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desoximetasone Side Effects

Also known as: Topicort

Analysis of 18,159 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.

Total Reports

18,159

Death-Related

4,534

25.0% of reports

Hospitalizations

6,570

36.2% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
9,774
PAIN
8,816
FATIGUE
8,635
ALOPECIA
8,121
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
8,064
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
7,966
PEMPHIGUS
7,742
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT
7,697
GLOSSODYNIA
7,510
SWELLING
7,041
HAND DEFORMITY
6,818
RASH
6,712
ARTHROPATHY
6,684
DRUG INTOLERANCE
6,547
SYNOVITIS
6,373
WOUND
6,338
JOINT SWELLING
6,325
ARTHRALGIA
6,121
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED
5,919
INFUSION RELATED REACTION
5,847

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 13,565 (89%)
Male 1,698 (11%)
Unknown 5

Age Distribution

0-17 104 (1%)
18-44 5,980 (55%)
45-64 3,207 (29%)
65-74 1,091 (10%)
75+ 556 (5%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 4,534 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 2,085
GLOSSODYNIA 2,013
TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS 2,008
DUODENAL ULCER PERFORATION 1,986
HAND DEFORMITY 1,968
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 1,945
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 1,938
PSORIATIC ARTHROPATHY 1,935
HELICOBACTER INFECTION 1,932
FIBROMYALGIA 1,926
SYNOVITIS 1,891
WOUND 1,889
FATIGUE 1,879
INFUSION RELATED REACTION 1,874
RASH 1,874
HYPOAESTHESIA 1,862
HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED 1,858
PEMPHIGUS 1,854
HYPERTENSION 1,852
PERICARDITIS 1,831

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 6,570 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
FATIGUE 3,117
PAIN 2,865
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 2,863
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 2,851
SWELLING 2,775
ARTHRALGIA 2,771
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT 2,765
RASH 2,744
ALOPECIA 2,731
SYNOVITIS 2,725
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 2,703
HAND DEFORMITY 2,624
OFF LABEL USE 2,621
PEMPHIGUS 2,605
GLOSSODYNIA 2,604
JOINT SWELLING 2,595
PERICARDITIS 2,583
ARTHROPATHY 2,553
HYPERSENSITIVITY 2,552
DUODENAL ULCER PERFORATION 2,517

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About desoximetasone Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 18,159 voluntary reports linked to desoximetasone and its brand equivalents (Topicort), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 4,534 (25.0%) listed death as an outcome and 6,570 (36.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 89% were female and 11% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 5,980 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 9,774 submissions, followed by pain and fatigue.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.