Has anyone had experience with Dexamethazole

[Mumma331]

My DP has been allowed home after being hospitalised with Covid 5 days ago. We have oxygen at home and he is on medication.

One steroid he is on is Dexamethazole and he’s having awful side effects on it. He is not a man that usually gets anxious but he’s anxiety is on another level, he’s completely wired and panicky and cannot sleep. This is shown as a side effect and he has 5 days left on this particular steroid. With it being Sat I can’t speak to the GP about this but I’m just concerned it could bring on mental health issues.

Does anyone have any experience with this particular drug? Any advice appreciated xx

No personal experience, but you are right, this is a known side effect and I'm sorry your poor DH is experiencing it as well as everything else.

You can try to get medical advice from 111 today. I doubt they will advise stopping though it as it's literally a lifesaver.

It may be helpful to try to frame this as "good side effects - really showing this bastard virus the door" "if it ain't hurting it ain't working" etc? Easier said than done I know.

When my DH had terrible post-major surgery insomnia/hallucinations/jitters he found listening to audiobooks really helped get him into a doze if not actual proper sleep.

that steroid no. But I do take pred quiet often. The side effects aren't nice. I don't get anxious, bit I do get either very short tempered or cry alot. It stops when I finish taking then and tends to get better as the course goes on.

Dexa Ethan one is known for this. Like the above poster I take pred quite often, take them as soon as I get up to help with the insomnia. Once he's tapered off them he should improve fairly quickly.

Dexa Ethan? Dexamethasone obviously.

Rood rage is well known, dh gets it from pred.

You need a lot of patience to deal with it because it’s like living with a different person until their off it.

Unfortunately those sort of side effects are common on steroids. Fortunately he’s on a short course. I’m sorry though, must be so hard for you to deal with on top of covid and everything.

I hope he’s better soon. It sounds awful. I would speak to 111 GP, although I doubt they’d want to stop the course early, would be helpful to take their advice.

My husband ( no medical Issues, 40s, vaccinated )
is also just home. They stopped his Dexamethasone at discharge but it’s as if an entirely different person has come back. He’s v physically weak & breathless but also seems depressed / barely talks to us.

I think the experience ( particularly the Covid ward) has been really traumatic for him. Difficult to know as he just won’t talk. It’s very frightening.