Dexametasona

About dexamethasone

Dexamethasone belongs to a group of medicines called corticosteroids. It is sometimes referred to simply as an oral steroid. Corticosteroids are produced naturally in your body. They help to keep you healthy. By boosting your body with extra corticosteroid, it can help treat conditions involving inflammation.

Oral steroids are used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Some examples include inflammatory bowel diseases (for example, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), autoimmune diseases (for example, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), sarcoidosis), joint and muscle diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis), and allergies. Dexamethasone is also used in the treatment of some cancers and in people receiving palliative care. In children, it is prescribed to treat a breathing condition called croup.

Dexamethasone is also used to diagnose Cushing's disease (an adrenal gland disorder), and is prescribed as a treatment for people who have a disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Dexamethasone is also used to treat inflammation in the eyes. More information about this can be found in our leaflet Dexamethasone eye drops for inflammation.

Before taking dexamethasone

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking dexamethasone it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si tiene la tensión arterial alta (hipertensión).

• Si ha sufrido un infarto de miocardio o tiene cualquier otro problema cardíaco.

• Si tiene algún problema con el funcionamiento de su hígado, o si tiene algún problema con el funcionamiento de sus riñones.

• Si usted (o un familiar cercano) padece diabetes o una enfermedad ocular llamada glaucoma.

• Si padece alguna de las siguientes enfermedades: tiroides hipoactiva, "adelgazamiento" de los huesos (osteoporosis), epilepsia, debilidad muscular (miastenia grave), úlcera de estómago o trastornos intestinales.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido un problema de salud mental.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. (Oral steroids like dexamethasone can be taken while you are expecting or breastfeeding; however, it is important that your doctor knows about the baby.)

• Si tiene algún tipo de infección en este momento, o si alguna vez ha padecido tuberculosis (TB).

• Si alguna vez ha tenido un coágulo de sangre no deseado en una arteria o una vena.

• Si se ha vacunado recientemente o está a punto de vacunarse.

• Si toma o utiliza otros medicamentos. Esto incluye todos los medicamentos que se pueden comprar sin receta, así como las hierbas medicinales y los medicamentos complementarios.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento, o si alguna vez ha desarrollado dolor muscular después de tomar un medicamento esteroide.

How to take dexamethasone

• Before starting the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack and any additional information you are given by your doctor. These will give you more information about dexamethasone and will also provide you with a full list of side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how much to take, and when to take your doses. Depending upon the reason why you are taking dexamethasone, you will be prescribed either a single dose, or a course of treatment. If you are prescribed a single dose, your doctor will tell you at what time to take the medicine. If you are prescribed a course of treatment, it is usual to take the doses once a day, straight after breakfast. However, if you are taking dexamethasone for CAH or as a test for Cushing's syndrome, you will be advised to take your doses at bedtime.

• Take dexamethasone with something to eat. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

• Si olvida tomar una dosis a la hora habitual, tómela en cuanto se acuerde (con algo de comer). Si no se acuerda hasta el día siguiente, omita la dosis olvidada. No tome dos dosis juntas para compensar la dosis olvidada.

• Continue to take dexamethasone until your doctor tells you to stop. Once you have been taking dexamethasone for more than three weeks, stopping taking it suddenly can cause problems, so your doctor will want to reduce your dose gradually over a period of time if/when this becomes necessary.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• If your course of treatment is due to last more than three weeks, you will be given a 'Steroid Treatment Card' which says that you are on steroids and contains some important advice for you. It is important that you read this card and carry it with you at all times. It also contains details about your dose, how long you have been taking dexamethasone for, and who prescribed it for you. Please make sure that this information is kept up to date. If you are having an operation or dental treatment or any treatment for an injury, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking dexamethasone and show them your treatment card. This is because your dose may need adjusting.

• Procure acudir a las citas periódicas con su médico. Así podrá comprobar su evolución. Su médico querrá que se someta a pruebas de vez en cuando para asegurarse de que sigue libre de algunos de los efectos secundarios no deseados del tratamiento.

• Dexamethasone can suppress your immune system, so it is important if you become ill that you make an appointment to see your doctor straightaway. Also, if you come into contact with anyone who has measles, shingles or chickenpox (or anyone who suspects they might have them), you must see your doctor as soon as possible.

• Some vaccines are not suitable for you while you are being treated with dexamethasone. If you need any immunisations, make sure you mention that you are taking an oral steroid.

• If you buy any medicines, check with your pharmacist that they are suitable to take with dexamethasone.

Can dexamethasone cause problems?

Along with its useful effects, dexamethasone can cause unwanted side-effects which your doctor will discuss with you. The benefits of taking an oral steroid usually outweigh the side-effects; however, they can sometimes be troublesome. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with dexamethasone. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below.

Aunque no todas las personas experimentan efectos secundarios, y algunos mejorarán a medida que su cuerpo se adapte al nuevo medicamento, hable con su médico o farmacéutico si le preocupa alguno de los siguientes:

Important: you should let your doctor know if you start to experience blurred vision or other vision problems whilst taking dexamethasone.

For more information about side-effects which are possible when dexamethasone is taken long-term, see the separate leaflet called Oral Steroids.

How to store dexamethasone

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y de la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos