Sometimes pregnancy proceeds with complications, which forces doctors to resort to powerful medications that can save the life of an expectant mother or baby in her womb. One of these drugs can be called "Dexamethasone". Its use is in demand in life-threatening situations, as well as in case of hormonal disorders in the body of a pregnant woman and at the risk of premature birth of the baby..
Each case of treatment with "Dexamethasone" during pregnancy is individual and requires supervision by medical professionals. It is worth considering in more detail the intricacies of taking "Dexamethasone" during pregnancy.
Features of the drug
Several forms of "Dexamethasone" are presented in pharmacies, among which there are tablets, and injection solutions, and eye drops. This medication is available from many pharmaceutical companies, is sold by prescription in all pharmacies, and has an affordable price.
Its main ingredient is also called dexamethasone and is presented in the form of sodium phosphate. Each milliliter of solution for injections contains it in a dosage of 4 mg, one tablet - in a dose of 0.5 mg, one milliliter of eye drops - in an amount of 1 mg. Inactive substances differ both in different forms and from different manufacturers.
Operating principle
"Dexamethasone" refers to synthetic glucocorticoid hormonestherefore, such a drug has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. He is capable block the secretion and activity of substances that support the inflammatory process... In addition, it inhibits immune cells, reduces the permeability of capillaries and cell membranes, participates in metabolic reactions and is important for the functioning of endocrine organs.
Is it allowed during pregnancy?
Doctors prescribe "Dexamethasone" to women in a position in situations when you cannot do without the use of such a medicine. This tool has been used in the practice of gynecologists for a long time, but only for strict indications.
The hormone is able to penetrate the placenta, so this medication is not prescribed "just in case". It is also in demand for the treatment of women who have not been helped by drugs considered to be safer during pregnancy. Before using "Dexamethasone" in a particular patient, a specialist must evaluates all risks and expected benefits. If the reason is weighty, the doctor will make sure that there are no contraindications and will prescribe a medication for the expectant mother, but at the same time carefully monitor her condition during therapy.
Therefore, you should not worry if "Dexamethasone" is prescribed to a woman expecting a child. Such a medicine will make it possible to successfully deliver the baby and save the life of both the baby and his mother.
When is it prescribed for expectant mothers?
The use of "Dexamethasone" while carrying a child is possible in different situations.
- The medication is used in cases when it is necessary to suppress the immune system of the expectant mother. It is appointed if the female body tries to reject the embryo, perceiving it as a foreign body. In addition, the hormone is prescribed to expectant mothers who have an autoimmune pathology, for example, antiphospholipid syndrome. In such situations, treatment with Dexamethasone will stop immune reactions and prevent antibodies from negatively affecting the fetus, and will also prevent preeclampsia, termination of pregnancy and fetoplacental insufficiency.
- The medicine is prescribed if the level of testosterone or other male hormones is increased in the body of the expectant mother. Such a problem, called hyperandrogenism, is associated with disorders in the work of the pituitary gland, polycystic ovaries, bearing a male baby, adrenal tumors and some other conditions. Its consequences can be miscarriages, placental insufficiency, fetal growth retardation, chronic fetal hypoxia and other problems. Dexamethasone courses help lower testosterone levels, reducing the likelihood of miscarriage. For this purpose, they are also prescribed when planning pregnancy, if hyperandrogenism interferes with the normal conception of a child.
- In the third trimester, the drug is in demand when the risk of premature birth increases, for example, if the threat arose at 28 or 33 weeks. Its action in this case will be directed not at the female body, but at the fetus. Under the influence of a hormonal substance, the baby's lungs will develop more actively, therefore, immediately after giving birth, a premature baby is more likely to be able to breathe on its own.
- You cannot do without the use of "Dexamethasone" if the expectant mother has developed such serious conditions as anaphylactic shock, cerebral edema, status asthma, toxic shock, hepatic coma, and so on. All these pathologies are the reason for the immediate appointment of the hormone, since it helps to quickly stabilize the patient's condition and save her life.
Contraindications
There are many limiting factors for the appointment of "Dexamethasone", which causes concern for many expectant mothers. This medicine is not used in patients with the following features:
- hypersensitivity to drug components;
- viral, parasitic, or bacterial infections;
- systemic mycoses;
- severe liver disease;
- active tuberculosis;
- immunodeficiency;
- gastrointestinal ulcer;
- heart failure;
- diabetes;
- kidney disease.
