Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone Zentiva contains the active substance dexamethasone, which is a synthetic glucocorticosteroid (adrenal cortex hormone). It affects metabolism, electrolyte balance, and tissue function.
Dexamethasone Zentiva is used in diseases that require systemic glucocorticosteroid therapy. Depending on the type and severity, these include:
Dexamethasone Zentiva 0.5 mg, 1 mg is also used during:
Dexamethasone Zentiva 1 mg, 4 mg is also used during:
Before taking Dexamethasone Zentiva, discuss it with your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
If you are taking other steroid medicines, do not stop taking them unless your doctor tells you to do so.
General precautions for the use of steroid medicines in certain diseases, masking of infection symptoms, concomitant use of other medicines, etc. should be taken in accordance with current recommendations.
Treatment with glucocorticosteroids can lead to adrenal insufficiency (insufficient production of glucocorticosteroids by the body), which, depending on the dose and duration of treatment, can last for several months, and in some cases even more than a year after the end of therapy.
If you experience any of the following during treatment with glucocorticosteroids: fever, injuries, surgical procedures, childbirth, etc., inform your doctor or the emergency doctor about the treatment you are taking. It may be necessary to temporarily increase the daily dose of Dexamethasone Zentiva. Administration of glucocorticoids may also be necessary in stressful situations when adrenal insufficiency persists after the end of treatment.
During long-term treatment with Dexamethasone Zentiva, your doctor should provide you with a card informing you about taking corticosteroids, which you should always carry with you.
In order to avoid acute adrenal insufficiency caused by therapy, when it is planned to stop treatment, the doctor will establish a dose reduction plan, which must be strictly followed.
Treatment with Dexamethasone Zentiva may increase the risk of bacterial, viral, parasitic, opportunistic, and fungal infections due to the weakening of the body's defense mechanisms. Signs and symptoms of existing or developing infections may be masked and difficult to detect. Latent infections may recur.
ifthe doctor considers it absolutely necessary. In some cases, specific anti-infective medicines must be used at the same time:
If you experience blurred vision or other vision disturbances, you should contact your doctor.
Taking this medicine may cause a crisis in the course of a pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor), which can be life-threatening.
Pheochromocytoma is a rare adrenal gland tumor. A crisis in its course may occur with the following symptoms: headache, excessive sweating, palpitations, and increased blood pressure. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Before starting treatment with Dexamethasone Zentiva, you should discuss it with your doctor if you suspect or have been diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor).
Signs of peritoneal irritation after gastrointestinal perforation may not occur in patients taking high doses of glucocorticosteroids.
In diabetic patients, metabolism should be regularly monitored. The possible need for increased doses of diabetes medications (insulin, oral antidiabetic drugs) should be considered.
Patients with severe hypertension and/or severe heart failure should be closely monitored, as there is a risk of worsening their condition.
High doses may cause a decrease in heart rate.
Severe anaphylactic reactions (excessive immune system response) may occur.
When Dexamethasone Zentiva is administered concurrently with fluoroquinolones (a type of antibiotic), the risk of tendon disorders, tendonitis, and tendon rupture is increased.
During treatment of a certain type of muscle paralysis (myasthenia), symptoms may worsen at the beginning.
Vaccinations with killed microorganism vaccines (inactivated vaccines) are generally possible.
However, it should be noted that the immune response, and thus the response to vaccination, may be weakened with higher doses of corticosteroids.
Viral diseases (such as measles, chickenpox) can have a particularly severe course in patients treated with Dexamethasone Zentiva. Patients with weakened immunity who have not had measles or chickenpox before are particularly at risk. If these patients come into contact with people with measles or chickenpox during treatment with Dexamethasone Zentiva, they should immediately contact their doctor, who may initiate preventive treatment if necessary.
Symptoms of tumor lysis syndrome, such as muscle cramps, muscle weakness, confusion, vision loss or disturbances, and shortness of breath, if you have a blood cancer.
Dexamethasone should not be routinely used in premature infants with respiratory failure.
