SW Dexasone Special Precautions

It should be used with caution in congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, hypertension, recent intestinal anastomoses, infectious diseases, myasthenia gravis, ocular herpes simplex, pregnancy and the elderly. Patients are warned to avoid exposure to chicken pox or measles. Patients with quiescent tuberculosis should be observed closely and should receive chemoprophylaxis if corticosteroid therapy is prolonged. Drug-induced secondary adrenocortical insufficiency may result from too rapid withdrawal of corticosteroids and may be minimized by gradual reduction of dosage.
Corticosteroids may mask some signs of infection, and new infections may appear during their use. Prolonged use of corticosteroids may produce posterior subcapsular cataracts and glaucoma with possible damage to the optic nerves, and may enchance the establishment of secondary ocular infections due to fungi or viruses. Following prolonged therapy, withdrawal of corticosteroids may result in symptoms of the corticosteroid withdrawal syndrome including fever, myalgia, arthralgia and malaise. This may occur in patients even without evidence of adrenal insufficiency. There is an enchanced effect of corticosteroids in patients with hypothyroidism and in those with cirrhosis.