CORTICOSTEROIDS





























  • Reference: Manufacturer's PI
Medication Dosage forms
Budesonide

(Entocort®)
(Ortikos®)
(Uceris®)
(Tarpeyo®)
Capsule, delayed-release (Entocort® EC)
  • 3 mg
  • Only approved for Crohn's disease. See IBD steroids for more.
  • Generic/Price: YES/$$ (90 capsules)

Capsule, extended-release (Ortikos®)
  • 6 mg
  • 9 mg
  • Only approved for Crohn's disease. See IBD steroids for more.
  • Generic/Price: NO/$$$$ (30 capsules)

Tablet, extended-release (Uceris®)
  • 9 mg
  • Only approved for ulcerative colitis. See IBD steroids for more.
  • Generic/Price: YES/$$$$ (30 capsules)

Rectal foam (Uceris®)
  • 2 mg per actuation
  • One canister contains 14 actuations
  • Only approved for ulcerative colitis. See IBD steroids for more.
  • Generic/Price: NO/$$$$ (2 canisters)

Capsule, delayed-release (Tarpeyo®)
  • 4 mg
  • Only approved for immunoglobulin A nephropathy
  • Generic/Price: NO/$$$$ (120 capsules)
Cortisone acetate

(Cortone®)
Tablet
  • 25 mg ($-$$)

  • Cortisone acetate is the synthetic version of cortisone
Dexamethasone

(Decadron®)
Tablet
  • 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6 mg ($)

Solution
  • 0.5 mg/5 ml ($)

Solution, Intensol
  • 1 mg/ml ($)

Elixir
  • 0.5 mg/5 ml ($)

DexPak® TaperPak®
  • Contains 1.5 mg tablets
  • Comes in 6, 10, and 13 day taperpak
  • 6-day pak contains 21 tablets
  • 10-day pak contains 35 tablets
  • 13-day pak contains 51 tablets
  • Generic/Price: YES/$$-$$$
Fludrocortisone

(Florinef®)
Tablet
Hydrocortisone

(Alkindi Sprinkle®)
(Cortef®)
(Colocort®)
(Cortenema®)
(Cortifoam®)
Capsule (Alkindi Sprinkle®)
  • 0.5, 1, 2, 5 mg ($$$$)
  • Contents of capsule are sprinkled on tongue or food

Tablet (Cortef®)
  • 5, 10, 20 mg ($)

Enema (Colocort®, Cortenema®)
  • 100 mg/60 ml
  • Comes in box with 7 enemas
  • Only approved for use in ulcerative colitis
  • See IBD steroids for more
  • Generic/Price: YES/$ (7 enemas)

Rectal foam (Cortifoam®)
  • 80 mg per application
  • One container delivers a minimum of 14 applications
  • Only approved for use in ulcerative colitis
  • See IBD steroids for more
  • Generic/Price: NO/$$$$

Suppositories
  • 25 mg and 30 mg
  • Comes in boxes of 12 and 24 suppositories
  • Generic/Price
    • 25 mg (#12) - YES/$
    • 30 mg (#12) - YES/$$

  • Hydrocortisone is the synthetic version of cortisol
Methylprednisolone

(Medrol®)
Tablet
  • 2, 4, 8, 32 mg ($)

Medrol Dosepak
  • Contains twenty-one 4 mg tablets
  • Pills are taken over 6 days
  • On Day 1, 6 pills are taken, then dose is decreased by 1 pill each day
  • Pills are generally taken with meals
  • Generic/Price: YES/$
Prednisone

(Deltasone®)
(Rayos®)
Tablet (Deltasone®)
  • 1, 2, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 50 mg ($)

Tablet, delayed-release (Rayos®)
  • 1, 2, 5 mg ($$$$)

Solution
  • 5 mg/5 ml (1 mg/ml) ($)

Solution, Intensol
  • 5 mg/ml ($$-$$$)

  • Prednisone is inactive. It must be metabolized to its active form which is prednisolone.
Prednisolone

(Prelone®)
(Orapred®)
(Millipred®)
Tablet (Millipred®)
  • 5 mg ($$$$)

Tablet, orally disintegrating (Orapred ODT®)
  • 10, 15, 30 mg ($-$$)

Syrup (Prelone®)
  • Prednisolone 15 mg/5 ml (3 mg/ml) ($)

Solution (Orapred®)
  • Prednisolone sodium phosphate
    • 5 mg/5 ml (1 mg/ml) ($)
    • 10 mg/5 ml (2 mg/ml)
    • 15 mg/5 ml (3 mg/ml) ($)
    • 20 mg/5 ml (4 mg/ml)
    • 25 mg/5 ml (5 mg/ml) ($)



  • A prednisone dose of 50 mg has the mineralocorticoid effect of 0.1 mg of fludrocortisone
  • References [4,5,6,7]
PROPERTIES OF CORTICOSTEROIDS
Steroid Equivalent dosage
(mg)
Relative
Glucocorticoid activity
Relative
Mineralocorticoid activity
Duration of action
(hours)
Hydrocortisone (Cortisol) 20 1 1 8 - 12
Cortisone 25 0.8 0.8 8 - 12
Prednisone 5 4 0.3 - 0.8 12 - 36
Prednisolone 5 4 - 5 0.3 - 0.8 12 - 36
Methylprednisolone 4 5 - 6 0.0 - 0.5 12 - 36
Triamcinolone 4 5 0 12 - 36
Dexamethasone 0.75 18 - 30 0 36 - 72
Betamethasone 0.60 25 - 40 0 36 - 72
Mineralocorticoids
Fludrocortisone 10 - 15 125 - 250 12 - 36








































Pricing legend
  • $ = 0 - $50
  • $$ = $51 - $100
  • $$$ = $101 - $150
  • $$$$ = > $151
  • Pricing based on a standard course of therapy (5 - 10 days) in a child or adult
  • Pricing based on information from GoodRX.com®
  • Pricing may vary by region and availability