Do You Take Medrol Dose Pack Pills All At Once?

Hi there and thanks for your question!

The Medrol Dose Pack is a 6-day tapering dose of methylprednisolone, which is typically used for the treatment of allergic reactions, cough/cold symptoms and asthma exacerbations.

Medrol Dose Pack Dosing

The Medrol Dose Pack contains 21 tablets, with each tablet containing 4mg of methylprednisolone, intended to be taken over 6 days as follows:

• Day 1: 6 Tablets
• Day 2: 5 Tablets
• Day 3: 4 Tablets
• Day 4: 3 Tablets
• Day 5: 2 Tablets
• Day 6: 1 Tablet

While you can take each day's tablets all at once, it isn't recommended since methylprednisolone can cause nausea, stomach cramps, and insomnia. Taking the entire days' worth of tablets at one time can increase the risk of these side effects.

It is generally prudent to take your total daily amount in divided doses, as directed on the package.

The one caveat is that oftentimes, individuals get their Medrol Dose Pack prescription later in the day, and you should start as soon as possible. This makes it difficult or impossible to divide the first days' tablets. In this case, it makes sense to take all of the day 1 tablets at once, which will help to alleviate your symptoms quickly, and then begin dividing the doses starting with day 2.

Below, is the most commonly recommended way to take your Medrol Dose Pack:

Day 1

• 8 mg (2 tablets) before breakfast
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after lunch
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after supper
• 8 mg (2 tablets) at bedtime
• Total of 6 tablets

If you get your prescription late in the day, you may take 24 mg (6 tablets) as a single dose. If you take all the tablets at one time, be sure to take the dose with food to minimize nausea.

Day 2

• 4 mg (1 tablet) before breakfast
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after lunch
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after supper
• 8mg (2 tablets) at bedtime
• Total of 5 tablets

Day 3

• 4 mg (1 tablet) before breakfast
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after lunch
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after supper
• 4 mg (1 tablet) at bedtime
• Total of 4 tablets

Day 4

• 4 mg (1 tablet) before breakfast
• 4 mg (1 tablet) after lunch
• 4 mg (1 tablet) at bedtime
• Total of 3 tablets

Day 5

• 4 mg (1 tablet) before breakfast
• 4 mg (1 tablet) at bedtime
• Total of 2 tablets

Day 6

• 4 mg (1 tablet) before breakfast
• Total of 1 tablet

Final Words

Thanks again for your question and feel free to reach out to us again with any additional questions!