Corticosteroids – especially of a low potency – are administered for the case management of a wide range of skin conditions. These conditions include rashes, itchiness, swelling and discoloration. As an extended use, such meds are used for autoimmune conditions like swelling of tissues or skin. Desonide is a widely prescribed topical corticosteroid. It belongs to the same genre of drugs as hydrocortisone, prednisone, etc. Each of these drugs is unique and is administered for treating a specific condition or an autoimmune ailment. In this milieu, what are the side effects and adverse drug interactions of the corticosteroid med desonide? It is important to understand these aspects of this med before the start of your treatment plan.
The human body is capable of making steroids on its own. In some cases, your system may not make adequate levels of such chemicals, due to a few hormonal imbalances. It is in such instances lab-made forms of corticosteroids are used. In general, corticosteroids are used to stabilize immunity levels, regulate your body’s responses to stress and also to minimize the risks of internal swelling and / or inflammation.
Of the various types of corticosteroids, desonide is a commonly prescribed drug. It is used as a topical med. The good news is – it is widely in its generic form; this means it can be bought at comparatively lesser costs. However, branded variants of desonide are also available in drugstores as well as online pharmacies. As mentioned above, desonide is a corticosteroid and can reduce discoloration of skin, inflammation, itchiness, rashes, etc.
Side effects of desonide
As this steroid may need to be used for a fairly longer duration, it may alter your hormonal makeup. These can cause a serious impact on the functioning of your adrenal glands; owing to this, you may witness rounding of the face, increase in body weight especially at the mid portion of your body, stretch marks on your tummy, formation of humps behind your shoulders, etc. If you are witnessing persistent spells of weakness, muscular pains or loss of body weight, you may be advised to take drugs for insufficiency of your adrenal gland.
Though this steroidal med is used for skin conditions, regular use of it may cause rashes, inflammation of skin, itchiness, blistering of skin and / or skin irritation. If these discomforts persist for long, you are advised to talk to your doctor without delay. Users in the US are advised to call 911 or reach out to the helpline of the FDA. Those who are residents of Canada need to call Health Canada as quickly as possible or a poison control unit that works closer to where you live.
The aforesaid side effects are quite rare in occurrence; most common side effects include peeling of your skin, scaling, red patches or red spots on skin, drying up of skin, etc. Most of these common side effects may last only for a short term. Many of them may disappear as you continue with your medication plan. But, if any of these do not go away, talk to your doctor as soon as you possibly can. This corticosteroid may also cause a few serious side effects. These include bumps on skin, thinning of the skin, spider-veins wherein smaller veins may turn visible through the skin, etc. Upon sensing an inflammation of face, oral organs like gums, tongue or throat, seek medical help on an urgent basis.
Drug interactions of desonide
If you had a recent organ transplantation – say, a transplant of a heart or liver, your surgical team may prescribe drugs that work as immunity suppressants. Cyclosporine is a widely used drug that belongs to this genre. This immunity reducing drug can become harmful if taken along with desonide. In this light, it is a safe practice to tell your surgical team (which is performing an organ transplant) of the drugs you are taking. Above all, it is a good practice to share the list of medications you are consuming now. In this list, ensure to add all forms of drugs viz., over the counter drugs, prescription meds, proteins, mineral aids, dietary supplements as well as herbal drugs. Once you have submitted this list to your caregiving team, never make changes to it without telling your treating physician.
It can be extremely unsafe to use corticosteroids like hydrocortisone while you are already using desonide or other steroidal meds such as prednisone. Administration of more than one steroid can lead to an overdose. Users who took excessive doses or multiple steroids (at the same time) are more likely to witness respiratory problems such as wheezing, gasping or panting for breath, etc., passing out, loss of coordination, etc. If you encounter one or more of these acute reactions, consult with your caregiving team and / or pharmacist with immediate effect.
Moreover, if you are taking drugs for circulation related disorders, skin infections like dermatitis or rosacea, your treating doctor must know of all such prior ailments. People who are experiencing frequent changes in blood sugar level and are taking diabetic drugs must keep their physician updated of their regular intake of diabetic drugs. It is a good practice to monitor your blood sugar levels on a periodic basis. You are advised to report to your caregiving team about changes witnessed in your blood sugar levels.
Likewise, it is essential to keep a tab on your immunity level. A standard blood test known as complete blood count (CBC) is done periodically to infer changes in the number of blood cells, if any; especially, the count of white blood cells which are directly proportional to the robustness of your immune system. Last but not least, those who are using contraceptives – either hormonal or non-hormonal birth control measures also must tell their doctor of such measures.
In sum, desonide is a corticosteroid med. It is used for skin conditions like swelling of skin, discoloration, rashes, etc. Common side effects of desonide include scaling of skin, discolored patches on skin, dryness of skin, blistering, etc. These side effects may go away as you proceed ahead with your treatment. Consult with your treating physician if these signs do not go away on their own. Upon witnessing adverse drug interactions: never use desonide along with hydrocortisone or prednisone, diabetic drugs or immunity weakening meds such as cyclosporine. In order to have a greater understanding of the side effects and adverse drug interactions of desonide, talk to your doctor / pharmacist before commencing your medication plan.
Education: Master’s in Nursing (MSN) from Johns Hopkins University. Experience: 7 years writing for online health portals and nursing journals, specializing in patient education and chronic illness management.
