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All rights reserved. However, there are steps you can take to help you stay as healthy as possible. Take regular exercise and make sure you get enough calcium in your diet to help strengthen your bones. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese and leafy green vegetables. To check your bones, your doctor may arrange for you to have an occasional bone scan. If you have diabetes you may need to check your blood glucose more often. Your doctor can give you more advice about this.
To reduce the chances of eyesight problems, visit an optometrist every 12 months. They will check for high pressure in your eye glaucoma and cataracts. If your child takes dexamethasone for several months, their height and weight need to be monitored carefully.
This is to make sure the steroid is not affecting their growth. Talk to their doctor if you're worried. They will be able to explain the benefits and risks of giving your child dexamethasone. Do not stop taking dexamethasone suddenly, especially if you have been on a high dose for a long time. Your health condition may flare up again.
You may also get extra side effects including:. Your doctor will probably want to reduce your dose gradually over several weeks to prevent these side effects. Do not stop taking dexamethasone without talking to your doctor. You will need to reduce your dose gradually. Some vaccines are not suitable for you while you are taking dexamethasone.
Taking dexamethasone lowers your immune system. If you have a "live" vaccine, like the shingles vaccine, while you are taking dexamethasone your immune system might not be able to handle it. This may lead to an infection. If you take dexamethasone for longer than 3 weeks, or you take more than 6mg a day, your doctor or pharmacist will give you a blue steroid treatment card. The card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse. It tells you how you can reduce the risks of side effects.
It also gives details of your doctor, how much dexamethasone you take and how long the treatment will last for. If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your blue steroid card to the doctor or dentist so they know that you are taking dexamethasone.
However, more severe mood changes and mental health problems may be more likely if you take a higher dose 6mg or more. Taking dexamethasone makes you more likely to catch infections such as flu , the common cold and chest infections. Keep away from people with an infectious disease, especially measles , chickenpox or shingles.
If you get any of these illnesses they could make you very ill. There's no clear evidence to suggest that taking dexamethasone will reduce fertility in either men or women. However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant. Dexamethasone will not affect contraception, including the combined pill or emergency contraception.
Dexamethasone does not make you sleepy and so it's usually safe to drive or ride a bike while taking this medicine. However, do not drive, cycle or operate machinery if your eyesight is affected. Page last reviewed: 4 August Next review due: 4 August Dexamethasone tablets and liquid - Brand names: Neofordex, Glensoludex, Martapan On this page About dexamethasone tablets and liquid Key facts Who can and cannot use dexamethasone tablets and liquid How and when to take dexamethasone Side effects How to cope with side effects of dexamethasone Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about dexamethasone.
About dexamethasone tablets and liquid Dexamethasone is a medicine used to treat a wide range of health conditions. These include: severe skin conditions severe allergies anaphylaxis sickness nausea and vomiting croup swelling inflammation in your eye autoimmune conditions, such as lupus It's used in hospitals as a treatment for severe cases of COVID coronavirus and other serious infections.
It also comes as drops and a spray to treat ear and eye infections. NHS coronavirus advice As long as you have no symptoms of coronavirus infection, carry on taking your prescribed steroid medicine as usual. Updated: 20 March Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today?
You usually take dexamethasone tablets or liquid once a day. It's best to take it in the morning so it does not affect your sleep. The most common side effects are sleep problems, mood changes, indigestion and weight gain.
Tell your doctor if you come into contact with anyone who has measles , chickenpox or shingles while you're taking dexamethasone. If you take dexamethasone for more than 3 weeks, or take more than 6mg a day, you'll get a blue steroid card. Keep this with you at all times. Most adults and children including babies can take dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is also used in the short-term treatment of nausea caused by chemotherapy.
How it does this is not fully understood. It also has been used to stimulate appetite for patients with severe appetite problems. Corticosteroids are used to replace steroids in conditions of adrenal insufficiency low production of needed steroids produced by the adrenal glands.
Note: We strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice. For information about the 4th Angel Mentoring Program visit www. Toggle navigation. Spanish About Chemocare. Coronavirus infection triggers inflammation as the body tries to fight it off.
But sometimes the immune system goes into overdrive and it's this reaction that can prove fatal - the very reaction designed to attack infection ends up attacking the body's own cells.
It's only suitable for people who are already in hospital and receiving oxygen or mechanical ventilation - the most unwell. The drug does not work on people with milder symptoms, because suppressing their immune system at this point would not be helpful. According to the scientists who carried out the trials, one in three deaths could be prevented among patients on ventilators.
For patients on oxygen, it could prevent one death in five. There was no significant benefit for patients who were not receiving respiratory support. The results come from the Recovery Randomised Evaluation of Covid therapy trial, conducted by the University of Oxford. It's testing whether existing medicines used for other conditions could also be useful in treating Covid About 2, patients received a 6mg daily dose of dexamethasone in the trial for 10 days.
Their progress was compared with a random sample of just over 4, patients who received no additional treatment. Scientists hope dexamethasone could eventually be used as part of a suite of drugs which, together, could reduce deaths even further.
It is now recommended for adults, not including those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Dexamethasone is a low-cost drug which already exists and is in good supply.
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