Is dexamethasone a steroid

Dexamethasone Generic name: dexamethasone (oral) [ dex-a-METH-a-sone] Brand names: Dosage forms: oral concentrate (1 mg/mL), oral liquid (0.5 mg/5 mL), oral tablet (0.5 mg; 0.75 mg; 1 mg; 1.5 mg; 2 mg; 20 mg; 4 mg; 6 mg) Drug class: Medically reviewed by • • • • • • • What is dexamethasone? Dexamethasone is used to treat many different inflammatory conditions such as allergic disorders and skin conditions. Dexamethasone is also used to treat There are many brands and forms of dexamethasone available. Not all brands are listed on this leaflet. Warnings 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 ...

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur: More common • Aggression • agitation • anxiety • blurred vision • decrease in the amount of urine • dizziness • fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse • headache • irritability • mental depression • mood changes • nervousness • noisy, rattling breathing • numbness or tingling in the arms or legs • pounding in the ears • swelling of the fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs • trouble thinking, speaking, or walking • troubled breathing at rest • weight gain Incidence not known • Abdominal or stomach cramping and/or burning (severe) or pain • backache • bloody, black, or tarry stools • cough or hoarseness • darkening of the skin • decrease in height • decreased vision • diarrhea • dry mouth • eye pain • eye tearing • facial hair growth in females • fainting • fatigue • fever or chills • flushed, dry skin • fractures • fruit-like breath odor • full or round face, neck, or trunk • heartburn and/or indigestion (severe and continuous) • increased hunger • increased thirst • increased urination • loss of appetite • loss of sexual desire or ability • lower back or side pain • menstrual irregularities • muscle pain or tenderness • muscle wasting or weakness • nausea • pain in the back, ribs, arms, or legs • painful or difficult urination • skin rash • sleeplessness • sweating • trouble healing • trouble sleeping • unexplained weight loss • unusual tiredness or weakness • vision changes • vomi...

Steroid medications are used in a wide variety of emergency medical situations as well as for many other acute and chronic inflammatory conditions and disease states. Dexamethasone and prednisone are two prescription steroids that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both drugs are corticosteroids , also known as glucocorticoids or steroids. They are used for a wide variety of inflammatory conditions in many organ systems. Corticosteroids work by causing metabolic effects and modifying the body’s immune response to stimuli. Although dexamethasone and prednisone are both steroids, they have some differences, which we will describe below. Comparing dexamethasone vs. prednisone What is dexamethasone? Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, or steroid, medication. Although dexamethasone is usually filled as a generic drug, some brand names that contain dexamethasone include Decadron, Hemady, and TaperDex. Oral dexamethasone is available as a tablet and oral solution. It is also available as an injection and in certain ophthalmic (eye) products. Dexamethasone is known as a long-acting drug. Its half-life is 36 to 72 hours. What is prednisone? Prednisone is also a steroid medication. Prednisone may be referred to as Deltasone, but the brand name is no longer available. Prednisone is available as a generic product in the forms of a tablet and oral solution. Prednisone is known as an intermediate-acting drug. Its half-life is about three to four hours. ...

Description and Brand Names Drug information provided by: US Brand Name • Baycadron Elixer • Decadron • Dekpak 13 Day Taperpak • Dexamethasone Intensol • DexPak • DexPak 10 Day TaperPak • DexPak Jr • Zema-Pak Descriptions Dexamethasone provides relief for inflamed areas of the body. It is used to treat a number of different conditions, such as inflammation (swelling), severe allergies, adrenal problems, arthritis, asthma, blood or bone marrow problems, kidney problems, skin conditions, and flare-ups of multiple sclerosis. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid (cortisone-like medicine or steroid). It works on the immune system to help relieve swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions. Dexamethasone tablets are also used in combination with other anti-myeloma products for the treatment of adults with multiple myeloma. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms: • Tablet • Elixir • Solution Before Using In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered: Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, ...

Some illnesses have clear signs that tell you what they are, like the bull’s-eye whoop of When you have Cushing syndrome, you have high levels of The challenge with Cushing syndrome is that the signs and symptoms can look a lot like many other diseases. So doctors typically do more than one test to make sure you have it. One of those tests has a mouthful of a name -- it’s an “overnight What’s Cushing Syndrome? You get this syndrome when you have high levels of cortisol for a long time. It can cause • • • When your body makes too much cortisol, it’s often because of a tumor. In some cases, these tumors are cancerous, but usually they’re not. A tumor on your pituitary gland is the most common one that causes Cushing syndrome. It’s not Adrenal tumors are the second most common cause of Cushing syndrome. The may or may not be cancerous. You can also get tumors on other organs where the tumor itself makes ACTH. This is called an ectopic ACTH-secreting hormone. Again, it leads to too much cortisol. How Does the Test Work? Dexamethasone is a manmade version of cortisol. After you take a dose of it, your body should make less cortisol. That’s the idea behind the test -- take some dexamethasone and see whether your cortisol level drops. Usually, the test is done overnight, but it can also be done over 2 days. There are two doses you can take for the test: low dose and high dose. The low-dose test helps you find out if you have Cushing syndrome or not. You typically get 1 mg of dexa...

What is this medication? DEXAMETHASONE (dex a METH a sone) is a corticosteroid. It is commonly used to treat inflammation of the skin, joints, lungs, and other organs. Common conditions treated include asthma, allergies, and arthritis. It is also used for other conditions, like blood disorders and diseases of the adrenal glands. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Baycadron, Decadron What should I tell my care team before I take this medication? They need to know if you have any of these conditions: • Cushing's syndrome • diabetes • glaucoma • heart disease • high blood pressure • infection like herpes, measles, tuberculosis, or chickenpox • kidney disease • liver disease • mental illness • myasthenia gravis • osteoporosis • previous heart attack • seizures • stomach or intestine problems • thyroid disease • an unusual or allergic reaction to dexamethasone, corticosteroids, other medicines, lactose, foods, dyes, or preservatives • pregnant or trying to get pregnant • breast-feeding How should I use this medication? Take this medicine by mouth with a full glass of water. Use the dosing dispenser provided to measure your dose. You may mix the dose with a small amount of liquid or soft food like pudding. If you do, you should eat the food or drink the liquid containing the medicine right away. Do not store the diluted medicine for future use. Follow the directions on the prescri...