Dexamethasone 500 Microgram Tablets
Out of date information, search another1. What this medicine is and what it is used for
2. Before you take Dexamethasone Tablets
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER Dexamethasone® 500 microgram Tablets
Your medicine is known as the above but will be referred to as Dexamethasone throughout the remainder of this leaflet.
Dexamethasone is a steroid medicine, prescribed for many different conditions, including serious illnesses.
• You need to take it regularly to get the maximum benefit.
• Don't stop taking this medicine without talking to your doctor -you may need to reduce the dose gradually.
• Dexamethasone can cause side effects in some people (read Section 4 below). Some problems such as mood changes (feeling depressed, or 'high'), or stomach problems can happen straight away. If you feel unwell in any way, keep taking your tablets, but see your doctor straight away.
• Some side effects only happen after weeks or months. These include weakness of arms and legs, or developing a rounder face (read Section 4 for more information).
• If you take it for more than 3 weeks, you will get a blue ‘steroid card': always keep it with you and show it to any doctor or nurse treating you.
• Keep away from people who have chickenpox or shingles, if
you have never had them. They could affect you severely. If you do come into contact with chickenpox or shingles, see your doctor straight away.
Now read the rest of this leaflet. It includes other important information on the safe and effective use of this medicine that might be especially important for you.
Please read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What this medicine is and what it is used for
2. Before you take Dexamethasone Tablets
3. How to take Dexamethasone Tablets
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Dexamethasone Tablets
6. Further information
Dexamethasone belongs to a group of medicines called steroids. Their full name is corticosteroids. These corticosteroids occur naturally in the body, and help to maintain health and well-being. Boosting your body with extra corticosteroid (such as dexamethasone) is an effective way to treat various illnesses involving inflammation in the body.
Dexamethasone reduces this inflammation, which could otherwise go on making your condition worse. You must take this medicine regularly to get maximum benefit from it.
Some of the illnesses and conditions that dexamethasone is used for include:
• swelling of the brain and increased pressure in the brain caused by a tumour
• severe allergic reactions
• blood disorders such as leukaemia and haemolytic anaemia (a reduction in red blood cells which can make the skin pale yellow and cause weakness or breathlessness)
• sarcoidosis, an immune disease that can lead to excessive levels of calcium and vitamin D in the body
• inflammation of the heart in association with heart attack or heart surgery
• intestinal disorders, e.g. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis
• respiratory disorders such as asthma
• tuberculosis (together with appropriate chemotherapy)
• certain inflammatory skin and muscular disorders
• inflammation of the eye
• rheumatoid arthritis
• kidney inflammation caused by SLE, a disease of the immune system.
Do NOT take Dexamethasone Tablets if you
• are allergic to dexamethasone or to any of the other ingredients (see Section 6)
• have an untreated infection affecting your whole body
• have a fungal infection affecting the whole of your body, e.g. thrush
• are to have a 'live virus' vaccination.
If any of the above apply to you, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Check with your doctor first
• If you have ever had severe depression or manic depression (bipolar disorder). This includes having had depression before while taking steroid medicines like dexamethasone.
• If any of your close family has had these illnesses.
If either of these applies to you, talk to a doctor before taking
dexamethasone.
Take special care with Dexamethasone Tablets
Before taking the tablets, tell your doctor if you have any of these conditions as additional monitoring may be required:
• recently suffered from a heart attack
• tuberculosis
• kidney or liver problems, including cirrhosis
• an underactive thyroid
• high blood pressure
• diabetes, or a family history of diabetes; your doctor may need to increase your dose of diabetic treatment
• heart problems
• thinning of the bones (osteoporosis)
• raised pressure in the eye(s) (glaucoma) or a family history of glaucoma
• myasthenia gravis (which causes weakened muscles)
• intestinal or stomach problems
• had muscle weakness with steroids in the past
• an eye infection caused by herpes virus
• malaria affecting the brain
• epilepsy
• severe mental health problems or if you ever had severe depression or manic depression (bipolar disorder) or if a family member has or has ever had these problems. This includes having had depression before while taking steroids.
Pay attention when using Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone should not be used routinely in preterm neonates with respiratory problems.
Use in children
Long term use of steroids at high doses may cause slowing of growth in children. Your doctor may check your child's height at intervals during treatment and reduce the dose if any effects are seen.
Mental problems while taking dexamethasone
Mental health problems can happen while taking steroids like dexamethasone (see also Section 4 Possible side effects)
• These illnesses can be serious
• Usually they start within a few days or weeks of starting the medicine.
• They are more likely to happen at high doses.
• Most of these problems go away if the dose is lowered or the medicine is stopped. However, if problems do happen, they might need treatment.
Talk to a doctor if you (or someone taking this medicine), show any signs of mental problems. This is particularly important if you are depressed, or might be thinking about suicide. In a few cases, mental problems have happened when doses are being lowered or stopped.
Chickenpox, shingles, measles
These infections will become more serious during treatment with steroids, and you will require urgent specialist care if you become exposed to someone with these infections. DO NOT stop taking the tablets.
If you have not had chickenpox, shingles or measles, you should AVOID contact with anyone who has these illnesses.
If you think that you have been exposed to any of these infections, seek immediate medical attention. Do this if you are taking these tablets, or have taken them during the previous 3 months.
Surgery or other treatment by a doctor, dentist or nurse
If you have an accident, become ill, require any surgery (including at the dentist's), or are to have any 'live virus' vaccinations during or after treatment with Dexamethasone Tablets, you MUST tell the person treating you that you are taking or have taken steroids.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal preparations.
Some medicines may be affected by dexamethasone or they may affect how well dexamethasone will work. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking:
• aspirin or similar medicines
• phenytoin (to treat epilepsy)
• ephedrine (a nasal decongestant)
• barbiturates (to treat sleeplessness and epilepsy)
• ketoconazole (for fungal infections)
• rifampicin and rifabutin (antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis)
• erythromycin or similar antibiotics
• medicines used to treat HIV
• anticoagulants (to thin the blood), such as warfarin
• medicines for diabetes, including insulin; your doctor may need to increase your dose of diabetic treatment
• diuretics (water tablets)
• carbamazepine (for epilepsy, pain, manic depression)
• aminoglutethimide (a cancer medicine)
• thalidomide (to treat leprosy)
• indometacin, as this may affect dexamethasone tests for certain diseases.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Dexamethasone may pass to your unborn baby or into breast milk.
DO NOT take dexamethasone if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or while breast-feeding unless advised to by your doctor.
Steroids may affect sperm count and movement, in men.
Ask your doctor for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines
Dexamethasone is unlikely to affect your ability to operate machinery or to drive.
