How long should you use Duobrii?
There is no limit on how long you can use Duobrii Lotion, but you should stop using it when your psoriasis has cleared and your doctor tells you to stop treatment. Once your skin is clear it may stay that way for up to 3 months after treatment.
If you have side effects, contact your doctor. You may need to stop treatment if you develop skin thinning (atrophy), inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis), stretch marks (striae) or visible broken capillaries like spider veins (telangiectasias).
Do not use more than 50 grams of Duobrii per week (every 7 days) because it may cause side effects like suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
- Prolonged use of very potent topical corticosteroids like halobetasol may suppress the HPA axis and reduce cortisol production. Cortisol is the natural stress hormone found in humans.
- Cortisol is essential for responses to stressful events, like illness or surgery, and helps to control metabolism, blood pressure, and the sleep-wake cycle. Suppression of cortisol may also increase your risk for infections.
Do not use Duobrii with occlusive dressings (like bandages or wraps) unless directed by your doctor.
Avoid application of Duobrii Lotion on the face, groin, or in the axillae (underarm or armpit area). Duobrii Lotion is not for use in the mouth, eyes or vagina. Do not apply it to skin that has eczema.
Duobrii lotion cannot be used during pregnancy as it may cause birth defects. Females must not be pregnant when they start using Duobrii or become pregnant during treatment. Talk to your doctor about an effective form of birth control before starting treatment.
What is Duobrii used to treat?
Duobrii (generic name: halobetasol / tazarotene) is a prescription topical lotion used to treat plaque psoriasis in adults. It is applied once-daily.
- Plaque psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) skin condition often found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. It is characterized by raised, red lesions with a flaky, silver to white scale that may itch, burn or bleed.
- Psoriasis is thought to be caused by an overactive immune response that attacks normal tissues. It is considered an autoimmune disease.
Duobrii contains a corticosteroid and retinoid combination. Each gram of Duobrii Lotion contains 0.1 mg of halobetasol propionate and 0.45 mg of tazarotene. These medicines work together to help treat psoriasis symptoms.
- Halobetasol is a very high potency topical corticosteroid medicine. It works by blocking the release of inflammatory substances in the body that can cause pain, redness, and itching. It can also help to relieve dryness, crusting or scaling often seen in plaque psoriasis. It has antiproliferative action, which means it helps to inhibit skin cell growth in psoriasis.
- Tazarotene is a retinoid medicine that is similar to vitamin A. Tazarotene also has antiproliferative action, helps relieve inflammation and itching, and helps to build the epidermis and collagen layers of skin.
Using a combination treatment like Duobrii, that combines a corticosteroid treatment plus a retinoid, may increase effectiveness while lowering the risk for serious side effects seen with long-term use of higher dose corticosteroids
Duobrii (halobetasol propionate and tazarotene) is manufactured by Bausch Health and was first approved for plaque psoriasis treatment in April 2019.
Related questions
- What does psoriasis look like?
- How do you get psoriasis and is it contagious?
- How does Tremfya work?
How long does it take for Duobrii to work?
In studies, significant improvement is psoriasis symptoms have been seen in as early as 2 weeks.
- In patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, statistically significant improvement in symptoms occurred as early as two weeks when compared to the vehicle (a lotion with no active medicine).
- In two clinical studies with over 400 patients, 36% and 45% of participants had achieved the primary efficacy outcome by 8 weeks, compared to 7% and 13% using the vehicle.
- Safety was demonstrated for up to 24 weeks with continuous use.
Common side effects with Duobrii
The most common side effects are:
- redness
- itching
- swelling
- burning
- stinging
- pain at the application site
- inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis)
- thinning of the skin (atrophy)
- skin peeling
- skin rash
These are not all of the possible side effects of Duobrii. Contact your doctor for further advice.
This is not all the information you need to know about Duobrii (halobetasol / tazarotene) Lotion for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.
References
- Gold LS, Lebwohl MG, Sugarman JL, et al. Safety and efficacy of a fixed combination of halobetasol and tazarotene in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: Results of 2 phase 3 randomized controlled trials. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018 Aug;79(2):287-293. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.03.040
- Duobrii (halobetasol propionate and tazarotene) prescribing information. Bausch Health. Revised Jan. 2020. Accessed July 5, 2023 at https://pi.bauschhealth.com/globalassets/BHC/PI/Duobrii-PI.pdf
- Duobrii.com. Healthcare provider information. Efficacy. Bausch Health. Accessed July 5, 2023 at https://www.duobrii.com/hcp/efficacy/
Read next
How does Ilumya work to treat psoriasis?
Ilumya works by binding selectively to interleukin-23 (IL-23) which is a naturally occurring cytokine. IL-23 plays a key role in promoting inflammation and regulating other cytokines (such as IL-17) and inflammatory substances, such as TNF-α3-7. By blocking the effects of IL-23, Ilumya helps control the release of IL-17 and TNF-α, which reduces inflammation associated with psoriasis. It also decreases how many inflammatory cells are present within psoriatic lesions, helps prevent plaque formation, and resolves tissue damage. Continue reading
What's a good prednisone taper schedule?
The best prednisone taper will depend upon how long you have been taking the medicine, your dose, and why you are being treated. If you've been treated with a high dose of prednisone, or taken it for more than a few weeks, you will need to slowly stop your medicine, usually over a period of days, weeks or months. Your healthcare provider will determine your prednisone tapering schedule. Continue reading
Prednisone: What are 12 Things You Should Know?
Prednisone has been on the market for more than 70 years but is still one of the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive medications. Prednisone is used to treat dozens of different conditions such as skin disorders, breathing disorders, allergies, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. But did you know it also has some pretty serious side effects as well?
Continue readingSee also:
Related medical questions
- Where should you not use triamcinolone acetonide cream?
- What are the new drugs for plaque psoriasis?
- Why should I take folic acid with methotrexate?
- Is triamcinolone acetonide an antifungal cream?
- How do you use clobetasol propionate on your scalp?
- Clobetasol vs. triamcinolone - how do they compare?
- What is a substitute for fluocinonide cream?
- Sotyktu vs Otezla: How do they compare?
- How long does methotrexate stay in your system?
- Halobetasol vs. clobetasol - How do they compare?
- Does taking vitamin D help with psoriasis?
- Can clobetasol be used for toenail fungus?
- How long does it take for Skyrizi to work?
- What are 6 key Taltz side effects to watch out for?
- What causes Plaque Psoriasis?
- How does Taltz compare to Cosentyx for psoriatic arthritis?
- How long does clobetasol stay in your system?
- What's the dosing schedule for Skyrizi?
- Does Feverfew interact with any drugs?
- Is fluocinonide an antifungal cream?
- How long does it take for Otezla to work?
- How long should you use fluocinonide for?
- How do you inject Humira?
- Cosentyx vs Humira: How do they compare?
Drug information
- Halobetasol (26 reviews)
- Tazarotene (74 reviews)
- Duobrii (17 reviews)
- Halobetasol / tazarotene (17 reviews)
Related support groups
- Psoriasis (109 questions, 310 members)
- Halobetasol (11 questions, 6 members)
- Tazarotene (7 questions, 4 members)
- Duobrii (5 questions, 3 members)
- Halobetasol/tazarotene (2 questions, 3 members)
- Plaque Psoriasis (94 questions, 69 members)