What Is Dexamethasone?
Dexamethasone seems to be a prescription that can reduce inflammation. This corticosteroid appears to be available as a tablet, liquid, eye drop, and topical cream or gel. However, some patients may receive it through an intravenous line. Eye drops may treat eye conditions. The topical form seems to help skin conditions. Unfortunately, this medication may trigger many possible side effects. This may be why patients need close monitoring when they take it. Doctors should know about any infection signs immediately when patients are on this drug.
Patients seem to take this medication as an arthritis treatment. A dexamethasone pill may also act as an effective treatment for ulcerative colitis. As mentioned, it appears to work as a topical medication for eczema and other skin conditions. Of course, patients may need more knowledge on how this medication works before they consider taking it.
How It Should Work
Dexamethasone seems to be a strong prescription corticosteroid. As such, it should reduce inflammation and weaken the patient's immune system. It appears that the reason for reduced inflammation may be thanks to stopping white blood cells from reaching the affected area. However, white blood cells seem to be responsible for fighting infections. This may be why patients on this medication may see more infections.
In addition, this medication may replace hormones that the adrenal glands should have released. Adrenal insufficiency patients seem to benefit from this. Finally, some research indicates that this medication may trigger the death of certain cells. This may provide additional benefits.
Learn about the potential uses for this medication next.
Potential Uses
This medication appears to treat a few forms of arthritis. One of them seems to be gout. It may also reduce flare-ups of certain conditions, such as ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis. Individuals with some skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis, may take this drug too. Cancer patients who need chemotherapy may benefit from this medication as well. They appear to receive it before their treatment. This medication should reduce inflammation and other chemotherapy side effects.
This drug seems to treat swelling from brain and spinal cord tumors. It may help certain cancers too, such as lymphoma and leukemia. Other potential uses appear to include allergic reactions, eye inflammation, and conditions that trigger breathing issues.
Reveal the possible side effects next.
Possible Side Effects
This medication seems to trigger several possible side effects. Some of the common ones appear to include blurry vision, headaches, and dizziness. Patients may experience mood changes often as well. Some individuals may find they experience anxiety, depression, irritability, or agitation on this medication as well. Aggressiveness appears to be another possible side effect. Other side effects may include weight gain, increased appetite, and reduced urination. Trouble walking, thinking, or with speech may occur as well. Some individuals may deal with heartbeat issues, such as theirs being too fast, slow, or irregular. Swelling in the hands and feet seems to be possible also. Some patients may experience numbness in their legs and arms as well.
This medication may have several less common side effects. Examples appear to include eye pain, skin lightening, and pain in the abdomen. Abdominal swelling and backaches seem to be two other examples. Rarely, patients may see hair loss or facial redness. Patients should consider informing their doctor about all side effects. They may need a different dose or new medication for some of them.
Discover the potential precautions with this drug next.
Potential Precautions
Some individuals may not be able to use this medication. Thus, patients may wish to talk to their doctor about their complete medical history first. Thyroid problems, diabetes, and liver disease appear to be among the vital things to mention. This medication seems to increase blood sugar, which may be why diabetes patients need an alternative. Other issues that patients should mention may include a history of depression, stomach ulcers, or high blood pressure. A history of heart failure appears to be vital information as well. As mentioned, patients may be at a higher risk of more infections on this drug. This seems to be because it can suppress their immune system.
Patients may want to call their doctor right away if they think they were exposed to chickenpox or measles. They seem to need prompt treatment to prevent complications from these issues. In addition, patients on this drug may not be able to have a vaccine with any live virus. This medication may also reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. Doctors should supervise patients who want to try stopping this medication. This may help them prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Get the details on the possible medication interactions next.
Possible Medication Interactions
Dexamethasone seems to have over 650 possible medication interactions. Out of these, over one hundred appear to be severe interactions. As a result, patients may want to consider listing all of their current prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements. Their doctor may be able to prevent possible interactions with this list. Pharmacists can recheck this list for additional protection.
This medication may interact with many cancer drugs, such as praziquantel and dasatinib. Sometimes, patients may not be able to take this medicine with cancer drugs. Other times, they appear to need adjusted doses. This may be because this drug seems to reduce the effectiveness of some cancer medications. Close monitoring may also be necessary. Possible interactions seem to exist with some anti-inflammatories, blood thinners, and antiplatelet medications as well. Thus, patients may want to talk to their doctor about their use of these first. For instance, they may need to stop taking a daily Aspirin. However, their doctor should make this decision.
