What is Dexamethasone?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Decadron Dexacort DexPak TaperPak Show all
See also: Carfilzomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone Carfilzomib-dexamethasone Daratumumab-bortezomib-dexamethasone Daratumumab-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (DRd) Elotuzumab-lenalidomide-dexamethasone Ixazomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (IRd) Lenalidomide-dexamethasone (Rd)
A corticosteroid primarily used as an anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressant agent in the treatment of a variety of diseases including those of allergic, dermatologic, endocrine, hematologic, inflammatory, neoplastic, nervous system, renal, respiratory, rheumatic, and autoimmune origin.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple myeloma | 58 | 41 | |
| Astrocytoma | 37 | 1 | |
| Multiple sclerosis | 27 | 19 | |
| Amlyoidosis | 24 | 2 | |
| Meniere's disease | 20 | 0 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 22 | |
| Moderate | 58 | |
| Mild | 31 | |
| None | 31 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Dexamethasone
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Insomnia | 8 | |
| Insomnia | 6 | |
| Weight gain | 6 | |
| Elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia) | 5 | |
| Fatigue | 4 | |
| Abdominal bloating | 3 |
Why patients stopped taking Dexamethasone
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Course of treatment ended | 64 | |
| Doctor's advice | 23 | |
| Other | 13 | |
| Side effects too severe | 12 | |
| Did not seem to work | 5 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 1 | |
| Expense | 1 | |
| Personal research | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking Dexamethasone
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 43 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 31 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 13 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 10 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 2 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 2 | |
| 10 years or more | 3 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Dexamethasone after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Lenalidomide (Revlimid) | 2 | |
| Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol Infusion) | 2 | |
| Bortezomib (Velcade) | 1 | |
| Daratumumab-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (DRd) | 1 | |
| Fexofenadine (Allegra) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Dexamethasone and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Prednisone (Prednisone Intensol) | 6 | |
| Bortezomib (Velcade) | 1 | |
| Clobetasol topical (Clobex) | 1 | |
| Hydrocortisone (Cortef) | 1 | |
| Naltrexone (Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)) | 1 |