Corticosteroid Equivalency Calculator — Steroid Dose Conversion
Select a source corticosteroid, enter the dose in milligrams, and choose a target agent to find the anti-inflammatory equivalent dose — with a comparison across all common glucocorticoids.
Source corticosteroid
mg
Target corticosteroid
Dexamethasone dose equivalent to 10 mg Prednisone
- 1
Hydrocortisone-equivalent reference doses
source: 5 mg · target: 0.75 mgEach drug's reference dose that equals 20 mg hydrocortisone anti-inflammatory effect. - 2
Equivalency ratio (target ÷ source)
0.75 ÷ 5 = 0.15 - 3
Equivalent dose
10 mg × 0.15 = 1.500
How does this calculator work?
Equivalent dose = input dose × (target reference dose / source reference dose), where reference doses are anchored to 20 mg hydrocortisone (potency 1). For example, 10 mg prednisone (potency 4) equals 1.5 mg dexamethasone (potency 25). Anti-inflammatory equivalency only — mineralocorticoid effects differ. For educational use; follow prescriber guidance.
Formula
How this is calculated
Corticosteroids vary widely in anti-inflammatory potency. The standard reference is hydrocortisone (potency = 1, reference dose = 20 mg). All other glucocorticoids are assigned a relative potency (e.g. prednisone = 4×, dexamethasone = 25×) derived from clinical and receptor-binding studies. The equivalent dose formula is: target dose = input dose × (target reference dose / source reference dose). Equivalently, you can multiply by the inverse potency ratio.
This calculator covers glucocorticoid (anti-inflammatory) activity only. Mineralocorticoid potency (sodium retention, blood-pressure effects) follows a completely different ranking — fludrocortisone, for example, has negligible anti-inflammatory activity but very high mineralocorticoid potency. Half-lives and duration of action also differ markedly (hydrocortisone ~8–12 h HPA suppression; dexamethasone 36–54 h), which matters for dosing schedules and tapering.
These equivalencies are population averages from clinical pharmacology literature and are used as starting-point guides. Individual response varies by formulation, route of administration, patient weight and underlying condition. Dose adjustments should always be made by the prescribing clinician.
Frequently asked questions
Dexamethasone has a fluorine substituent that dramatically increases its affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor and reduces hepatic clearance, giving it 25× the anti-inflammatory activity of hydrocortisone compared to prednisone's 4×. This higher potency means much smaller milligram doses — 0.75 mg dexamethasone equals 5 mg prednisone.
For pure glucocorticoid comparisons across the agents listed, yes. The calculator does not account for mineralocorticoid effects, topical/inhaled potency, or route-of-administration differences. Intravenous, oral and topical dosing are not directly interchangeable even for the same drug.
They have the same anti-inflammatory equivalency (5 mg each) because prednisone is a prodrug that the liver converts to prednisolone. In patients with significant liver disease, prednisolone is preferred since the conversion step may be impaired.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Corticosteroid Equivalency Calculator — Steroid Dose Conversion [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/steroid-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Corticosteroid Equivalency Calculator — Steroid Dose Conversion." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/steroid-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Corticosteroid Equivalency Calculator — Steroid Dose Conversion," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/steroid-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_steroid_calculator, title = {Corticosteroid Equivalency Calculator — Steroid Dose Conversion}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/steroid-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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