In children, Dexamethasone Zentiva should only be used when there are valid medical reasons related to the risk of growth retardation, and during long-term treatment, growth should be regularly monitored. The duration of treatment with Dexamethasone Zentiva should be limited or the medicine should be used alternately (e.g., every other day, but in a double dose) (alternate-day therapy).
In elderly patients, caution should be exercised due to the risk of osteoporosis.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking, have recently taken, or plan to take.
You should inform your doctor if you are taking ritonavir or cobicistat, as this may increase the blood levels of dexamethasone.
Glucocorticosteroids may suppress skin reactions in allergy tests.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Pregnancy
Dexamethasone crosses the placenta. During pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, the medicine should only be used after careful evaluation of the benefit-risk ratio. If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor. It is not possible to exclude the occurrence of fetal growth disorders during long-term use of glucocorticosteroids during pregnancy. If glucocorticosteroids are administered at the end of pregnancy, there is a risk of adrenal insufficiency in the fetus, which may require substitution treatment with gradual dose reduction in newborns.
Breastfeeding
Glucocorticosteroids, including dexamethasone, pass into breast milk. So far, no cases of harmful effects on infants have been reported. Nevertheless, the medicine can be used during breastfeeding only if it is absolutely necessary. If higher doses are required due to the disease, breastfeeding should be discontinued. You should contact your doctor immediately.
So far, there is no evidence that Dexamethasone Zentiva impairs the ability to drive or use machines. The same applies to work in hazardous conditions.
If you have been diagnosed with intolerance to some sugars, you should contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per tablet, which means it is considered "sodium-free".
Always take the medicine as directed by your doctor. The doctor will decide how long you should take dexamethasone. If you have any doubts, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
The doctor will determine the dose of the medicine individually for each patient. You should follow the instructions exactly, as otherwise, the effect of Dexamethasone Zentiva will not be correct.
In case of any doubts, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Dexamethasone Zentiva 0.5 mg, 1 mg is also used during:
Dexamethasone Zentiva 1 mg, 4 mg is also used during:
Tablets for oral administration.
Tablets should be swallowed whole, during or after a meal, with a sufficient amount of liquid.
If possible, the daily dose should be administered in a single dose in the morning. However, in diseases that require treatment with high doses, it is often necessary to take multiple doses throughout the day to achieve maximum effect.
The duration of treatment depends on the disease and its progression. The doctor will determine the treatment plan, which should be followed exactly.
Once a satisfactory treatment result is achieved, the dose will be reduced to a maintenance dose or treatment will be discontinued. In principle, the dose should be reduced gradually.
In case of adrenal insufficiency or liver cirrhosis, relatively small doses may be sufficient, or the dose may need to be reduced.
Generally, Dexamethasone Zentiva is well-tolerated without complications even after short-term use of high doses. There is no need for special measures. In case of severe or unusual side effects, you should contact your doctor.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. If it is close to the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
Missing several doses may cause the treated disease to worsen or exacerbate. In such cases, you should contact your doctor, who will check and correct the treatment if necessary.
You should always follow the dosage regimen prescribed by your doctor. Never stop taking Dexamethasone Zentiva on your own, as long-term treatment can lead to suppression of glucocorticosteroid production by the body (adrenal insufficiency or "hypofunction" of the adrenal cortex). A situation of increased physical stress without sufficient glucocorticosteroid production can be life-threatening.
If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
Like all medicines, Dexamethasone Zentiva can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
If you experience any of the following side effects, or any other side effects not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Do not stop treatment on your own.
There is a low risk of side effects when using the recommended doses for hormone replacement therapy.
However, during long-term treatment, especially with high doses, the medicine may cause side effects of varying severity, but the frequency of their occurrence cannot be determined.
Masking of infections, occurrence and exacerbation of viral, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections, as well as opportunistic infections, and reactivation of latent infections.
Changes in blood morphology (increased white blood cell count or all blood cells, decreased count of certain white blood cells).
