Steroidal meds – especially, those pertaining to a sub-genre called corticosteroids – are administered to treat numerous kinds of discomforts and allergies. Prednisone is a commonly prescribed steroidal med, and is a corticosteroid. It is administered for treating pain in joints, problems associated with your immunity cells, rashes or inflammation of skin, incidence of allergic reactions, etc. The essential ingredients of Prednisone suppress the immune system to bring about needed remedies. But, what is the best prednisone taper schedule? It is a good thing to have added inputs on this front.
Prednisone is a corticosteroid; it is taken for inhibiting the action of immune system. This inhibition helps treat allergic reactions – especially those caused by the onset of autoimmune problems like arthritis, diabetes, etc. This drug is not an over the counter (OTC) medication. Its administration needs to be under the guidance and directions of a qualified clinical professional.
What is the best prednisone taper schedule?
It is not safe to discontinue the use of prednisone during your treatment plan. Having your treating physician’s consent is essential prior to stopping the dosages. Users of prednisone – who discontinued its use – without telling the caregiving team, may witness a few withdrawal problems. These include headaches / migraines, weariness / being tired at all times, overall weakness, lower abdomen related problems like vomiting, nausea and/or dyspepsia. On experiencing any of these symptoms, it is considered safe to ask for clinical support on an urgent basis.
In order to avoid these withdrawal problems, your treating doctor will taper the final dosages of prednisone in a steady fashion. A tapered approach is known to keep off signs of withdrawal like being dizzy/drowsy, tremors / involuntary shaking of the body, headaches, disturbed sleeping, etc.
The standard pack of prednisone is available as 21 pills of 5 milligrams (mg) each. Over the last 6 days of your medication plan, the taper schedule takes the following form: On day 1, thirty (30) mg is administered as 10 mg (2 pills) after morning meal, 5 mg during lunch, 5 mg along with dinner and 10 mg during sleep-hour. From day 2 onwards, dosage strength is tapered 5 mg per day. So, by day 4 – the daily dose reduces to 15 mg, followed by 10 mg on ay-5 and the last dose of 5 mg is taken at morning meal time on the final day.
There are however many ways to draw up the taper schedule; the method outlined above is one of the most widely followed schedules. It is a good practice to talk to your treating doctor about what taper schedule of prednisone suits you well. Often times, your doctor will administer the taper schedule after taking into account your age, prior medical problems (if any) and the intensity of the underlying clinical condition.
How to safely use prednisone?
While using this med, it can be dangerous to do tasks that may require a fairly high concentration level, attention span and focus. It is a safe thing to keep off from tasks like working on heavy machinery, adventurous sporting actions like swimming, driving, jumping or running.
Moreover, if you take alcohol on a regular basis, your treating doctor must know of such habits. Users of prednisone – when they take alcohol along with the dosages – may develop several adverse side effects. These may include episodes of dehydration (parching of lips or drying of skin), internal ulcers or bleeding in the gastric tract, sudden change in blood sugar level, etc. In a few cases, users who took alcohol with prednisone experienced mental conditions like being depressed, getting restless, anxious or developing phobias.
Above all, talk to your doctor about how to stop the dosages of prednisone. Last but not last, never stop the dosage plan without the knowledge of your caregiving team.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.
Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the University of Florida. Experience: 5 years as a pharmacist and medical writer, creating content on medication management and pharmaceutical news for healthcare blogs and patient education sites.
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