Doctors prescribe Dexamethasone hormone injections if a course of anti-inflammatory drugs is needed. The drug is highly effective, but its use is associated with certain risks. Side effects may appear. Athletes who are required to take into account the limitations of anti-doping control should be especially careful. "Dexamethasone" affects the weight of the person taking it, but allows you to cope with pain if you use the drug correctly.
What is this about?
The instruction hormone Dexamethasone is classified as a drug that inhibits leukocyte function. This compound inhibits the activity of tissue microphages. The drug slows down the migration of leukocytes to the focus of the inflammatory process, worsens the phagocytosis of macrophages and prevents the appearance of the first type of interleukin. Thanks to the hormonal compound, the membranes of the lysosomes are stabilized, the content of proteolytic enzyme molecules decreases near the inflammatory focus. The capillary permeability observed due to the release of histamine into the circulatory system is reduced. The drug inhibits the activity of fibroblasts, and corrects the processes of collagen generation.
Called the hormone of joy, Dexamethasone inhibits the action of type A2 phospholipase, which slows down the generation of inflammatory mediators - prostaglandins. The production of leukotrienes is slowing down. The release of COX is inhibited, mainly the effect is observed relative to the second type of these molecules. Such processes indirectly lead to a weakening of the generation of prostaglandins and the release of these substances in the body. At the same time, the number of mono- and lymphocytes in the circulatory system decreases, the number of baso- and eosinophils decreases, since the shaped elements move from the bloodstream to the lymphoid tissue. Dexamethasone inhibits the generation of antibodies.
Action Features
Using intravenous hormone Dexamethasone, a person controls the release of beta-lipotropin by the pituitary gland. The release of ACTH is controlled. There is no effect on the concentration of beta-endorphin circulating in the circulatory system. The production of FSH, TSH is reduced. With vascular application, the substance shows a vasoconstrictive effect.
The drug affects carbohydrate metabolism. The strength of the effect is determined by the dose received in the body. A similar dependence is observed regarding the transformation of lipids and proteins. The drug provokes active glucose neogenesis, activates the uptake of amino acids by the liver cells, and affects the functioning of the kidneys. Under its influence, the activity of gluconeogenesis enzymes increases. In liver cells, the hormone increases glycogen accumulation. At the same time, the intensity of the action of glycogen synthetase is growing. Under the influence of a hormonal compound, the production of sugars as a result of protein metabolism is activated. An increase in the sugar content in the circulatory system leads to an active release of insulin. The drug inhibits the uptake of sugars by lipid cells, due to which lipolysis reactions proceed more actively. Due to the active production of insulin, more saturated lipogenesis is observed, which causes the accumulation of fat.
Nuances of effects
Turning to find out whether it is a hormone or not, to the instructions for use of "Dexamethasone", you can see that the drug belongs to the category of hormones, and also find out how it affects the human body. In particular, taking the drug gives a catabolic effect relative to the connective tissue, lymphoid. Similar processes occur in muscle fibers, fatty tissue, skin, and bone tissue. This explains why it is strictly forbidden to use "Dexamethasone" for Cushing's disease, osteoporosis. The catabolic effect can cause growth retardation if a hormonal drug is prescribed to a minor.
At an increased dosage, the drug corrects the excitability of brain tissue. Due to such drug therapy, the threshold for seizure readiness decreases slightly. The production of hydrochloric acid is activated, and gastric pepsin is excessively produced. This explains the danger of peptic ulcer.
Pharmacology: subtleties of processes
Prescribing the hormone "Dexamethasone" to children and adults, the doctor is guided by its anti-inflammatory effect on the human body. Systemic use allows you to achieve anti-allergic effects. Proper use of the drug inhibits the immune system and prevents the pathological proliferation of tissues. External use, local application is justified due to the anti-inflammatory effect and the elimination of allergic manifestations. The vasoconstrictive effect explains why the hormone has an antiexudative effect.
The anti-inflammatory effectiveness of the drug is more significant than that inherent to hydrocortisone, an average of 30 times. In this case, the hormonal compound does not have a mineralocorticoid effect.
Kinetics
The steroid hormone Dexamethasone, when it enters the human body, enters into strong bonds with serum proteins. The efficiency of the process reaches 70%. The substance is capable of seeping through the histohematological barriers. A relatively low volume is excreted in the milk of a nursing mother. Transformation processes are localized in the liver. The elimination half-life is estimated at 2.5 hours with a possible deviation up and down for 30 minutes. Elimination is carried out with urine.
If the drug is prescribed for local application in the treatment of eye diseases, the hormonal compound is absorbed through the ocular cornea. The steroid drug penetrates the moisture of the anterior ophthalmic chamber. With inflammatory processes in the eye tissues, with a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane of the cornea, the absorption rate becomes greater. This fact is reliably proven by specialized studies.
When is it useful?
