Dexamethasone for Cerebral Edema User Reviews

• Sam...
• August 30, 2018

"I was put on Dexamethasone to treat Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis, aka blood clots in my brain. It was prescribed to reduce inflammation in my brain. I was put on such a high dose that I shook like a leaf in the wind. I felt like I was jittering inside of my body. I took my doses 4 times a day for 8+ weeks before we began to taper down from the stuff. I was on it for 12 weeks in total. I ended up putting on 80 pounds of water weight. My face was so swollen that I couldn't see more than a foot in front of me through my blurry slits for eyes. I slept maybe 3-4 hours a night if I was lucky. I dripped with the cold sweats, literally. I ended up on water pills, along with 9 other medications. It took at least 6 months and outpatient therapy to recover from depression side effects. My body has never fully recovered from this medication. I have had issues including a buffalo hump and some bone loss. Spare yourself the pain and trauma."

• Old...
• February 15, 2017

"I had a seizure, which led to them finding a brain tumor. They put me on Dexa in the ER and I was on it for 2 months after the craniotomy to prevent brain swelling. Don't quite remember the dosing, it was a 1 mg or 2 mg pill I took 2 or 3 times a day. I had insomnia (slept maybe 3 hours a night even on two Percocet every 4 hours), painful acne all over my face and back, mood swings, crazy hunger and weight gain, erectile dysfunction, headaches, and joint pain. I suppose it did what it was supposed to, but the side effects were horrible. Even if I had another tumor, I don't think I'd ever use it again."

• Mac...
• November 28, 2014

"After presenting with severe headaches and confusion, two tablets of 4 mg each (one in the morning, one later in the day). A rapid progress was achieved within a day. Operated on the next day for a brain tumor biopsy and have been on it ever since. Just completed my first cycle of chemo - one bag over 3-4 hours, then 3-4 days of a rescue medicine intravenously to strip it out of my system. I have a rare and aggressive Central Nervous System lymphoma (Non-Hodgkin's), which was caught early."

• Jef...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2023

"2.5 cm tumor was found in MRI. Had been having seizures. Was prescribed dexamethasone. I chose a different hospital for surgery. No one followed up from the original one, so I was on this medication for months. It wasted my leg muscles, I could barely get up a flight of stairs. Use as little of this medication as possible, it will tear you down. Strictly for short duration to reduce edema before surgery, IMO."

• Rob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2021

"Been having on and off headaches since an aneurysm coiling in March. I had to go to the ER yesterday with a bad headache. They contacted my neurosurgeon, he saw some slight swelling around the coiling. Was given this horrible drug through an injection, and 10 seconds after the injection, my body heated up, I felt like I was on fire. The nurse told me that was normal only after she had given me the injection. The following morning, I had the worst depression and horrible thoughts. Never felt like this before. I will never use it again. Stay away from this."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2015

"Works great for indication, however, even with a slow taper, withdrawal precipitated bad rebound symptoms necessitating restarting med at a low dose and reweaning."