Allergic reactions (e.g., drug rash), severe anaphylactic reactions, such as cardiac arrhythmias, bronchospasm (bronchial muscle spasm), high or low blood pressure, circulatory collapse, myocardial infarction, and immunosuppression.
Induction of Cushing's syndrome (typical symptoms are moon face, central obesity, and facial flushing), adrenal insufficiency or atrophy.
Weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, diabetes, increased levels of fats (cholesterol and triglycerides), increased sodium levels with tissue edema (edema), potassium deficiency due to increased excretion (which can lead to cardiac arrhythmias), increased appetite.
Depression, irritability, euphoria, increased drive, psychosis, mania, hallucinations, emotional instability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, suicidal tendencies.
Increased intracranial pressure, occurrence of symptoms of latent epilepsy (epilepsy), increased susceptibility to seizures in epilepsy.
Increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma), cataract (lens clouding), worsening of corneal ulcers, worsening of viral, bacterial, or fungal eye infections, worsening of bacterial corneal inflammation, ptosis (drooping eyelid), mydriasis (pupil dilation), conjunctival edema, vision disturbances, vision loss, blurred vision.
Hypertension, increased risk of atherosclerosis and thrombosis, vasculitis (including as a withdrawal syndrome after long-term treatment), and increased fragility of blood vessels.
Peptic ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal upset.
If you experience gastrointestinal upset, back pain, shoulder pain, or hip pain, psychiatric disturbances, noticeable fluctuations in blood sugar levels in diabetics, or other disturbances, you should immediately inform your doctor.
Stretch marks, thinning of the skin ("parchment-like" skin), telangiectasia (dilation of small blood vessels), bruising, petechiae (small hemorrhages), hirsutism (excessive hair growth), acne, facial skin inflammation, especially around the mouth, nose, and eyes, changes in skin pigmentation.
Muscle disorders, muscle weakness and atrophy, bone loss (osteoporosis) dependent on dose and possible even after short-term therapy, other forms of bone degeneration (aseptic bone necrosis), tendon diseases, tendonitis, tendon rupture, fat deposition in the spine (lipomatosis), growth retardation in children.
Note:
If the dose is reduced too quickly after long-term treatment, a withdrawal syndrome may occur. This may manifest as symptoms such as muscle and joint pain.
Disorders of sex hormone secretion resulting in: irregular or absent menstrual periods (amenorrhea), hirsutism in women (male pattern hair growth), impotence.
Delayed wound healing
If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Safety, Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products, Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, phone: +48 22 49 21 301, fax: +48 22 49 21 309, website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder or its representative in Poland. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the blister and carton after "EXP". The expiry date refers to the last day of the month stated.
Store in a temperature below 25°C. Store in the original packaging to protect from light.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.
Dexamethasone Zentiva, 0.5 mg, tablet: white or almost white, round, flat tablet with beveled edges, approximately 8 mm in diameter, with "DX" embossed on one side and "500" on the other.
Dexamethasone Zentiva, 1 mg, tablet: white or almost white, round, flat tablet with beveled edges, approximately 8 mm in diameter, with "DX" embossed on one side and "1" on the other.
Dexamethasone Zentiva, 4 mg, tablet: white or almost white, round, flat tablet with beveled edges, approximately 8 mm in diameter, with "DX" embossed on one side and "4" on the other.
White blister pack with aluminum/PVC/PVDC foil in a cardboard box.
Package sizes: 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 tablets.
Not all package sizes may be marketed.
Zentiva, k.s.
U kabelovny 130
Dolní Měcholupy
102 37 Prague 10
Czech Republic
S.C. Zentiva S.A.
B-dul Theodor Pallady nr 50
Sector 3, Bucharest 032266
Romania
Germany: Dexamethason Zentiva
Croatia: Deksametazon Zentiva
Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Sweden: Dexamethasone Zentiva
Romania: Dexametazonă Zentiva
Zentiva Polska Sp. z.o.o.
ul. Bonifraterska 17
00-203 Warsaw, Poland
phone: +48 22 375 92 00
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