The Rationale of Alternate-Day Corticosteroid Therapy

Abstract
Numerous studies show that dosage spacing can minimize the potential risks of corticosteroid therapy by preserving pituitary-adrenal responsiveness and modifying the adverse systemic effects. Alternate-day or, more specifically, alternate-morning programs are based on the periodicity of endogenous Cortisol secretion and the duration of action of exogenous steroid. The major limitation is acute disease or the acute phase of chronic disease.