Understanding Steroid Equivalence

Corticosteroids treat severe inflammation, autoimmune disease, asthma exacerbations, and allergic reactions — but not all are created equal. The Steroid Equivalence Calculator converts a dose from one systemic corticosteroid to another while preserving anti-inflammatory potency, using the standard clinical table anchored to hydrocortisone 20 mg as the baseline.

Relative Potency

Hydrocortisone has an anti-inflammatory potency of 1×. Prednisone and prednisolone are 4× (5 mg = 20 mg hydrocortisone), methylprednisolone and triamcinolone are 5× (4 mg = 20 mg), and dexamethasone is 25–30× (0.75 mg = 20 mg). The conversion multiplies your dose by the ratio of equivalent doses.

Important Clinical Caveats

This tool provides theoretical pharmacokinetic conversions based on standard tables. It is for educational purposes and should not override a physician's judgment about patient-specific absorption, tapering schedules, or HPA-axis suppression risk. Conversions apply only to systemic (oral/IV/IM) corticosteroids, never topical creams or inhaled steroids. Never stop corticosteroids abruptly — adrenal crisis can be fatal.