Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid medication[6] used to treat rheumatic problems, a number of skin diseases, severe allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, croup, brain swelling, eye pain following eye surgery, and along with antibiotics in tuberculosis.[6] In adrenocortical insufficiency, it may be used in combination with a mineralocorticoid medication such as fludrocortisone.[6] In preterm labor, it may be used to improve outcomes in the baby.[6] It may be given by mouth, as an injection into a muscle, as an injection into a vein, as a topical cream or ointment for the skin or as a topical ophthalmic solution to the eye.[6] The effects of dexamethasone are frequently seen within a day and last for about three days.[6]
The long-term use of dexamethasone may result in thrush, bone loss, cataracts, easy bruising, or muscle weakness.[6] It is in pregnancy category C in the United States, meaning that it should only be used when the benefits are predicted to be greater than the risks.[1] In Australia, the oral use is category A, meaning it has been frequently used in pregnancy and not been found to cause problems to the baby.[7] It should not be taken when breastfeeding.[6] Dexamethasone has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects.[6]
Dexamethasone was first synthesized in 1957 by Philip Showalter Hench and was approved for medical use in 1961.[8][9][10] It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.[11] In 2017, it was the 321st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than one million prescriptions.[12]