dexamethasone vs ketoconazole
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Side-by-side comparison of dexamethasone and ketoconazole. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Drugs which inhibit CYP 3A4 (e.g., ketoconazole, macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin) have the potential to result in increased plasma concentrations of corticosteroids. Ketoconazole: Ketoconazole has been reported to decrease the metabolism of certain corticosteroids by up to 60%, leading to increased risk of corticosteroid side effects. In addition, ketoconazole alone can inhibit adrenal corticosteroid synthesis and may cause adrenal insufficiency during corticosteroid withdrawal.
Decadron
Nizoral
Dexamethasone (Decadron) is a corticosteroid medicine. It helps reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system.
Ketoconazole shampoo is an antifungal medicine. It treats a fungal infection on your skin.
This medicine treats many conditions, including allergies, skin problems, and breathing issues. It can also help with certain cancers, hormone problems, and nervous system disorders. Dexamethasone can also be used for short-term relief of arthritis and other joint problems.
This shampoo treats tinea versicolor, a fungal infection. This infection can cause patches on your skin that are lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. These patches may appear on your trunk, neck, arms, and upper thighs.
Dexamethasone works by decreasing inflammation in the body. It also changes how your immune system works. This can help reduce symptoms of various conditions.
Ketoconazole is an antifungal medicine. It works by stopping the growth of the fungus. This helps to clear up the infection.
- • Increased appetite
- • Weight gain
- • Fluid retention
- • Mood swings
- • Insomnia
No common side effects listed.
- Fatigue 16,525
- Diarrhoea 16,515
- Plasma Cell Myeloma 13,768
- Nausea 13,495
- Pneumonia 13,291
- Fatigue 929
- Pruritus 902
- Nausea 834
- Rash 802
- Diarrhoea 760
If you have a systemic fungal infection, you should not take this medicine. Long-term use can also make it harder for your body to respond to stress.
You should not use this shampoo if you are allergic to ketoconazole or any of the other ingredients.
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking this medicine. Dexamethasone may harm an unborn baby. It can also pass into breast milk.
It is not known if ketoconazole shampoo can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before using this medicine.
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How to Read This dexamethasone vs ketoconazole Comparison
dexamethasone is classified in the Corticosteroid drug class, while ketoconazole sits within the Azole Antifungal class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, dexamethasone has 73,594 submissions while ketoconazole has 4,227. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to ketoconazole slows down how your body breaks down the steroid, which can cause the medicine to build up to high levels. this increases your risk of having serious side effects from the steroid.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for dexamethasone or ketoconazole.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.