Tutorial — Set up a prednisone-style taper

Tapers are common for prednisone, SSRIs, and other drugs where the dose decreases over a set period. DoseAlert automates the whole thing.

The example

Your doctor prescribes prednisone for a flare-up:

• 40 mg daily for 5 days
• Then 30 mg daily for 3 days
• Then 20 mg daily for 3 days
• Then 10 mg daily for 3 days
• Then stop

Step 1 — Add a new medication

Tap the + button. Name it Prednisone taper (so it's obvious later in your history).

Step 2 — Form and strength

• Form: Tablet
• Per-tablet strength: 10 mg (prednisone commonly comes in 10 mg tablets, so "40 mg" means 4 tablets)

Step 3 — Schedule

1. Tap Schedule.
2. Choose Taper.
3. Start date: today.
4. Add a time — usually 8 AM (prednisone is often taken in the morning).
5. Add each step:
   • Step 1: 40 mg × 5 days
   • Step 2: 30 mg × 3 days
   • Step 3: 20 mg × 3 days
   • Step 4: 10 mg × 3 days

Step 4 — Reminders

Prednisone tapers work best if you take each dose at the same time every day. Consider:

• Level 1 at 0 min — Reminder with sound
• Level 2 at 15 min — Reminder with sound
• Level 3 at 45 min — Dose alarm

Step 5 — Inventory

Enter the total tablets your pharmacy dispensed (for this example, about 17 tablets at 10 mg each: 4+4+4+3+3+3+2+2+2+1+1+1 = 30 tablets depending on how the pharmacist rounds). Enter 30 or whatever the bottle says. Set Remind when below to 3 so you get a warning near the end.

Step 6 — Save

DoseAlert handles the dose arithmetic automatically:

• Days 1–5: Reminder says "Take 40 mg (4 tablets)".
• Days 6–8: Reminder says "Take 30 mg (3 tablets)".
• Days 9–11: Reminder says "Take 20 mg (2 tablets)".
• Days 12–14: Reminder says "Take 10 mg (1 tablet)".
• Day 15 onwards: no reminder, schedule ends.

What to do if the plan changes

If your doctor adjusts the taper midway, tap the medication card, open the schedule, and edit the remaining steps. Completed steps aren't affected; upcoming steps update to the new plan.

What if I miss a day?

Don't panic. Log what you took (even if late) on the correct day in the Pill Tracker. Call your prescriber for guidance on how to resume — some tapers are forgiving, others aren't.