What is considered low dose steriod?

I remember reading a post about whats considered a low dose of steriod.

People were posting various opions but cant seem to find it.

Is 5mg daily considered low dose therefore will not effect the adrenal function?

Any thoughts?

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I think that adrenal suppression is an individual thing, though the risk of it happening is dose-dependent. At high doses, adrenal suppression is more likely, though it has been reported even on inhaled steroids.

The natural dose of steroid produced by the body is about 7.5 mg per day, so at doses less than that the risk of adrenal suppression is lower.

In terms of relative doses for an adult, 30 - 60 mg Prednisolone is considered high-dose. 15-25 mg would be a medium dose, and less than that is considered low-dose.

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I know it's slightly different, but my daughter is nearly 3 and on 3mg pred and 2nd nebulised budesonide daily. So amounting to 5mg of steroids daily. She has severe adrenal suppression/failure. The hospital are putting it down to the numerous short doses of high dose pred she has had over the last 3 yrs.

I agree with Wishes, I think it's an individual thing as to when the adrenals become effected. The only true way of knowing is to get your cortisol levels checked regularly.

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um, i could be wrong, but i thought that the way to calculate if a dose is high for a person or not had to do with their weight? for very severe asthma i think the dose is about 1mg/kg at a time. and for any chemo, the 1mg/kg is a really minimal dose to be added too? please correct me if ive gone completely nuts, lol!

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You're right, Rose, but unless someone is very under or overweight, they tend (at least in my experience) to just use a generalised 'adult' dose.

IV Aminophylline is one medication for asthma that is calculated according to body weight, but the therapeutic 'window' for that is very narrow - too low and it's not effective; too high and it can be toxic.