Prednisone Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide

GoodRx Health

Prednisone belongs to a class of medications known as corticosteroids. The oral medication treats several health conditions, including asthma, eczema, autoimmune disorders, and more. It helps to calm down an overactive immune system and lower inflammation, keeping bothersome inflammatory symptoms under control.

To get the best results while limiting side effects, it's important to take the correct prednisone dosage. But recommended prednisone dosages vary widely based on factors like the condition being treated and a person's age and symptoms.

Here, we'll discuss possible prednisone dosages for adults and children.

What's the typical prednisone dosage for adults?

Prednisone is available as oral tablets that come in 1 mg, 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 50 mg doses. Prednisone also comes as an oral liquid (1 mg/mL).

There isn't one "typical" prednisone dosage for adults. Recommended dosages are based on the condition being treated, a person's symptoms, and other factors.

If you're taking prednisone to treat an acute condition or illness, you'll likely only need to take the medication for a few days or weeks. This is considered to be a short-term course. For chronic conditions, long-term use (30 days or longer) may be more appropriate.

Short-term use

Short-term prednisone dosages typically range from 5 mg to 60 mg per day, depending on the severity of symptoms. It's often taken once daily in the morning with food. Though, higher dosages may be split into 2 to 4 smaller doses taken throughout the day.

Prednisone can cause more intense side effects at higher dosages and shouldn't be stopped abruptly - especially when taken for 1 to 2 weeks or longer. Prescribers often recommend a tapering schedule for people who have taken the medication for 1 week or more. This is when a dosage is slowly lowered over time, usually a few days or weeks. Tapering helps prevent withdrawal symptoms, such as joint pain, dizziness, and upset stomach.

If you're taking prednisone for just a few days, a taper likely won't be necessary. You can safely stop taking it when your prescription runs out.

Tip: Prescription labels are limited in character count, and directions for tapering prednisone dosages can be difficult to fit into the allotted space. If you have any questions about tapering your dosage, ask your pharmacist for more information.

Long-term use

If your prescriber recommends taking prednisone for an extended period of time, you'll likely take a lower dosage than you would with short-term use. Prednisone is sometimes used on a long-term basis to treat chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, adrenal insufficiency, lupus, and more.

Prednisone dosages for long-term use generally range from 5 mg to 20 mg per day. Depending on your dosage, you may take one or several tablets at a time. If the time comes to stop long-term prednisone treatment, your prescriber will likely recommend a taper for safety purposes.

Another option for treatment is starting off with a relatively high dosage of prednisone and taking it for a few days or weeks. Then, you can work with your prescriber to taper your dosage down to the lowest effective dosage. Taking doses every other day is an option, too.

Good to know: Long-term corticosteroid use can come with side effects. Potential side effects of long-term prednisone use include bone loss, weight gain, and an increased risk of infection, among others.

What is considered a high dosage of prednisone?

A high dosage of prednisone is generally considered to be 40 mg or more per day. High dosages of prednisone are often used for short periods, such as during an allergic reaction, to control severe symptoms quickly.

What's the typical prednisone dosage for children?

Prednisone dosages for children have just as much variability as adult dosages. Children's prednisone dosages are carefully calculated by a healthcare professional and are based on body weight.

Short-term use

For short-term use, prednisone dosages in children typically range from 1 mg to 2 mg per kilogram of body weight daily. This means a child weighing 15 kg (33 lbs) would likely be prescribed 15 mg to 30 mg per day, depending on the condition being treated.

The calculated dose will likely be given 1 or 2 times daily. If your child can't swallow pills yet, they can use the liquid version instead. The liquid is quite bitter, but you can ask your pharmacist about ways to make it more palatable.

Your child's prescriber may or may not recommend a tapering schedule with short-term use. This will depend on your child's situation.

Long-term use

Long-term prednisone use is generally avoided in children when possible. This is because prednisone, like other corticosteroids, has the potential to cause growth suppression (stunted growth) with long-term use.

Your child's healthcare professional should monitor your child's growth every 6 months if they need to take prednisone for an extended period of time.

Are any dosage adjustments needed for prednisone?

In some cases, prednisone dosage adjustments are made because of people's age, symptoms, or medical conditions. These dosage adjustments are done to ensure the safe and effective use of prednisone.

Dosage adjustments for people with kidney or liver problems

Prednisone leaves your body through your kidneys. Kidney issues can affect how efficiently prednisone leaves your system as a result. What's more, prednisone can cause fluid to build up in your body, which can be problematic if you have compromised kidney function.

If you have kidney problems, your prescriber might start you with a lower prednisone dosage and then increase it based on how your body responds. However, this may not be necessary, especially if your kidney impairment is relatively mild.

Your liver is in charge of metabolizing prednisone. Your prescriber may start you with a lower prednisone dosage if you have select liver problems. This is done on a case-by-case basis to prevent side effects.

What happens if you miss a dose of prednisone?

If you realize you've missed a dose of prednisone before the end of the day, take it as soon as you remember. Don't take your dose too close to bedtime, though. Prednisone can sometimes cause trouble sleeping.

If it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one and take your next dose at the scheduled time. Don't take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose. This is true regardless of whether you're taking prednisone on a short- or long-term basis.

If you frequently miss your prednisone doses, consider setting an alarm or using a medication reminder app to help you remember to take your medication on time.

What should you do if you take too much prednisone?

If you think you've taken too much prednisone, contact your prescriber right away - even if you don't feel differently. They can walk you through any necessary next steps. If you can't reach your prescriber, you can also contact Poison Control online or at 1-800-222-1222.

Taking too much prednisone can cause new or worsening side effects such as:

• Tiredness or weakness

• Nervousness

• Stomach upset

• Heart rhythm changes

• Increased blood pressure

• Lower leg swelling

• Confusion or hallucinations

• Hearing changes

• Mood changes

Call 911 or go to the nearest ER if you're experiencing side effects that feel severe or life-threatening.

How to save on prednisone

There are ways to save on prednisone, which is widely available as a generic medication. For example, GoodRx may be able to help you save over 60% off the average retail price of generic prednisone. At certain pharmacies, the price for 10 tablets of generic prednisone may be as low as $4.63with a free GoodRx coupon.

Keep in mind that prednisone prices vary depending on the form of the medication you need. Your prescribed dosage and the quantity you fill will also make a difference. For instance, a generic prednisone dose pack (21 tablets) may cost as low as $12.89with a free GoodRx coupon. And 50 mL of the generic 1 mg/mL oral liquid may cost as low as $15.43.

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