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Dexamethasone Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of dexamethasone include off label use, fatigue, and diarrhoea, based on 348,104 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Dexamethasone side effects

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

1
Off Label Use7.0%24,391
2
Fatigue5.3%18,543
3
Diarrhoea5.1%17,850
4
Nausea4.4%15,173
5
Plasma Cell Myeloma4.2%14,776
6
Death4.2%14,684
7
Pneumonia4.1%14,116
8
Drug Ineffective3.9%13,643
9
Neutropenia3.3%11,404
10
Pyrexia3.3%11,355
11
Dyspnoea3.1%10,715
12
Thrombocytopenia3.0%10,327
13
Anaemia2.7%9,493
14
Vomiting2.6%9,183
15
Asthenia2.6%9,157

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

Report severity

84.5%Serious294,095 reports
39.4%Hospitalizations137,013 reports
16.8%Fatal58,368 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Dexamethasone drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside dexamethasone. 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
Lenalidomide28.4%98,920
2
Bortezomib10.5%36,687
3
Cyclophosphamide9.3%32,394
4
Pomalidomide8.0%27,924
5
Vincristine-sulfate6.4%22,311
6
Doxorubicin-hydrochloride6.2%21,633
7
Methotrexate5.3%18,314
8
Rituximab5.0%17,377
9
Daratumumab5.0%17,362
10
Cytarabine4.9%17,048
11
Etoposide4.1%14,147
12
Prednisone3.8%13,126
13
Carfilzomib3.7%12,888
14
Cisplatin3.6%12,535
15
Ixazomib-citrate3.3%11,535

Taken alongside

1
Acyclovir13.9%48,359
2
Acetaminophen13.8%48,183
3
Aspirin13.4%46,645
4
Ondansetron12.3%42,852
5
Omeprazole8.2%28,620
6
Pantoprazole-sodium7.0%24,286
7
Ergocalciferol6.9%23,863
8
Furosemide6.6%23,107
9
Amlodipine6.2%21,532
10
Oxycodone6.0%20,919
11
Levothyroxine-sodium5.8%20,129
12
Gabapentin5.6%19,383
13
Bortezomib5.4%18,712
14
Atorvastatin-calcium5.2%18,024
15
Metoprolol5.1%17,693

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 dexamethasone side effects

43.7% of dexamethasone adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 48%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.7%
Male45.4%
Unknown10.9%

Age group

< 21.1%
2–113.3%
12–171.8%
18–6446.0%
65+47.8%

What is dexamethasone used for

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

11-beta-hydroxylase Deficiency17-alpha-hydroxylase Deficiency17-alpha-hydroxylase Deficiency21-hydroxylase Deficiency5q Minus SyndromeAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal InfectionAbdominal LymphadenopathyAbdominal NeoplasmAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbortion SpontaneousAbscessAbscess Neck

Showing 15 of 4,792 indications

Dexamethasone brand names and reporting trend

Dexamethasone is sold under brand names including Dexone 0.5, Dexamethasone, Dexamethasone Acetate.

Brand names

Dexone 0.5387,635
Dexamethasone17,732
Dexamethasone Acetate2,265

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking dexamethasone with another medication?

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