What is the dose of Orapred (prednisolone)

From the Guidelines

Orapred dosing should be individualized based on the condition being treated, patient age, and weight, with typical doses ranging from 5 to 60 mg daily for adults and 0.5 to 2 mg per kg of body weight per day for children, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1.

Key Considerations

• For children, the dose is usually calculated at 0.5 to 2 mg per kg of body weight per day, with a maximum dose of 60 mg daily for children over 12 years of age and 30 mg daily for children between 5-11 years of age 1.
• Treatment duration depends on the condition, ranging from a few days for acute conditions to longer periods with tapering for chronic conditions.
• It is essential to take Orapred with food to minimize stomach irritation and never stop taking it suddenly, as this can cause adrenal crisis.
• Orapred works by reducing inflammation and suppressing immune responses through inhibition of inflammatory mediators, with common side effects including increased appetite, weight gain, mood changes, and with long-term use, more serious effects like bone loss, high blood sugar, and increased infection risk.

Potential Adverse Effects

• Short-term use: reversible abnormalities in glucose metabolism, increased appetite, fluid retention, weight gain, mood alteration, hypertension 1.
• Long-term use: adrenal axis suppression, growth suppression, dermal thinning, hypertension, diabetes, Cushing syndrome, cataracts, muscle weakness, and in rare instances impaired immune function 1.

Alternative Therapies

• A recent study evaluated the use of budesonide as an alternative to prednisone in children with autoimmune hepatitis, showing significantly less weight gain in the budesonide group 1.
• Azathioprine can be used as a maintenance regimen in children, with some studies showing its effectiveness in inducing and maintaining remission 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

The initial dose of prednisolone sodium phosphate oral solution, (15 mg prednisolone base) may vary from 1. 67 mL to 20 mL (5 to 60 mg prednisolone base) per day depending on the specific disease entity being treated. The range of initial doses is 0. 14 to 2 mg/kg/day in three or four divided doses (4 to 60 mg/m2bsa/day). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommended dosing for systemic prednisone, prednisolone or methylprednisolone in children whose asthma is uncontrolled by inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators is 1–2 mg/kg/day in single or divided doses

The Orapred dose may vary from 5 to 60 mg per day, depending on the disease being treated. In pediatric patients, the initial dose may range from 0.14 to 2 mg/kg/day. For children with uncontrolled asthma, the recommended dose is 1-2 mg/kg/day 2.

From the Research

Orapred Dose Information

• Orapred, also known as prednisolone, is a corticosteroid used to treat various conditions, including asthma 3, 4, 5.
• The dose of Orapred can vary depending on the condition being treated and the patient's response to the medication.
• In a study on children with moderately severe asthma attacks, a dose of 2 mg/kg of prednisolone was used 3.
• In a study on adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection, a dose of 40 mg of prednisolone per day for 5 days was used 6.
• In a study on patients with severe asthma, a dose of oral prednisolone was used for 2 weeks, but the exact dose was not specified 4.
• Another study used a dose of 0.6 mg/kg/day of prednisolone for 2 weeks in patients with moderate asthma 5.

Mechanism of Action

• Corticosteroids, such as Orapred, work by reducing inflammation and suppressing the immune system 3, 7, 4, 5.
• They can also modulate cytokine production, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve symptoms 5.
• The anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids are mediated by both genomic and nongenomic factors 7.

Efficacy and Safety

• Orapred has been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation and improving symptoms in patients with asthma and other conditions 3, 4, 5.
• However, it may not be effective in reducing symptom duration or severity in adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection without asthma 6.
• Corticosteroids can have systemic effects, such as suppressing serum cortisol concentration, but inhaled corticosteroids may have fewer systemic effects than oral or intravenous corticosteroids 3, 7.