Dexamethasone, Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: corticosteroid

Generic and brand names: dexamethasone, oral; Decadron; Dexameth; Dexamethasone Intensol; Dexone; Hexadrol

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to relieve inflammation in various parts of the body. It is also used to treat skin problems, allergies, asthma and other lung diseases, arthritis, eye inflammation, leukemia, and lymphoma. This medicine may be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

What should my health care provider know before I take this medicine?

Tell your health care provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to this medicine
• liver disease or kidney disease
• diabetes
• glaucoma
• tuberculosis
• high blood pressure
• osteoporosis
• ulcers
• cataracts
• heart disease or a heart attack
• blood clots
• thyroid disease
• epilepsy
• depression.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking this medicine. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine.

How do I use it?

Take this medicine exactly as your health care provider prescribes. Do not take more or less or take it longer than prescribed. Do not stop taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval. You may have to gradually reduce your dosage.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Taking it with meals may lessen the chance the drug will upset your stomach.

If you miss a dose of this medicine and you are taking just one dose daily, take the missed dose as soon as you remember that same day. If you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose or you miss more than one dose, contact your health care provider.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may make you dizzy or confused. It may also affect your vision. Using this medicine with other medicines or alcohol may make these conditions worse. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are fully alert and can see clearly. Talk to your health care provider about this.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the health care provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

You may get infections more easily when you are taking this medicine. Stay away from people with colds, flu, or other infections. Also, do not have any vaccines without getting your health care provider's approval first.

If you have not had chickenpox, the measles, or tuberculosis (TB), and are exposed to them while taking this medicine, contact your health care provider right away.

Contact your health care provider if your condition does not improve in a few days or if it gets worse.

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your health care provider about this.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your health care provider right away. If you cannot reach your health care provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your health care provider right away): Signs of an infection (fever, sore throat, pain while urinating, muscle pain), sudden weight gain, acne, unusual bruising, swollen ankles, changes in mood, confusion, chest pain, vision changes, severe headache, bloody or black bowel movements; seizures.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, back pain, upset stomach, gas, changes in menstrual period, nervousness, shaking, trouble sleeping.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• aminoglutethimide (Cytadren)
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and secobarbital (Seconal)
• birth control pills
• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• diuretics (water pills) such as furosemide (Lasix), chlorothiazide (Diuril), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL, Esidrix, Oretic), spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium), bumetanide (Bumex), and polythiazide (Renese)
• ephedrine
• estrogens such as Estrace, Estraderm, FemPatch, Vivelle, Premarin, Estinyl, Estratab, and Cenestin
• growth hormones such as somatrem (Protropin) and somatropin (Genotropin, Serostim, Humatrope, Nutropin)
• hydantoins such as phenytoin (Dilantin), mephenytoin (Mesantoin), and fosphenytoin (Cerebyx)
• isoniazid (Laniazid, INH, Nydrazid)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• medicines to treat myasthenia gravis such as ambenomium (Mytelase), edrophonium (Enlon, Reversol, Tensilon), neostigmine (Prostigmin), pyridostigmine (Regonol), and guanidine
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• salicylates
• theophylline
• warfarin (Coumadin).

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.