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Dexamethasone
Important Information for Your Healthcare Provider
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking this medication if you have:- Had a recent heart attack
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Congestive heart failure (CHF)
- Kidney disease, including kidney failure (renal failure)
- Liver disease, such as liver failure or cirrhosis
- Thyroid problems (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism)
- Diabetes
- A systemic fungal infection (a fungal infection that affects the whole body)
- An intestinal infection
- Malaria
- Tuberculosis
- Any signs of an infection
- Chickenpox or measles, or have recently been exposed to these conditions
- Never had chickenpox
- An ulcer, diverticulitis, or ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Osteoporosis
- Myasthenia gravis
- A viral, bacterial, fungal, or tuberculosis infection of the eye
- A herpes eye infection
- Glaucoma
- A mental health condition
- Any allergies, including to medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant (see Dexamethasone and Pregnancy)
- Breastfeeding (see Dexamethasone and Breastfeeding).
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medications you are taking, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
(Click Dexamethasone Precautions and Warnings to learn more, including information on who should not take the drug.)
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD