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Betamethasone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of betamethasone include off label use, psoriasis, and nausea, based on 37,101 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 12.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Betamethasone side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for betamethasone.

1
Drug Ineffective12.1%4,488
2
Off Label Use6.8%2,520
3
Psoriasis6.1%2,260
4
Nausea5.7%2,121
5
Pain5.0%1,863
6
Rash4.9%1,821
7
Pruritus4.9%1,807
8
Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy4.7%1,751
9
Fatigue4.7%1,728
10
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy4.6%1,699
11
Diarrhoea4.4%1,634
12
Dyspnoea4.4%1,628
13
Headache4.3%1,599
14
Premature Baby4.0%1,491
15
Product Use In Unapproved Indication4.0%1,473

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that betamethasone caused these reactions.

Report severity

76.3%Serious28,316 reports
33.6%Hospitalizations12,481 reports
8.9%Fatal3,308 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Betamethasone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside betamethasone. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Adalimumab7.8%2,879
2
Methotrexate6.6%2,457
3
Secukinumab6.3%2,332
4
Prednisone6.0%2,228
5
Apremilast5.5%2,035
6
Acetaminophen5.4%2,012
7
Fluticasone5.2%1,929
8
Pantoprazole-sodium4.9%1,835
9
Dupilumab4.8%1,779
10
Azithromycin4.7%1,732
11
Triamcinolone4.5%1,688
12
Cetirizine-hydrochloride4.1%1,507
13
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride4.0%1,487
14
Ergocalciferol3.9%1,463
15
Etanercept3.9%1,444

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen14.3%5,307
2
Calcipotriene9.8%3,638
3
Ergocalciferol9.4%3,504
4
Aspirin9.3%3,460
5
Albuterol9.2%3,422
6
Omeprazole8.5%3,164
7
Levothyroxine-sodium8.3%3,092
8
Atorvastatin-calcium7.5%2,775
9
Amlodipine7.4%2,735
10
Prednisone7.2%2,683
11
Fluticasone7.0%2,610
12
Furosemide7.0%2,600
13
Clobetasol-propionate6.3%2,355
14
Clotrimazole5.9%2,191
15
Metformin5.8%2,164

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports betamethasone side effects

54.7% of betamethasone adverse event reports involve female patients and 36.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 56%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female54.7%
Male36.6%
Unknown8.8%

Age group

< 25.4%
2–112.1%
12–171.5%
18–6455.9%
65+35.1%

What is betamethasone used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking betamethasone when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbnormal LabourAbnormal Organ MaturationAcneAcquired Epidermolysis BullosaAcrochordonAcrokeratosis ParaneoplasticaActinic KeratosisAcute Generalised Exanthematous PustulosisAcute Graft Versus Host DiseaseAcute Graft Versus Host Disease In SkinAcute Haemorrhagic Oedema Of Infancy

Showing 15 of 1,524 indications

Betamethasone brand names and reporting trend

Betamethasone is sold under several brand names including Celestone, Taclonex, Betatrex.

Brand names

Celestone19,650
Taclonex7,392
Betatrex5,225
Betamethasone Acetate And Betamethasone Sodium Phosphate1,749
Uticort91

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking betamethasone with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.