Baycadron Side Effects

Generic name: dexamethasone

Note: This document contains side effect information about dexamethasone. Some of the dosage forms listed on this page may not apply to the brand name Baycadron.

Some side effects of Baycadron may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.

For the Consumer

Applies to dexamethasone: oral concentrate, oral liquid, oral tablet

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction while taking dexamethasone (the active ingredient contained in Baycadron) hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• problems with your vision;

• swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath;

• severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizure (convulsions);

• bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood;

• pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate);

• low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects of dexamethasone may include:

• sleep problems (insomnia), mood changes;

• acne, dry skin, thinning skin, bruising or discoloration;

• slow wound healing;

• increased sweating;

• headache, dizziness, spinning sensation;

• nausea, stomach pain, bloating;

• muscle weakness; or

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

For Healthcare Professionals

Applies to dexamethasone: compounding powder, inhalation aerosol with adapter, injectable solution, injectable suspension, intravenous solution, oral concentrate, oral liquid, oral tablet

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects have included bradycardia, cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac enlargement, circulatory collapse, congestive heart failure, fat embolism, hypertension, myocardial rupture following recent myocardial infarction, edema, pulmonary edema, syncope, tachycardia, thromboembolism, thrombophlebitis and vasculitis.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal side effects have included muscle weakness, steroid myopathy, loss of muscle mass, osteoporosis, vertebral compression fractures, aseptic necrosis of femoral and humoral heads, pathologic fracture of long bones, and tendon rupture.

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects have included peptic ulcer with potential perforation and hemorrhage, perforation of small and large bowel, pancreatitis, abdominal distention, nausea, increased appetite, and ulcerative esophagitis.

Endocrine

Endocrine side effects have included development of cushingoid state, suppression of growth in children, and secondary adrenocortical and pituitary unresponsiveness.

Nervous system

Nervous system side effects have included convulsions, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema, vertigo, myalgia, arthralgia, malaise, headache, hiccups, and psychic disturbances.

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects have included negative nitrogen balance due to protein catabolism, decreased carbohydrate and glucose tolerance, weight gain, hirsutism, hypokalemic alkalosis, and increased requirements for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents in diabetics.

Ocular

Ocular side effects have included posterior subcapsular cataracts, increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and exophthalmos.

Dermatologic

Dermatologic side effects have included impaired wound healing, thin fragile skin, petechiae and ecchymoses, dry scaly skin, erythema, acne, thinning scalp hair, urticaria, increased sweating, rash, striae, allergic dermatitis, urticaria, angioneurotic edema, and suppression of skin test reactions.

Psychiatric

Psychiatric side effects have included euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, severe depression, and psychotic manifestations.

Hematologic

Hematologic side effects have included rare reports of thromboembolism.

Genitourinary

Genitourinary effects have included increase/decrease in motility and number of spermatozoa in men and menstrual irregularities in women.

Hepatic

Hepatic side effects have included reports of reversible hepatomegaly. Three case reports of children treated with high dose dexamethasone (the active ingredient contained in Baycadron) describe the earliest diagnosis of hepatomegaly as early as 8 days from the start of therapy.

Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity side effects have included anaphylactoid reactions, anaphylaxis and angioedema.

Renal

Renal side effects have included fluid retention, sodium retention, and potassium loss,

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