The most severe symptoms of COVID-19 are the result of the an infected person’s immune system’s overreaction to the virus. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory drug that can rein in a person’s immune system attack.
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It is used to treat many different inflammatory conditions such as allergic disorders and skin conditions.
Dexamethasone is also used to treat ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and breathing disorders. It may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
This drug is relatively inexpensive and widely available steroid that blunts many types of immune responses. Doctors have long used it to treat allergies, asthma and inflammation.
In June, it became the first drug shown to reduce Covid-19 deaths. That study of more than 6,000 people, which in July was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third in patients on ventilators, and by one-fifth in patients on oxygen. It may be less likely to help — and may even harm — patients who are at an earlier stage of Covid-19 infections, however.
In its Covid-19 treatment guidelines, the National Institutes of Health recommends only using dexamethasone in patients with COVID-19 who are on a ventilator or are receiving supplemental oxygen.
Steroid medication affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily. Steroids can also worsen or reactivate an infection you’ve already had. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks.
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