Betamethasone

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Betamethasone
Clinical data
Trade namesCelestone, Eleuphrat, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682799
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration
By mouth, topical, intramuscular
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • UK: POM (Prescription only)[2]
  • US: ℞-only
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
MetabolismLiver CYP3A4
Elimination half-life36-54 hours
ExcretionKidney (in urine)
Identifiers
  • (8S,9R,10S,11S,13S,14S,16S,17R)-9-Fluoro- 11,17-dihydroxy-17-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-10,13,16-trimethyl- 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro- 3H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one
JSmol)
  • O=C(CO)[C@]3(O)[C@]2(C[C@H](O)[C@]4(F)[C@@]/1(\C(=C/C(=O)\C=C\1)CC[C@H]4[C@@H]2C[C@@H]3C)C)C
  • InChI=1S/C22H29FO5/c1-12-8-16-15-5-4-13-9-14(25)6-7-19(13,2)21(15,23)17(26)10-20(16,3)22(12,28)18(27)11-24/h6-7,9,12,15-17,24,26,28H,4-5,8,10-11H2,1-3H3/t12-,15-,16-,17-,19-,20-,21-,22-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:UREBDLICKHMUKA-DVTGEIKXSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Betamethasone is a

adrenocortical insufficiency, among others.[3] It can be taken by mouth, injected into a muscle, or applied to the skin, typically in cream, lotion, or liquid forms.[3][4]

Serious side effects include an increased risk of infection, muscle weakness, severe allergic reactions, and psychosis.[3] Long-term use may cause adrenal insufficiency.[3] Stopping the medication suddenly following long-term use may be dangerous.[3] The cream commonly results in increased hair growth and skin irritation.[4] Betamethasone belongs to the glucocorticoid class of medication.[3] It is a stereoisomer of dexamethasone, the two compounds differing only in the spatial configuration of the methyl group at position 16 (see steroid nomenclature).[5]

Betamethasone was patented in 1958, and approved for medical use in the United States in 1961.

generic medication.[3] In 2021, it was the 251st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[8][9]

Medical uses

Betamethasone is a corticosteroid that is available as a pill, by injection, and as an ointment, cream, lotion, gel, or aerosol (spray) for the skin, and a foam for the scalp.[10] When given by injection, anti-inflammatory effects begin in around two hours and last for seven days.[3]

It is used as a topical cream to relieve skin irritation, such as itching and flaking from

valerate ester.[citation needed
]

In a randomized controlled trial betamethasone was shown to reduce some of the

ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) by 28-31%.[11]

Betamethasone is also used to stimulate fetal lung maturation in order to prevent infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) and to decrease the incidence and mortality from intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants.[original research?]

A cream with 0.05% betamethasone appears effective in treating phimosis in boys,[12][needs update] and often averts the need for circumcision.[13][14][15] It has replaced circumcision as the preferred treatment method for some physicians in the British National Health Service.[16][17]

Side effects

Prolonged use of this medicine on extensive areas of skin, broken or raw skin, skin folds, or underneath airtight dressings may on rare occasions result in enough corticosteroid being absorbed to have side effects on other parts of the body; for example, by causing a decrease in the production of natural hormones by the adrenal glands.[original research?]

Betamethasone is also used prior to delivery of a

leukocytosis in newborns exposed in utero.[original research?
]

When injected into the epidural space or the spine, it may cause serious side effects like loss of vision, stroke, and paralysis.[19]

Pharmacology

Forms

Betamethasone is available in a number of compound forms:

Fucibet, and others).[citation needed] In the United States and Canada, betamethasone is mixed with clotrimazole and sold as Lotrisone and Lotriderm. It is also available in combination with salicylic acid (branded as Diprosalic) for using in psoriatic skin conditions. In some countries, it is also sold mixed with both clotrimazole and gentamicin to add an antibacterial agent to the mix.[citation needed
]

Betamethasone sodium phosphate mixed with betamethasone acetate is available in the United States as Celestone Soluspan.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Betamethasone Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Betamethasone 500 microgram Soluble Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)". (emc). 5 April 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Betamethasone". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Betamethasone topical". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. PMID 11813313
    .
  6. .
  7. . WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  8. ^ "The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Betamethasone - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Betamethasone Topical". MedlinePlus. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  11. S2CID 23696748
    .
  12. .
  13. from the original on 19 August 2009. A review of estimated costs and complications of 3 phimosis treatments.
  14. .
  15. .
  16. .
  17. .
  18. ^ a b c d e f g "betamethasone" (PDF). F.A. Davis. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  19. ^ "FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA requires label changes to warn of rare but serious neurologic problems after epidural corticosteroid injections for pain". FDA. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Celestone Soluspan- betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate injection, suspension". DailyMed. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.