The steroid hormone Dexamethasone is prescribed for internal use in Addison-Birmer disease. It is used if thyroiditis is established in acute or subacute form. It is possible to prescribe a drug with a low content of thyroid hormones in the circulatory system and ophthalmopathy, in which the patient's condition gradually worsens, and the cause of this is thyrotoxicosis. Indications for the appointment are considered asthma, exacerbated arthritis of the rheumatoid type. You can use a hormonal agent for ulcerative colitis. It is prescribed for pathologies of connective tissue and anemia due to autoimmune processes, if such is categorized as hemolytic.
The hormonal drug will help with thrombocytopenia, it is used to correct agranulocytosis if necessary. The medicine helps with serum sickness and is used for hypoplasia, aplasia of the hematopoietic system.
Diagnoses and Benefits
If you ask the doctor what will help in the acute course of erythroderma, the hormone Dexamethasone, which will be one of the first mentioned by a specialist, will have a positive effect. The same drug is prescribed for patients suffering from the usual form of pemphigus. In the case of acute eczema, a hormonal drug is usually indicated at the beginning of the therapeutic course. Sometimes it is prescribed if necessary to combat malignant diseases. In this case, Dexamethasone is an element of palliative care. It is also used if cerebral edema is established. Previously, other hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used parenterally, then they are transferred directly to Dexamethasone. If the patient has adrenogenital syndrome since birth, Dexamethasone is prescribed for its correction.
Parenteral administration
In this form, the hormone "Dexamethasone" is sometimes prescribed for allergies if sensitization is observed in severe form. The drug is administered if angioedema, bronchial spasm, dermatosis, anaphylactic acute response to drug therapy, serum transfusion are detected. "Dexamethasone" is used to stop the pyrogenic reaction. You can use the drug in case of shock, cerebral edema, trauma, neurosurgery, cerebral hemorrhage. The drug is administered if a patient has a brain radiation injury, as well as for the treatment of meningitis, encephalitis. "Dexamethasone" is effective in asthmatic status, an acute form of hemolytic anemia. A form for parenteral administration is prescribed for thrombocytopenia, some variants of the course of leukemia, to alleviate the condition with agranulocytosis.
The appointment of steroid hormone therapy in severe infections is recommended. The drug is combined with an antibacterial course. You can use the tool to weaken the performance of the adrenal cortex, if the pathological condition is acute. It is prescribed for acute croup and a number of joint diseases. Dexamethasone is useful for osteoarthritis. Parenteral administration is indicated for arthritis, osteochondrosis, neuropathy. The drug is used if the patient is diagnosed with bursitis, tendovaginitis, periarthritis of the shoulder and shoulder blade. You can use "Dexamethasone" in the fight against epicondylitis, styloiditis.
Local application
The hormone Dexamethasone is often prescribed after diagnosing otitis externa. The tool is used if the eardrum is not defeated. You can use the drug with an infection complicated by eczema, localized in the ear canal (external part). The drug is locally applied during infection, inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tissues, paranasal sinuses.
Dosage
To minimize the risk of unwanted reactions and side effects, the hormone Dexamethasone should be used with extreme caution, in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician. The dosage regimen is selected individually, focusing on the diagnosis, the patient’s body condition, and tolerance to steroid treatment. If the pathology is severe, the drug is indicated inside. At the beginning of the course, "Dexamethasone" is used in a dose of 10-15 mg daily. If necessary, the selection of supportive treatment is usually sufficient 2-4.5 mg daily, although sometimes higher dosages are required. The daily volume is divided into a couple of servings. If the drug is indicated by a low dose, the entire daily volume is used in the morning at a time.
Parenteral drug should be administered slowly in drops or stream. This is often practiced in serious condition and in need of emergency care. You can inject the drug into muscle tissue. The use of "Dexamethasone" in an articular bag is sometimes indicated, periarticularly. 4-20 mg of the drug is allowed per day, divided into 3-4 portions. The duration of injective use usually does not exceed four days, after which the patient needs to be transferred to maintenance treatment.
Dosage Features
At the beginning of the therapeutic program, especially in the case of an acute course of the disease, the hormone Dexamethasone is prescribed in a relatively large dose. As the patient's condition stabilizes, the amount of drug entering the body is gradually reduced. Between dose changes, pauses of several days are required. The task of the doctor is to determine the optimal supporting volume or to complete the treatment.
The tool can be used in the treatment of eye diseases. In acute pathologists, the drug is injected into the conjunctival sac dropwise or in a pair. Between applications, pauses from sentries to twice as long are required. As the result is achieved, the amount of funds entering the body is reduced, increasing the pauses between use up to six hours. The duration of the course varies from a couple of days to several weeks, determined by the doctor leading the case. The doctor is repelled by the characteristics of the course of the disease.
An ENT doctor prescribes Dexamethasone for local use. They are guided by the rules developed by the manufacturer for a particular selected tool. Much is determined by the form of the medication and additional ingredients.
