Betamethasone is a moderately potent
glucocorticoidGlucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor , which is present in almost every vertebrate animal cell...
steroidA steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by its sterane core and additional functional groups. The core is a carbon structure of four fused rings: three cyclohexane rings and one cyclopentane ring. The steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the...
with
anti-inflammatoryAnti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids which affect the brain.-Medications:...
and
immunosuppressiveAn immunosuppressant is any substance that performs immunosuppression of the immune system. They may either be exogenous, as immunosuppressive drugs, or endogenous, as e. g. testosterone...
properties. Unlike other drugs with these effects, betamethasone does not cause water retention. It is applied as a
topicalIn medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears....
cream, ointment, foam, lotion or gel to treat itching (e.g. from
eczemaEczema is a disease in a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. These include dryness and recurring skin rashes that are characterized by one or more of these symptoms: redness, skin edema , itching and...
). Betamethasone sodium phosphate is sometimes prescribed as an
intramuscular injectionIntramuscular injection is the injection of a substance directly into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several alternative methods for the administration of medications . It is used for particular forms of medication that are administered in small amounts...
(I.M) for itching from various ailments including allergic reactions to
poison ivyToxicodendron radicans is a plant in the family with 3 leaves Anacardiaceae. The name is sometimes spelled "Poison-ivy" in an attempt to indicate that the plant is not a true Ivy...
and similar plants.
The compound is available as a number of
esterEsters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...
derivatives:
betamethasone dipropionateBetamethasone dipropionate is a glucocorticoid steroid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive abilities. It is applied as a topical cream, ointment, lotion or gel to treat itching ....
(branded as Diprosone, Diprolene and others), sodium phosphate and
valerateThe valerate ion is C4H9COO− .A valerate is a salt or ester of valeric acid.See valeric acid for info....
(branded as Betnovate, Celestone and others).
Betamethasone is a moderately potent
glucocorticoidGlucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor , which is present in almost every vertebrate animal cell...
steroidA steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by its sterane core and additional functional groups. The core is a carbon structure of four fused rings: three cyclohexane rings and one cyclopentane ring. The steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the...
with
anti-inflammatoryAnti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids which affect the brain.-Medications:...
and
immunosuppressiveAn immunosuppressant is any substance that performs immunosuppression of the immune system. They may either be exogenous, as immunosuppressive drugs, or endogenous, as e. g. testosterone...
properties. Unlike other drugs with these effects, betamethasone does not cause water retention. It is applied as a
topicalIn medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears....
cream, ointment, foam, lotion or gel to treat itching (e.g. from
eczemaEczema is a disease in a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. These include dryness and recurring skin rashes that are characterized by one or more of these symptoms: redness, skin edema , itching and...
). Betamethasone sodium phosphate is sometimes prescribed as an
intramuscular injectionIntramuscular injection is the injection of a substance directly into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several alternative methods for the administration of medications . It is used for particular forms of medication that are administered in small amounts...
(I.M) for itching from various ailments including allergic reactions to
poison ivyToxicodendron radicans is a plant in the family with 3 leaves Anacardiaceae. The name is sometimes spelled "Poison-ivy" in an attempt to indicate that the plant is not a true Ivy...
and similar plants.
The compound is available as a number of
esterEsters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...
derivatives:
betamethasone dipropionateBetamethasone dipropionate is a glucocorticoid steroid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive abilities. It is applied as a topical cream, ointment, lotion or gel to treat itching ....
(branded as Diprosone, Diprolene and others), sodium phosphate and
valerateThe valerate ion is C4H9COO− .A valerate is a salt or ester of valeric acid.See valeric acid for info....
(branded as Betnovate, Celestone and others). In the United States and Canada, betamethasone is mixed with
clotrimazoleClotrimazole is an antifungal medication commonly used in the treatment of fungal infections of both humans and animals such as vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, and ringworm...
and sold as Lotrisone.
Indications
Betamethasone is a
corticosteroidCorticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiologic systems such as stress response, immune response and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte...
used to stimulate fetal lung maturation, and to decrease the incidence and mortality from intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants.
It is also used as a topical cream to relieve skin irritation. The tablet form, available in Japan, eradicates eczematous rash within 24 hours, far more rapidly than the ointment.
A cream with 0.05% betamethasone appears effective in treating
phimosisPhimosis , from the Greek phimos , is a condition where, in men, the male foreskin cannot be fully retracted from the head of the penis...
in boys, and often averts the need for
circumcisionMale circumcision is the removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
.
Betamethasone sodium phosphate is used orally and via
injectionInjection may refer to:* Injection , a method of putting liquid into the body with a syringe and a hollow needle that punctures the skin.* Injective function in mathematics, a function which associates distinct arguments to distinct values...
with the same indications as other steroids.
Betamethasone dipropionateBetamethasone dipropionate is a glucocorticoid steroid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive abilities. It is applied as a topical cream, ointment, lotion or gel to treat itching ....
and
salicylic acidSalicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin...
can be used as a treatment for local
psoriasisPsoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious autoimmune disease that affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly...
.
Side effects
The side effects of betamethasone (as every glucocorticoid) are very severe:
diabetes mellitus type 2Diabetes mellitus type 2 or type 2 diabetes is a disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency...
,
insulin resistanceInsulin resistance is the condition in which normal amounts of insulin are inadequate to produce a normal insulin response from fat, muscle and liver cells. Insulin resistance in fat cells reduces the effects of insulin and results in elevated hydrolysis of stored triglycerides in the absence of...
,
hypogonadismHypogonadism is a medical term for a defect of the gonads that results in the underproduction of testosterone...
,
osteoporosisOsteoporosis is a disease of bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of non-collagenous proteins in bone is altered...
,
depressionIn psychology and psychiatry, depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity. While most often described as a disease or dysfunction, there are also strong arguments for seeing depression as an adaptive defense mechanism....
. While betamethasone is commonly applied topically to treat skin inflammation, persistent application of large quantities may result in a more severe rebound inflammation when the medication is withdrawn, sometimes called "Betnovate face".
Fetal risk
As it crosses the placenta, which is required for its beneficial effects, it may also be associated with complications, such as
hypoglycemiaHypoglycemia or hypoglycaemia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally means "under-sweet blood" Hypoglycemia or hypoglycaemia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally...
and leukocytosis in newborns exposed
in uteroIn utero is a Latin term literally meaning "in the uterus". It is used in biology to describe the state of an embryo or fetus.-See also:* ex vivo* in silico* in situ* in vitro* in vivo...
.
External links