Content
Betamethasone, also known as betamethasone dipropionate, is a drug with anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-rheumatic action, sold commercially under the names of Diprospan, Dipronil or Dibetam, for example.
Betamethasone can be used in ointment, tablets, drops or injectable and should only be used by medical advice, relieving symptoms such as itching, redness, allergies, dermatological conditions, collagen, inflammation of bones, joints and soft tissues or cancer.
Some creams and ointments have betamethasone in their composition, such as Betaderm, Betnovate, Candicort, Dermatisan, Diprogenta, Naderm, Novacort, Permut, Quadriderm and Verutex.
What is it for
Betamethasone in cream or tablet is indicated to relieve inflammation, discomfort and itching in some diseases, the main ones being:
- Osteoarticular diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, ankylosing spondylitis, epicondylitis, radiculitis, coccidinia, sciatica, lumbago, torticollis, ganglion cyst, exostosis, fascitis;
- Allergic conditions: chronic bronchial asthma, hay fever, angioneurotic edema, allergic bronchitis, seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, drug reactions, sleeping sickness and insect bites;
- Dermatological conditions: atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, severe contact or solar dermatitis, urticaria, hypertrophic lichen planus, diabetic lipoid necrobiosis, alopecia areata, discoid lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, keloids, pemphigus, herpetiform dermatitis and cystic acne;
- Collagenoses: Systemic lupus erythematosus; scleroderma; dermatomyositis; nodular periarteritis. Neoplasms: For the palliative treatment of leukemias and lymphomas in adults; acute childhood leukemia.
In addition, it can be used in the treatment of adrenogenital syndrome, ulcerative colitis, regional ileitis, bursitis, nephritis and nephrotic syndrome, in which case the use of betamethasone must be supplemented with mineralocorticoids. Injectable betamethasone is recommended when the drug does not respond to systemic corticosteroids.
How to use
How betamethasone is used depends on the person's age and condition that they want to be treated, as well as how it is used. Thus, in the case of creams with betamethasone it is recommended that both adults and children use a small amount of the cream on the skin 1 to 4 times a day for a maximum period of 14 days.
In adults, the initial dose varies from 0.25 mg to 8.0 mg per day, the latter being the maximum daily dose. For children, the starting dose can vary from 0.017 mg to 0.25 mg per kg of weight.
Possible side effects
The side effects of betamethasone are related to the dose and time of treatment, with high blood pressure, itching, muscle weakness and pain, loss of muscle mass, osteoporosis, vertebral fractures, inflammation of the pancreas, abdominal distension, ulcerative esopharyngitis and impaired healing. of the tissues.
Some people may also report bruises, facial erythema, increased sweating, dizziness, headache, menstrual irregularities, development of Cushing's syndrome, decreased carbohydrate tolerance, clinical manifestations of diabetes with increased daily insulin requirements or oral hypoglycemic agents .
Although there are several adverse effects related to the use of betamethasone, these reactions can be reversed only by changing the dose or suspending the treatment, and should be guided by the doctor.
When not indicated
The use of betamethasone should be guided by the doctor, it is not recommended for people who have active and / or systemic infection, hypersensitivity to the components of the formula or other corticosteroids and for children under 2 years of age, in addition to not being recommended for women with risky pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
In addition, betamethasone should not be administered to the muscle in people with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and should not be applied to the vein or skin in cases of patients with non-specific ulcerative colitis, if there is a possibility of imminent perforation, abscess or other pyogenic infection, diverticulitis, recent intestinal anastomosis, active or latent peptic ulcer, renal failure or hypertension, osteoporosis and myasthenia.
Drug interactions
Betamethasone can interact with other medications and, therefore, should not be consumed together, as there may be interference in the effect. Thus, the drugs that should not be used together with betamethasone are: phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampicin and ephedrine, estrogens, digitalis, amphotericin B; coumarins, non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs and alcohol, salicylates, acetylsalicylic acid, hypoglycemic agents and glucocorticoids.
Created by: Tua Saúde Editorial Team
Bibliography>
- EMS. Betamethasone. Available in: . Accessed on 30 Sep 2020