Unwanted effects
When using the hormone "Dexamethasone" side effects are more likely to threaten people who scornfully follow the course prescribed by the doctor. The endocrine system can respond to steroid treatment with a decrease in glucose tolerance and diabetes, as well as the manifestation of previously developed latent diabetes. There is a danger of Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome. When prescribing the drug, children need to consider the risk of delayed sexual development. There is a possibility of excessive excretion of calcium ions, weight gain, negative nitrogen balance. Some have sweat glands activated. There is a danger of an excess of sodium, a lack of potassium in the body. Perhaps the state of delirium, euphoria. Some had hallucinations, developed manic syndrome and depressive psychosis. There is a chance of paranoia, increased pressure inside the skull, anxiety and nervousness. There have been cases of worsening sleep, seizures, and vertigo. Some were sick and dizzy. Among the possible side effects of the hormone "Dexamethasone" stands out cerebellar pseudotumor.
Hormonal treatment can provoke arrhythmia, rapidness, weakening, disturbance of the rhythm of the heartbeat. With a weak organ, there is a chance of a deterioration in the general condition of the patient. Possible increase in pressure. There is a danger of thrombosis, excessive blood clotting. With a heart attack in an acute, subacute form, the necrotic focus under the influence of hormonal treatment can increase, and the processes of the appearance of scar tissue become slower. Intracranial use is accompanied by the danger of nosebleeds.
Among the side effects of the hormone "Dexamethasone" noted vomiting, nausea, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, esophagitis, changes in appetite, hiccups, increased gas formation. There is a danger of cataracts, increased pressure in the eye, trophic pathologies of the cornea. Perhaps a slowdown in growth, aseptic necrotic processes in the musculoskeletal system. There is a danger of blackheads, stretch marks. Under the influence of hormones, wounds heal more slowly. There is a danger of an allergic reaction, necrotic processes in the area of injective administration, as well as exacerbation of infection or the development of such due to weakened immunity.
Sometimes you can’t
As can be concluded from the reviews, the side effects of the hormone "Dexamethasone" are especially pronounced if a person uses the drug on his own, without the supervision of a doctor, unreasonably long and in the wrong dose. Another factor that increases the likelihood of severe adverse reactions is the failure to comply with the restrictions and contraindications to the use of a medicinal product. If the drug is prescribed for a short course, and the reason for this is a life-threatening condition, the only obstacle to use is the increased susceptibility of the hormonal substance to the patient's body.
If it is supposed to introduce into the joint, into the focus of pathological changes, Dexamethasone is not used if the patient has previously undergone arthroplasty, if there is bleeding in the pathological form, due to the characteristics of the body or the drug course. You can not use a steroid drug for intraarticular bone fracture, septic joint site of inflammation. "Dexamethasone" is not prescribed for periarticular infection, including previous, general inflammatory disease, severe osteoporosis near the joint, "dry" process. You can not use the tool for articular administration with severe deformity, destruction of bones near the affected area, joint instability due to arthritis. Contraindication is aseptic necrosis of the bone epiphyses that form the articular site.
Limitations: external treatment and eye diseases
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Very carefully, the drug is prescribed for infection, infection with parasites, if the cause of the disease is fungi, viruses, bacteria. Not only current diseases, but also recent ones, as well as contacts with a sick person, are taken into account. These include herpes simplex viruses, herpes zoster, and measles and smallpox. Precautions require infection with amoeba, strongyloidosis, tuberculosis, systemic fungal infection. If hormonal treatment is necessary in case of severe infection, Dexamethasone is used only when the patient receives additional adequate drug therapy.
Will it help me?
As can be concluded from the reviews, the hormone Dexamethasone shows a good effect in a number of serious illnesses, allows you to cope with a very acute sensitization of the body, and facilitates the course of inflammatory processes. Persons who use the tool recognize its reliability, at the same time note the likelihood of side effects. Most people who have undergone such treatment have gained weight. In reviews of the hormone Dexamethasone, you can see stories about cases of the formation of necrotic foci in the area of administration of the drug. Many complained of peptic ulcer following the main course.
As a rule, “Dexamethasone” is prescribed when the patient’s condition is quite serious, so the side effects from the use of the medicine are relatively small against the benefit of the drug. This imposes restrictions on the possible use of the drug on their own - the risks are too high. This is confirmed by the reviews of people who tried to use the steroid medicine at their discretion: the majority remained dissatisfied with the result.
About accuracy
Sometimes the hormone "Dexamethasone" is prescribed after vaccination. In this period, you need to be especially careful. It is necessary to monitor the patient's condition two months before the vaccine is administered, a couple of weeks after the injection. It is important to regularly monitor the condition of the patient with lymphadenitis who received the BCG vaccine. Caution requires the appointment of "Dexamethasone" with a weak immune system, HIV, AIDS.
The drug is prescribed very carefully for hormonal imbalances (sometimes it is necessary to use the drug for women whose body has an increased concentration of male hormone). "Dexamethasone" can be used for a number of gastric, intestinal diseases, but it also requires you to be extremely careful. If gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis are established, you need to constantly check the performance of the organs. This requires anastomosis, nonspecific colitis, accompanied by a risk of perforation, as well as diverticulitis.