Topic
ments at appropriate time intervals until the lowest
: