{"id":628940,"date":"2024-07-11T11:04:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T15:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=628940"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:57:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:57:53","slug":"prednisone-for-gout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/prednisone-for-gout\/","title":{"rendered":"Prednisone for gout: Dosage, safety, and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people anticipate joint pain and stiffness with injury or age. However, a gout attack can significantly disrupt daily activities, causing sufferers to shuffle and wince with certain movements. That\u2019s where corticosteroids like prednisone can help. It isn\u2019t a cure for gout, but by reducing joint inflammation, prednisone can help relieve the symptoms that come with it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you take prednisone for gout?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You can. However, prednisone isn\u2019t a <\/span>treatment for gout<\/span><\/a> itself but for the acute pain and inflammation gout can cause. Gout is an inflammatory disease that stems from a high <\/span>uric acid concentration<\/span><\/a>, a byproduct created when the body breaks down natural substances called purines. The kidneys typically filter out most uric acid, but uric acid crystals can accumulate in the joints if too much is present or the kidneys aren’t functioning properly. This often occurs in the big toe but can affect any joint and sometimes multiple joints at once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPrednisone is used because anything that increases or decreases the uric acid level in the body, including gout treatment, can precipitate a gout flare,\u201d says <\/span>Dr. Christina Downey, M.D<\/span><\/a>., a rheumatologist at <\/span>Loma Linda University Health<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThis is when the person has a red, painful, swollen joint that’s sensitive. In that case, we need something that will work quickly to control that inflammation. For some patients, that medication is prednisone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prednisolone<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Prednisolone is the active form, whereas prednisone has to be converted to prednisolone by the liver before it can work)<\/span>, a powerful anti-inflammatory medication, has been shown effective as a first-line treatment for gout in studies such as those from <\/span>2016<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>2017<\/span><\/a>. It inhibits the body\u2019s immune system response, decreasing the inflammation and discomfort associated with gout. It might work quickly, too. Some people may feel some relief <\/span>within an hour<\/span><\/a>. For others, it might take a day or two to reach its full effects, but since gout attacks can last <\/span>7\u201314 days<\/span><\/a>, that\u2019s still early in the timeline.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, \u201cprednisone is only a \u2018band-aid\u2019 in treating acute flares of gout,\u201d says <\/span>Dr. Jason E Liebowitz, M.D<\/span><\/a>., a rheumatologist in the <\/span>Columbia University Department of Medicine<\/span><\/a>. \u201cMore long-term management of gout should include urate-lowering therapy, such as <\/span>allopurinol<\/span><\/a>. Prophylactic colchicine is typically started with allopurinol for the first three to six months to reduce the risk of incident gout flares.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the right dosage of prednisone for gout?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Prednisone is available in two forms<\/a>: oral medication and injection. Doctors often administer it orally but may opt for an injection if the condition is confined to a specific joint.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The drug\u2019s label recommends doses of <\/span>5\u201360 mg per day<\/span><\/a>. According to the <\/span>Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center<\/span><\/a>, the typical starting dose of prednisone for gout management is 30\u201340 mg daily. \u201cWe want to use as low of a dose as possible that’s going to get the job done for a short period of time,\u201d Dr. Downey says. \u201cFor an acute flare, depending on the patient’s body weight, they might start at 40 or 20 mg or even up to 60 mg. And then our rapid taper is typically done over the next five to seven days.\u201d Used as a prophylactic to prevent future attacks, Dr. Downey says the dosage is typically only 5 mg.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, \u201cit has to be tailored to the specific patient,\u201d she continues. \u201cSome patients have badly controlled diabetes, so you want a much lower <\/span>dose <\/span><\/a>on a shorter course for that person. Some people might have very high body weight and need higher doses. Or some people might be very small and only need a smaller dose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there any side effects of taking prednisone for gout?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Prednisone might treat some of gout\u2019s most frustrating symptoms, but it might also cause some minor <\/span>side effects<\/span><\/a>. Not everyone will experience them, but according to information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (<\/span>FDA<\/span><\/a>), some common side effects include:<\/span><\/p>\n