What happens if i stop taking dexamethasone

Ear drops will have a schedule of three or four doses a day. These can be complex dosing schedules, so use an alarm, medication diary, or smartphone app to be sure not to miss a dose.

Talk to a doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional for medical advice about what to do for a missed dose. Because of the risk of side effects, inform the healthcare professional prescribing or dispensing dexamethasone about all medical conditions and medications, including:. To minimize adverse effects when taking dexamethasone over the long-term, follow-up visits and tests may be required to monitor blood pressure, hormone function, blood sugar levels, signs of infection, and other possible problems caused by corticosteroid use.

These follow-up visits can spot issues before they become serious problems, so make sure to show up to appointments. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen can increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems when taken with dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone is a vital and even life-saving medication with a wide variety of potentially hazardous drug interactions. Always carry a medical record card on your person that includes all medications being taken along with their doses and dosing schedule. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Dexamethasone side effects and how to avoid them. By SingleCare Team Apr. Top Reads in Drug Info. Can you mix Trintellix and alcohol? Does hydroxyzine for anxiety work?

Do coffee and Zoloft mix? Treating heartburn during pregnancy Oct. Looking for a prescription? Search now! Type your drug name. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Dexamethasone pronounced as dex a meth' a sone. Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used?

What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause?

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names. Before taking dexamethasone, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to dexamethasone, aspirin, tartrazine a yellow dye in some processed foods and drugs , or any other drugs.

If you become pregnant while taking dexamethasone, call your doctor. Dexamethasone makes your stomach and intestines more susceptible to the irritating effects of alcohol, aspirin, and certain arthritis medications: this effect increases your risk of ulcers. Dexamethasone may cause an upset stomach. Take dexamethasone with food or milk. Dexamethasone may cause side effects. What other information should I know?

If your condition worsens, call your doctor. This can make them less effective, and raise your risk of clots or stroke.

Warfarin is also used to thin the blood. Using dexamethasone with this drug may result in changes to your risk of bleeding. Your doctor may need to monitor you closely. If you take dexamethasone with certain drugs used to lower cholesterol, it can keep your body from absorbing dexamethasone well. This could keep dexamethasone from working well. Using this drug with dexamethasone may decrease the amount of dexamethasone in your body.

This means it may not work as well. Dexamethasone may increase your blood glucose. If you take diabetes drugs, your doctor may need to change your dose. When used with dexamethasone, certain drugs used to treat epilepsy can lower the level of dexamethasone in your blood. This can keep dexamethasone from working well. Digoxin is used to treat heart rhythm problems or heart failure.

Taking this drug with dexamethasone could increase your risk of irregular heartbeats caused by low potassium levels. Taking certain hormones with dexamethasone can cause decreased levels of these hormones in your body. Your doctor may have to adjust your dose of either the dexamethasone or hormone medications.

Taking certain drugs used to treat HIV with dexamethasone can reduce the levels of these drugs in your body. This means they may not work as well, and your body may stop responding to your HIV medications. Your doctor may avoid use of these drugs with dexamethasone.

Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs with dexamethasone raises your risk of stomach upset. Talk with your doctor about whether you can take these drugs together. When used with dexamethasone, certain drugs used to treat tuberculosis TB can lower the level of dexamethasone in your blood.

Isoniazid is another TB drug. This can keep isoniazid from working well. Avoid getting live vaccines when taking dexamethasone. Dexamethasone can decrease your aspirin levels. This can make aspirin less effective and increase your risk of heart attack. Also, aspirin can increase your risk of bleeding from stomach ulceration sores when used with dexamethasone.

If you take aspirin, talk with your doctor about whether dexamethasone is safe for you. Thalidomide is used to treat skin lesions and multiple myeloma. Combining it with dexamethasone can cause toxic epidermal necrolysis. This skin condition can be life threatening. If your doctor prescribes both of these drugs for you, they will be cautious about effects the combination can cause.

Cyclosporine is used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, as well as to treat rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. This would raise your risk of infection. Seizures have also been reported when these drugs are used together.

However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.

If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. If your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room. How do I take it? How long should I be on steroid treatment for? What is budesonide? Will I need to take any special precautions while being treated with steroids? Are there alternatives to steroids?