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Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.
Dexamethasone is used to treat many different inflammatory conditions such as allergic disorders and skin conditions.
Dexamethasone is also used to treat ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and breathing disorders.
Dexamethasone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
You should not use dexamethasone if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, and all the medicines you are using. There are many other diseases that can be affected by steroid use, and many other medicines that can interact with steroids.
Your dosage may change if you have any unusual stress such as a serious illness, fever or infection, or if you have surgery or a medical emergency. Tell your doctor about any such situation that affects you during treatment.
Dexamethasone can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection or worsening an infection you already have or have recently had. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks.
Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chicken pox or measles. These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroid medication.
All vaccines may not work as well while you are taking a steroid. Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are taking this medicine.
Do not stop using dexamethasone suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.
You should not use dexamethasone if you are allergic to it, or if you have:
a fungal infection anywhere in your body.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
liver disease (such as cirrhosis);
a thyroid disorder;
malaria;
tuberculosis;
osteoporosis;
a muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis;
diabetes (steroid medicine may increase glucose levels in your blood or urine);
glaucoma or cataracts;
herpes infection of the eyes;
stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease;
depression or mental illness;
congestive heart failure; or
high blood pressure.
Steroid medication affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily. Steroids can also worsen or reactivate an infection you've already had. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using this medication.
Talk to your doctor before breastfeeding while using dexamethasone.
Take dexamethasone exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Your dose needs may change due to surgery, illness, stress, or a medical emergency. Tell your doctor about any such situation that affects you.
This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using this medicine.
Do not stop using dexamethasone suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to safely stop using this medicine.
In case of emergency, wear or carry medical identification to let others know you use this medicine.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose of this medicine.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
An overdose of dexamethasone is not expected to produce life threatening symptoms. Long term use of high doses can lead to thinning skin, easy bruising, changes in body fat (especially in your face, neck, back, and waist), increased acne or facial hair, menstrual problems, impotence, or loss of interest in sex.
Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Call your doctor for preventive treatment if you are exposed to chickenpox or measles. These conditions can be serious or even fatal in people who are using steroid medicine.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking dexamethasone.
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using this medicine. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), oral polio, rotavirus, oral typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and subcutaneous zoster (shingles).
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to dexamethasone: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
muscle tightness, weakness, or limp feeling;
blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior;
a seizure (convulsions);
bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood;
fast or slow heart rate, weak pulse;
pancreatitis - severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting;
low potassium level - leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling; or
increased blood pressure - severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears, anxiety, nosebleed.
Dexamethasone can affect growth in children. Tell your doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medicine.
Common dexamethasone side effects may include:
fluid retention (swelling in your hands or ankles);
increased appetite;
mood changes, trouble sleeping;
skin rash, bruising or discoloration;
acne, increased sweating, increased hair growth;
headache, dizziness;
nausea, vomiting, upset stomach;
changes in your menstrual periods; or
changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can interact with dexamethasone, especially:
an antibiotic or antifungal medicine;
birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;
insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth;
medicine to treat dementia or Parkinson's disease;
a blood thinner - warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven; or
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) - aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib, diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others.
This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect dexamethasone. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use dexamethasone only for the indication prescribed.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Dexamethasone Sodium Phos (www.drugs.com/dexamethasone.html).
Applies to dexamethasone: oral elixir, oral solution, oral tablet
Along with its needed effects, dexamethasone may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking dexamethasone:
More common
Incidence not known
Some side effects of dexamethasone may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Incidence not known
Applies to dexamethasone: compounding powder, inhalation aerosol with adapter, injectable solution, injectable suspension, intravenous solution, oral concentrate, oral liquid, oral tablet
The most commonly occurring side effects have included alteration in glucose tolerance, behavioral and mood changes, increased appetite, and weight gain; the incidence generally correlates with dosage, timing of administration, and duration of treatment.
A wide range of psychiatric reactions including affective disorders (e.g., irritable, euphoric, depressed, labile mood, and suicidal ideation) psychotic reactions (e.g., mania, delusions, hallucinations, aggravation of schizophrenia), behavioral disturbances, irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances and cognitive dysfunction (e.g., confusion, amnesia) have been reported. These reactions have been reported in adults and children. In adults, the occurrence of severe reactions has been estimated to be about 5% to 6%.
Frequency not reported: Depression, affective disorders, anxiety, emotional instability, euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, psychic disorders, confusional states, anxiety, abnormal behavior, irritability, aggravated schizophrenia
Frequency not reported: Convulsions, headache, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema (pseudotumor cerebri) usually following discontinuation of treatment, benign intracranial hypertension, neuropathy
Frequency not reported: Abdominal distention, nausea, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, perforation of the small and large intestine, ulcerative esophagitis, gastric hemorrhage, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dyspepsia, nausea, flatulence
Frequency not reported: Anaphylactoid reaction, anaphylaxis, angioedema
Frequency not reported: Cushingoid state, hirsutism, secondary adrenocortical and pituitary unresponsiveness (particularly in times of stress, as in trauma, surgery, or illness), moon face
Frequency not reported: Decreased carbohydrate and glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, glycosuria, manifestations of latent diabetes, hypokalemic alkalosis, potassium loss, sodium retention, increased appetite, negative nitrogen balance due to protein catabolism, weight gain, metabolic acidosis, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia
Frequency not reported: Exophthalmos, glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure, posterior subcapsular cataracts, blindness, chorioretinopathy, worsening of symptoms associated with corneal ulcers, retinopathy of prematurity, blurred vision
Rare instances of blindness have been associated with corticosteroid intralesional therapy around the face and head.
Frequency not reported: Bradycardia, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac enlargement, circulatory collapse, congestive heart failure, fat embolism, hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in premature infants, myocardial rupture following recent myocardial infarction, syncope, tachycardia, thromboembolism, thrombophlebitis, vasculitis, edema
Frequency not reported: Suppression of growth in pediatric patients, aseptic necrosis of femoral and humeral heads, calcinosis, Charcot-like atrophy, loss of muscle mass, muscle weakness, steroid myopathy. osteoporosis, pathologic fracture of long bones, postinjection flare, tendon rupture, particularly of the Achilles tendon, vertebral compression fractures, myalgia, muscle atrophy, osteonecrosis, neuropathic arthralgia, growth retardation
Corticosteroids can cause a dose-dependent inhibition of growth in infancy, childhood, and adolescence due to it causing early closure of the epiphyses, which may be irreversible.
Frequency not reported: Acne, allergic dermatitis, dry scaly skin, ecchymosis, hirsutism, petechiae, erythema, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, impaired wound healing, increased sweating, rash, sterile abscess, striae, suppressed reactions to skin tests, thin fragile skin, thinning scalp hair, urticaria, hypertrichosis, angioedema, skin atrophy, hyperhidrosis, pruritus, burning or tingling especially in the perineal area (after IV injection), telangiectasia, pigment disorders
Frequency not reported: Leucocytosis, lymphopenia, eosinopenia, polycythemia, abnormal coagulation, polymorphonuclear leukocytosis
Frequency not reported: Menstrual irregularities, amenorrhea, increased or decreased motility and number of spermatozoa, increased urine calcium
Frequency not reported: Hepatomegaly, elevation in liver enzymes
Frequency not reported: Opportunistic infection, exacerbation of latent infections, decreased resistance to infection, immunosuppression, candidiasis, chicken pox (varicella)
Frequency not reported: Vertigo, abnormal fat deposits, malaise, sterile abscess, impaired healing, fatigue, malaise
Frequency not reported: Hiccups, pulmonary edema
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Dexamethasone Sodium Phos (www.drugs.com/dexamethasone.html).
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