Medication Tapering Calculator

This calculator builds a step-down schedule for reducing a medicine gradually. You choose the starting dose, the dose to taper towards, how much to reduce at each step, and how long to stay on each step. It lists every dose in order, with dates if you give a start date, and lets you copy the schedule.

How the schedule is built

• Fixed amount: the dose falls by the same number of milligrams at every step (for example 5 mg every 2 weeks).
• Percentage of current dose: each step reduces the dose by a percentage of whatever it currently is (for example 10% each step). Because the reductions shrink as the dose falls, the final steps are gentler, which is why this approach is often used for medicines where withdrawal symptoms are a concern.
• Smallest dose step: every dose is rounded to a multiple of the smallest amount you can actually make up (such as your smallest tablet strength). The calculator always moves down by at least one step so the schedule can’t stall.
• Target dose: use 0 to stop the medicine altogether, or a higher number to taper to a lower maintenance dose.

Why one schedule doesn’t fit every medicine

Tapering advice is specific to the drug and the person. Corticosteroids taken for more than a few weeks can suppress the body’s own hormone production, and stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, opioids, gabapentinoids and some antiepileptic and cardiovascular medicines can also cause withdrawal effects or rebound problems if stopped quickly. NICE guidance on medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms recommends agreeing an individual plan and slowing down or pausing if withdrawal symptoms appear.

Use this calculator as a way to lay out and communicate a plan the prescriber has agreed, not as a source of the plan itself.

Practical tips

• Tell the person what to do if symptoms return or withdrawal effects appear (for example hold the current step rather than pushing on).
• Make sure the doses on the schedule can be made up from the tablet strengths or liquid available.
• Give the person a written copy, including dates, and review progress at agreed points.
• For corticosteroids, remember sick-day rules and steroid emergency advice where relevant.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly should I reduce a medicine?

It depends on the drug, the dose, how long it has been taken and the person. There’s no universal pace. The prescriber should set it, and it’s usually slower at lower doses.

Which method should I choose: fixed amount or percentage?

Fixed amounts are simple and easy to explain. Percentage reductions give smaller steps as the dose falls, which is often preferred for medicines where the last reductions are the hardest. The right choice depends on the drug and the plan the prescriber has agreed.

What does the smallest dose step do?

It rounds every dose to something you can actually make up from your tablets or liquid, and guarantees each step is at least that much lower.

Can I taper to a lower dose instead of stopping?

Yes. Enter the lower maintenance dose as the target and the schedule will stop there.

What if withdrawal symptoms appear?

Stop reducing and contact the prescriber. Holding at the current dose, or going back one step, is often advised. Don’t push on through significant symptoms.

Medical disclaimer

Sources & references

• NICE. Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults (NG215). nice.org.uk/guidance/ng215
• NICE. British National Formulary (BNF) — Corticosteroids, general use: withdrawal of corticosteroids. bnf.nice.org.uk