Your body is home to many hormones. A hormone called cortisol is essential for the regulation of metabolism of glucose. It ensures needful presence of glucose in blood; this is done by decreasing absorption of glucose in muscles. It aids in making more availability of glucose by inhibiting synthesis of proteins. With needful amount of glucose, your cerebral system is endowed with adequate level of energy. The lab-made version of cortisol is hydrocortisone. Can you use hydrocortisone cream for vaginal itching? It is useful to have more information.
Cortisol works as in a contrasting manner to insulin. It boosts the presence of blood glucose and also deters the usage of glucose in tissues as well as muscles. As an added function, cortisol enhances the synthesis of glycogen; this enables storage of glucose in an easily-usable form. This hormone is made by your adrenal glands. Its secretion is under the control of the hypothalamus of your cerebral system. When your adrenal glands fail to make required amount of cortisol, this results in a condition called adrenal insufficiency.
Inadequate production of cortisol can disrupt the metabolic cycle. As an outcome, you tend to experience weakness, muscular tiredness, pain in lower abdomen coupled with a few other discomforts like nausea, giddiness and mood shifts including depression. Those who have low level of cortisol or other stress hormones may witness near-fatal or fatal risks when they living in stressful conditions. Examples of such stressful conditions include meeting with an accident, being infected or undergoing a surgical intervention.
What is hydrocortisone?
The man-made form of the naturally-produced cortisol hormone is called hydrocortisone. This med is prescribed for a range of clinical conditions like adrenocortical deficiencies, increased calcium level in blood, a few chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases like asthma, bronchitis and bronchial asthma. Hydrocortisone remains the first-line drug for the management of inadequacies of cortisol.
Hydrocortisone is available in many forms namely, as a topical cream, a pill / tablet and also as an injectable version. As you are likely to develop withdrawal symptoms, you are advised not to stop taking this med in an abrupt manner. The dosage plan is discontinued by tapering the last few dosages. This is one of the time-tested ways to arrest signs of withdrawal such as migraines, tremors, sleeplessness or insomnia.
Hydrocortisone cream for vaginal itching
Hydrocortisone cream is applied for treating skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema as well as psoriasis. It is also used for the treatment of wasp stings or bites. This steroidal med help reduce inflammation by suppressing the potency of your immune cells. One of the benefits of this cream is: it helps lock moisture within your skin. So, you can use it even on dry patches of skin.
So, can you use hydrocortisone cream for vaginal itching? The answer is: yes. But, it is safe to use this cream only if your physician has prescribed it. Using it on tender or softer patches of skin may lead to serious side effects. These include thinning of skin and formation of rashes or increased itchiness.
In general, hydrocortisone cream is easily absorbed on mucus-based membranes – like your vagina – than on thick patches of skin. For example, your arms have a thicker form of skin. Hence, complete adherence to your doctor’s instructions becomes a prerequisite to avoid possible side effects.
Beware of using the cream as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug or via the self-medication mode. If you are purchasing this med as an OTC product, use it strictly for external purposes only. If you are witnessing any changes on your skin – like acne, bruises or scars, etc., inform your dermatologist without much delay.
In some people, hydrocortisone cream may cause a sudden increase in blood sugars and may also trigger spells of hypertension i.e., elevated blood pressure. In all such cases, call 911 in US or reach out to a healthcare setting.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.
Education: Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Michigan. Experience: Over 8 years of experience writing for health and wellness websites, including WebMD and Healthline, specializing in women’s health and nutrition.