Triamcinolone Side Effects

Some side effects of triamcinolone 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 triamcinolone: oral tablet

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction while taking triamcinolone: 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 triamcinolone 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 triamcinolone: compounding powder, inhalation aerosol, inhalation aerosol with adapter, injectable suspension, oral tablet

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects have included fluid retention, sodium retention, congestive heart failure, potassium loss, hypokalemic alkalosis, and hypertension.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal side effects have included aseptic necrosis of femoral and humeral heads, calcinosis (following intra-articular or intra-lesional use), Charcot-like arthropathy, loss of muscle mass, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, pathologic fracture of long bones, postinjection flare (following intra-articular use), steroid myopathy, tendon rupture, and vertebral compression fractures. Postmarketing experience has included very rare reports of bone mineral density loss and osteoporosis, especially with prolonged use, which may lead to an increased risk of fractures.

Decreases in bone density of the total hip and the trochanter have been reported with the use of inhaled triamcinolone acetonide in a study (n=109) of premenopausal women with asthma. The yearly change in bone density at the total hip and the trochanter showed a greater decline as the number of puffs per day of the inhaled glucocorticoid increased.

Gastrointestinal

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

Dermatologic

Dermatologic side effects have included impaired wound healing, thin, fragile skin, petechiae and ecchymoses, facial erythema, increased sweating, and suppressed reactions to skin tests.

Nervous system

Nervous system side effects have included convulsions, increased intracranial pressure with papilledema, vertigo, and headache.

Endocrine

Endocrine side effects have included development of cushingoid state, menstrual irregularities, suppression of growth in children, manifestations of latent diabetes, increased requirements for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents in diabetics, decreased carbohydrate tolerance, and secondary adrenocortical and pituitary unresponsiveness.

Ocular

Ocular side effects have included posterior subcapsular cataracts, increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and exophthalmos. Retinal and choroidal occlusion as a complication after posterior sub-Tenon triamcinolone injection has been reported.

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects have included negative nitrogen balance due to protein catabolism.

Hypersensitivity

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

Other

Other side effects have included abnormal fat deposits, decreased resistance to infection, hiccups, increased or decreased motility and number of spermatozoa, moon face, malaise, and weight gain.

Local

Local side effects have included injection site infections following non-sterile administration.

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