Dexamethasone

Dexamethasone belongs to a group of medicines called corticosteroids. Dexamethasone is indicated for replacement therapy in secondary adrenal insufficiency arising from insufficient corticotrophin secretion. It is not indicated for primary adrenal insufficiency states, such as Addisons disease or after adrenalectomy. In such cases hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone in combination is more appropriate.

Dexamethasone is also indicated for allergic disorders such as asthma and allergic skin reactions, blood disorders such as leukaemia (high numbers of white blood cells) , thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts) and haemolytic anaemias (low blood counts due to blood cell destruction), selected collagen and rheumatic disorders (only rarely in rheumatoid arthritis), gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, connective tissue disorders such as arteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (but not scleroderma), some skin diseases such as pemphigus, oedema, some eye disorders, certain neoplastic disorders such as cerebral neoplasm, secondary hypercalcaemia, and acute leukaemia in children. It may also be used to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.

Your doctor may have prescribed dexamethasone for another reason.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine or would like to know why dexamethasone has been prescribed for you, ask your doctor.