These are not all possible contraindications for hormone therapy. The entire list of conditions when "Dexamethasone" can harm a pregnant woman is noted in the annotation to the selected form of medication.
Before prescribing a corticosteroid for a woman, the doctor must make sure that such a list does not include diseases that the expectant mother has.
Side effects
During treatment with Dexamethasone, a woman may experience various negative symptoms. The side effect of the drug is manifested in the following:
- weight gain;
- Strong headache;
- changes in appetite;
- disorientation;
- muscle weakness;
- sleep disorders;
- peripheral edema;
- nausea;
- hives;
- acne;
- depressive state;
- deterioration of vision;
- flushing of the face;
- stretch marks;
- secondary infection of a viral or fungal genesis;
- the development of glaucoma;
- increased blood pressure;
- increased sweating;
- labored breathing;
- skin rash;
- redness, inflammation and other local reactions at the injection site.
Any such changes need immediately inform the attending physician, in order to promptly cancel the medication or find a replacement for it. In some women, the drug leads to rather serious side changes, for example, intensification of infections, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis or thrombosis. In such situations, the patient requires immediate medical attention.
Since the active substance of the drug enters the fetus, then treatment with "Dexamethasone" can affect the condition of the child. One of the dangerous side effects of the medication is the suppression of the baby's adrenal glands. It can manifest itself in a newborn and a baby if the mother received the hormone during gestation in the last weeks, especially if the therapy was long.
In such cases, the child should be regularly examined by a pediatrician in order to prescribe substitution treatment if necessary.
How to use?
As already mentioned, daily dosage, method of application and frequency of use of "Dexamethasone" for each expectant mother is selected individually. There are no clear instructions on the scheme of use in the instructions for the drug. Everything will depend on the doctor, who will take into account the general condition of the patient and the results of her examinations.
Most often, pregnant women are prescribed medication in injections, since they act as quickly as possible. Often, schemes are used when the dose of the hormone is high in the first days, and then it is gradually reduced as soon as the desired therapeutic effect is achieved.
Important! It is recommended to cancel "Dexamethasone" gradually, especially when using high dosages or in cases when the drug was prescribed for a long period. With a sharp cancellation, a negative reaction from the adrenal glands is possible.
Injection medication is usually prescribed in medical facilities, but in some cases, injections can be given by nurses and at home. The drug can be injected into a vein and intramuscularly, and for some diseases of the musculoskeletal system - inside the joints. Intravenous administration is carried out in a jet (the injection is performed slowly) or drip, mixing a hormone solution with 5% dextrose or isotonic solution.
Some treatment regimens involve starting therapy with droppers, and after a few days they switch to tablets. Since Dexamethasone can interfere with the intake of many other medicines, it should not be taken with antacids, estrogens, diuretics, paracetamol drugs, insulin, cardiac glycosides, sodium preparations, and so on.
The compatibility of the hormone with medications that a woman is already receiving is assessed by the doctor who monitors her pregnancy.
Reviews
Women who used "Dexamethasone" while waiting for a baby speak of it as an effective and fast-acting medicine. They note the benefits of such a medication when the drug is prescribed to open the fetal lungs if the risk of premature birth is increased, for example, at 24 or 26 weeks. In addition, there are many positive reviews about the use of the drug when a high level of male hormones is detected in the expectant mother.
The disadvantages of the drug include a rather large list of contraindications, injection, the effect of the drug on the fetus. Many women noted various side effects after using "Dexamethasone", for example, they had problems with the gastrointestinal tract, impaired metabolism, vision problems and other negative reactions.
However, in most cases, negative symptoms were mild, so the benefits of using the drug were higher than its side effects.
Analogs
If for any reason the use of "Dexamethasone" is impossible, the doctor will prescribe an analogue to the woman, which also contains a glucocorticoid hormone. These drugs include funds "Deksona", "Prednisolone", "Megadexan", "Dexazon", "Metipred", "Ivepred"... They come in the form of a solution, tablets, topical eye molds, so it's easy to find the right replacement. However, all of these drugs are strong and can cross the placenta, so they use during pregnancy is permissible only as directed by a physician.
