How to Take Prednisone 10mg for 5 Days

Has your doctor ever prescribed just 5 days of prednisone? If so, how did you take it?

Were the instructions your doctor gave similar to what I shared in this video, or different?

Read on to find out the best way to take prednisone 10 mg for 5 days, or if you prefer video…

Watch Dr. Megan explain How to Take Prednisone 10 mg for 5 Days now!

How to Take Prednisone 10 mg for 5 Days

“Prednisone 10mg for 5 days.” If you were given a prescription like this and have questions, the best source of information is either your pharmacist or your doctor as they could prescribe it many ways.

Often, a prescription of prednisone 10mg for 5 days could be several options of what the doctor is prescribing. Here are the most common prescriptions for prednisone 10 mg for 5 days, but there could be many variations.

Option 1. Take 10 mg for 5 days starting with 5 tablets on the first day and ending with 1 tablet on the last day

The first option is you’re given a bottle of 10mg pills and you’re told to take a certain number of pills each day. It usually starts out high and goes lower as time goes on–a prednisone taper. Again, this option could be that you’re given a bottle of the same size pills, but you’re told:

Each day, you’re taking one fewer pill, right? You might be wondering “do I take it five times a day? Or do I take it all at once?”

The answer is that you want to take it all at once first thing in the morning. Take all of the tablets for the day in one single swallow.

What does “first thing in the morning” mean? That means either when you wake up, or whatever time of day dawn is. That’s because that’s when your body would naturally be releasing the hormone in your body that prednisone is replacing, called cortisol. 

Option 2. Take 4 Tablets of Prednisone 10 mg every day for 5 days

It’s possible you could be given 4 tablets every day for 5 days and that is another very common prescription option for prednisone 10 mg. Four 10mg tablets every day for 5 days would be 40mg each day and you would just take all 4 tablets at once first thing in the morning with a glass of water or with food if you’re having stomach upset. Do it at the same time every day and after the last day, you would stop. 

Option 3. Take 1 Tablet of Prednisone 10 mg every day for 5 days

This is a lower dose version of option 2 above. The instructions are the same for all of them: take the full dose all at once first thing in the in the morning. In this case, just take the single prednisone 10 mg tablet every day for 5 days.

Read about other possible Prednisone Dosages: Prednisone Dosage: What’s Normal Prednisone Dose?

Should you take Prednisone with food or without food?

Does it matter if it’s with food or without food? Most doctors and pharmacists recommend that you take prednisone with food. But if you’re not taking other medications and there’s not going to be a possible drug interaction event, it’s possible to take prednisone with just a glass of water. Make sure you swallow it and it goes all the way down to your gut. You don’t want it getting stuck in your esophagus. 

Taking it all at once first thing in the morning is how most people take prednisone. That way you’ll be counteracting the most side effects possible because stomach upset, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease – or GERD – is a possible side effect.

Most Common Side Effect of Prednisone 10 mg for 5 Days

Insomnia is a common side effect that people have. It might get worse because of taking the prednisone dose too late in the day or because the dose of prednisone is quite a high dose. So, after you’ve taken this and if you’re thinking “I really can’t fall back asleep at night,” it’s the prednisone, it’s not you! Try to go do something useful like read a book you’ve been meaning to read. Maybe something boring or scientific that’ll help you fall back asleep.

Read more: 9+ Tips for Prednisone Insomnia

What’s the best time to take Prednisone?

Take your prednisone dose first thing in the morning because then it’ll have time to wear off by the time bedtime hits. It takes about 30 minutes for the body to absorb it and kick in. It wears off completely – it’s almost gone from your system – at about 20 hours and you’ll be able to sleep at night better. 

The Importance of Tapering Prednisone

If you were to continue taking prednisone beyond a week to 10 days, you would need to do what’s called a taper, where you go down in dose slowly. If it’s less than a week to 10 days, then it’s ok to just stop suddenly. Beyond a week to 10 days, it can be dangerous to stop prednisone suddenly without tapering. It can actually be fatal to go off prednisone suddenly without tapering.

I highly recommend that you follow the prescription instructions exactly as your doctor wrote them. If you have any questions, call your pharmacist or check out my other prednisone resources that might help you. In addition, I created a Free Prednisone Checklist that includes the top things you need to know while taking prednisone. Just fill out the form below to get it sent to your email.

Tips you need while taking prednisone

1. The best person to talk to if you’re on prednisone is a pharmacist and your doctor.
2. The first option is usually taking this drug starting out from a high dose and go a lower dose.
3. Always follow the prescription and instructions as exactly your doctor wrote.

Taking prednisone 10 milligrams should ideally be done first thing in the morning with food or water.

If taking the medicine for less than a week to 10 days, one can usually safely stop it suddenly.

However, taking it for more than a week to 10 days requires a slower decrease, a taper, of the dose to ensure safety.

It is recommended to consult a pharmacist or doctor to check the directions of taking this medication over a period of up to five days.

Conclusion

Prednisone is a medication that should be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor. It is recommended to take the medication in the morning with food to minimize stomach upset, and to engage in relaxing activities before bedtime to mitigate insomnia. Prednisone should not be suddenly stopped without tapering, as this can be dangerous and even fatal.