An Alternate‐Day Corticosteroid Regimen in Maintenance Therapy of Giant Cell Arteritis

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Abstract
It is well established that the side-effects of corticosteroid treatment can be reduced by administering the steroid on alternate days. Twenty-seven patients with giant cell arteritis were given daily treatment initially, followed by a gradual transition to alternate-day treatment. It was possible to maintain 18 (67 %) of 27 patients on this regimen. In 9 (33%) the regimen was abandoned because of clinical symptoms on the “day off”. These patients, however, could be maintained with a single morning dose of the corticosteroid. Morning plasma Cortisol levels on the treatment day were normal in all patients treated with 20 mg prednisolone or less every other day.