Latest Cancer TreatmentsDr. Mohammadreza Dabiri
Dr. Mohammadreza Dabiriفارسی
Clinical tool

Corticosteroid Dose Conversion Calculator

Dexamethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone

Updated: 27 October 20261 min read1 reference

Equivalent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid doses (mineralocorticoid effect not taken into account).

This calculator needs JavaScript; the formula and its interpretation are in the text of this page.

An aid for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement, local protocols or the drug label. Double-check every result before prescribing.

Equivalence table

Approximate equivalent anti-inflammatory doses [1]
DrugEquivalent dose (mg)Biological half-life
Hydrocortisone20Short
Prednisone / prednisolone5Intermediate
Methylprednisolone4Intermediate
Dexamethasone0.75Long

These equivalents measure anti-inflammatory effect; the salt-‎ and water-retaining (mineralocorticoid) effect is higher with hydrocortisone and almost nil with dexamethasone [1].

For immunotherapy side effects

Doses are usually given per kilogram (e.g., prednisone 1 mg/kg or methylprednisolone 1–2 mg/kg), tapered over at least 4–6 weeks, with Pneumocystis prophylaxis if 20 mg of prednisone or more is continued for 4 weeks or longer. Details in the immunotherapy toxicity lesson.

References

1 reference
Show all referencesClose the reference list

Numbers in the text, such as [1], refer to these sources. Sources with a “Study card” button are summarised in the site’s evidence library.

  1. 1
    A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapyLiu D, Ahmet A, Ward L, et al · Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol · 2013;9:30
    DOIPubMed Back to text: 1 2

This page is based on reputable scientific sources and was last updated on 27 October 2026. The content of this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not replace consultation, diagnosis or treatment by a specialist physician. Consult your treating physician about any treatment decision.

Printed from the website; the full and up-to-date version: https://drdabiri.com/en/tools/steroid-conversion-calculator/

Related pages

27 October 2026 Body Surface Area (BSA) and Chemotherapy Dose Calculator Body surface area calculator (Mosteller and DuBois) with total dose of chemotherapy from mg/m² or mg/kg, and the ASCO recommendation on dosing in obesity. 27 October 2026 Creatinine Clearance and eGFR Calculator Creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault) and eGFR (CKD-EPI 2021) calculator for dosing anticancer drugs in renal impairment. 27 October 2026 Carboplatin Dose Calculator (Calvert Formula) Carboplatin dose calculator using the Calvert formula and Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance, with the 125 mL/min cap and an option to round up low creatinine.