Patient's question:
I discovered a large amount of proteinuria during a health check-up, and I also have symptoms of edema in my body. After a thorough examination, I was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. Now, the doctor has prescribed prednisone for me to treat it. However, since it is a medication, improper dosage control may lead to side effects. Therefore, I would like to consult about the appropriate dosage of prednisone for nephrotic syndrome.Doctor's answer:
The initial dose of prednisone for nephrotic syndrome is 1 mg/kg per day, taken orally continuously for about 8 weeks. If necessary, it should be shortened to 12 weeks. After the symptoms are basically relieved, reduce the original dose by 10% every 2-3 weeks. When reduced to about 20 mg/d, due to the ease of symptom recurrence, the medication reduction speed should be further slowed until the minimum effective dose of 10 mg/d is reached. No further dosage adjustments should be made, and the treatment should be maintained for about a year before gradually discontinuing the medication.