Can Prednisolone be addictive if taken for a month?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been prescribed Prednisolone 60 mg for anti-inflammatory issues by my doctor. Is there a risk for me to become addicted to Prednisolone 60 mg taken once a day for a month? Due to the pandemic, I am unable to go to the hospital. Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Prednisolone is prescribed according to your body weight which is 1 mg per kilogram. In some cases, a physician prescribes a higher dosage depending on the underlying disease. Definitely, the body gets used to long-term steroids like Prednisolone and so we cannot stop taking these drugs suddenly and abruptly. So your doctor should taper the drug slowly depending on the disease response. He needs to reduce the dosage from 60 mg to 50 mg followed by 40 mg and so on. Gradual reduction of the dose will not cause any side effects even though steroids have short and long-term side effects.