Approximate relative potency and half-lives of oral corticosteroids (Table 5.34)

Approximate relative potency and half-lives of oral corticosteroids (Table 5.34)

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Corticosteroid	Relative glucocorticoid potency	Equivalent dose for glucocorticoid effect	Plasma half-life	Estimated biological half-life
hydrocortisone	1	20 mg	90 minutes	8 to 12 hours
cortisone acetate	0.8	25 mg	30 minutes	8 to 12 hours
dexamethasone	25	750 micrograms	200 minutes	36 to 54 hours
fludrocortisone	10	2 mg [NB1]	[NB3]	18 to 36 hours
prednisone	3.5	5 mg	60 minutes [NB2]	18 to 36 hours
prednisolone	4	5 mg	200 minutes	18 to 36 hours
methylprednisolone	5	4 mg	180 minutes	12 to 36 hours
NB1: see chapter 14, 'Adrenal cortex', in Williams RH, Larsen PR, Kronenberg HM, Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Wilson JD, Foster DW, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 10th ed. W B Saunders; 2002. NB2: preconversion half-life to prednisolone NB3: consistent information not available