Steroid Taper Calculator

Prednisone taper schedule from starting dose and duration.

Medical Disclaimer

This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of results from this tool.

Inputs

Starting Dose (mg prednisone)

Step Interval (days)

Target Dose (mg)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Number of Taper Steps

Total Taper Duration (days)161

Total Taper Duration (weeks)23

Cumulative Dose (mg)1,837.5

Hydrocortisone Equiv. Start (mg)160

Methylpred Equiv. Start (mg)32

Dexamethasone Equiv. Start (mg)6

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the Starting Dose in mg prednisone equivalent.
Set the Step Interval (days) between each dose reduction.
Input the Target Dose (mg) — typically 0 mg for a full discontinuation taper.
Review the Number of Taper Steps and Total Taper Duration (days and weeks).
Use Cumulative Dose and steroid equivalents (hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone) to counsel on HPA axis suppression risk.

How the result changes with Starting Dose (mg prednisone)

Starting Dose (mg prednisone)	Number of Taper Steps
21	17
71	23
130	32
180	37

What each input means

Starting Dose (mg prednisone): Current daily prednisone dose in mg.
Step Interval (days): Days to hold each dose before reducing. 7 days is common; use 14–28 for slower tapers at lower doses.
Target Dose (mg): Final target dose (0 to discontinue completely, or a maintenance dose).

What each result means

Number of Taper Steps: Total number of dose reductions in the taper schedule.
Total Taper Duration (days): Total days from start of taper to reaching target dose.
Total Taper Duration (weeks): Total taper duration expressed in weeks.
Cumulative Dose (mg): Total prednisone consumed over the entire taper period.
Hydrocortisone Equiv. Start (mg): Starting dose expressed as hydrocortisone (prednisone × 4).
Methylpred Equiv. Start (mg): Starting dose expressed as methylprednisolone (prednisone × 0.8).
Dexamethasone Equiv. Start (mg): Starting dose expressed as dexamethasone (prednisone × 0.15).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
Starting Dose (mg prednisone) = 40, Step Interval (days) = 7, Target Dose (mg) = 0 = 3 input(s) provided
Calculate Number of Taper Steps
23 = 23
Calculate Total Taper Duration
Total Taper Duration
161 = 161
Calculate Total Taper Duration
Total Taper Duration = totalDays / 7
23 = 23