Unless your doctor or pharmacist gives you different instructions, it's best to take prednisolone as a single dose once a day, with breakfast. For example, if your dose is 40mg daily, your doctor may tell you to take 8 tablets (8 x 5mg) all at the same time.
5-60 mg/day orally in a single daily dose or divided every 6 to 12 hours.
Morning Dosages Are Usually Best For Prednisone
If you are on daily prednisone, experts recommend taking the dose in the morning, to reduce this risk. Taking prednisone too late in the evening can cause sleeplessness and insomnia, too.
This is because it affects the hormones that help you feel energized (cortisol) and sleepy (melatonin). So it's common for people to report difficulty sleeping while they're taking prednisone. This is more likely when someone has to take several doses of medication throughout the day — including one at night.
Official answer. It's best to take prednisone as a single dose once a day straight after breakfast. For example if your dose is 30mg daily, it's usual to take 6 tablets (6 x 5mg) all at the same time after breakfast. Prednisone is a type of medicine known as a corticosteroid or steroid.
Prednisone comes as a tablet, delayed-release tablet, as a solution (liquid), and as a concentrated solution to take by mouth. Prednisone is usually taken with food one to four times a day or once every other day. Your doctor will probably tell you to take your dose(s) of prednisone at certain time(s) of day every day.
Prednisone has a tendency to raise the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, which can cause increased body fat or diabetes in some people. It is important to avoid "simple" carbohydrates and concentrated sweets, such as cakes, pies, cookies, jams, honey, chips, breads, candy and other highly processed foods.
Take prednisolone with breakfast so it does not upset your stomach. Taking prednisolone in the morning also means it's less likely to affect your sleep. If your prednisolone tablets are labelled as "enteric coated" or "gastro resistant", you can take these with or without food but make sure to swallow them whole.
Official answer. If you are taking Prednisone just once a day, take it in the morning with breakfast. The morning is best as it mimics the timing of your body's own production of cortisone. Taking your dose of prednisone too late in the evening may cause difficulty sleeping.
Steroids can cause sleep disruption, especially when they are taken in the evening. If this is the case with you, talk to your doctor about taking your entire dose of prednisone in the morning. This may help prevent sleep deprivation.
Prednisone generally works very quickly — usually within one to four days — if the prescribed dose is adequate to reduce your particular level of inflammation. Some people notice the effects of prednisone hours after taking the first dose.
If you are starting a course of steroids, then you should complete the full reducing course, which is generally prescribed for eight weeks. You should NOT stop on your own accord even if you are feeling better.
After the initial dose of steroids, you may experience swollen ankles as well as a general swollen and bloated feeling throughout your body. Since steroids cause your body to retain more water, it's also common to experience urinary frequency, says Kaplan.
by Drugs.com
You could expect a dose of prednisone to stay in your system for 16.5 to 22 hours. The elimination half life of prednisone is around 3 to 4 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce the plasma levels by half.
Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory steroid and jack-of-all-trades that is prescribed to treat conditions such as: Poison ivy. Sore throat. Inflammation in different parts of the body.
Prednisone affects areas of the brain that manage the regulation of different neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine — the “feel-good” hormones. Feeling happy is a great side effect some people feel with prednisone. Other responses are more menacing, especially if you don't know what to expect.
If you have been advised to take your steroid tablets more than once a day, the last dose should be taken no later than 6pm. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets to take at each dose.
"A study found that the optimum time to take prednisone for minimal morning symptoms is 2am, Prednisone is absorbed in about an hour and then processed by the liver to make prednisolone which also takes about an hour, getting the level in the blood to its peak by about 4am which is when the inflammatory substances are ...
Fluid retention can cause weight gain but as steroids are reduced, fluids will usually reduce as well, along with some of the weight gain. Drinking plenty of water and exercising can help with fluid retention.
Also, increase your intake of low-fat foods that have high calcium levels. Some of these include corn, sardines, almonds, broccoli, milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, cooked soybeans, boiled white beans, and salmon.
Getting plenty of rest is also essential. This can be difficult because prednisone can interfere with sleep. One way to cope is to improve your sleep hygiene. This includes avoiding food and electronics before bedtime and sleeping in a cool, dark room.
A person taking prednisone may want to avoid alcohol until they finish the treatment. Alcohol can worsen some side effects of prednisone, such as immune system suppression, bone weakening, and weight gain. It is best to speak with a doctor to avoid serious complications.
Mental Health Side Effects
Mental health issues start within 3 to 4 days after starting prednisone therapy, but they can occur at any time. Some people continue to have symptoms, including depression, even after therapy stops.
Corticosteroids may increase the body's loss of magnesium. Some doctors recommend that people taking corticosteroids for more than two weeks supplement with 300–400 mg of magnesium per day.