What the label lists and what reports show
Desoximetasone side effects
Desoximetasone's FDA label lists its adverse reactions in its own words. FAERS holds 18,942 reports naming it through July 30, 2026; the reaction reported most often, leaving out the conditions it is used for, product-use terms and outcomes, is pain (9,038 reports).
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the desoximetasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 12, 2026, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.
What does the patient leaflet say about side effects?
From the patient leaflet: What are the possible side effects of Desoximetasone Topical Spray, 0.25%?Desoximetasone topical spray, 0.25% may cause serious side effects, including: Symptoms of a disorder where the adrenal gland does not make enough of certain hormones (adrenal insufficiency) during treatment or after stopping treatment with desoximetasone topical spray, 0.25%. Your doctor may do blood tests to check for adrenal gland problems. Cushing's syndrome, a condition that happens when your body is exposed to large amounts of the hormone cortisol. Your doctor may do tests to check for this. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or diabetes mellitus that has not been diagnosed can happen when treated with desoximetasone topical spray, 0.25% . Your doctor may do tests to check for this. Skin reactions at the treated skin site. Tell your doctor if you get any skin reactions or skin infections. Eye problems. […]
Source: FDA drug label (Desoximetasone), Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective November 13, 2025 (SPL set e4b648f4-c65d-44b3-a97a-657730f65322), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the label list?
From the label: adverse reactionsThe following local adverse reactions are reported infrequently with topical corticosteroids, but may occur more frequently with the use of occlusive dressings. These reactions are listed in an approximate decreasing order of occurrence: Burning, itching, irritation, dryness, folliculitis, hypertrichosis, acneiform eruptions, hypopigmentation, perioral dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, maceration of the skin, secondary infection, skin atrophy, striae, and miliaria. In controlled clinical studies the incidence of adverse reactions was low (0.2%) for Topicort ® (desoximetasone ointment USP) 0.05% and included mild burning sensation at the site of application.
Table 1. Number (%) of Subjects with Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥ 1% Another less common adverse reaction (<1% but >0.1%) was folliculitis.
This table is printed in the Desoximetasone label published by Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of November 13, 2025; the label quoted above does not print one.
| Reaction | Desoximetasone Topical Spray, 0.25% b.i.d (N = 149) | Vehicle spray b.i.d. (N = 135) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Subjects with Adverse Reactions | 13 (8.7%) | 18 (13.3%) |
| Application site dryness | 4 (2.7%) | 7 (5.2%) |
| Application site irritation | 4 (2.7%) | 5 (3.7%) |
| Application site pruritus | 3 (2.0%) | 5 (3.7%) |
Rows and numbers as the label prints them, under its own column headings (the first rows of a longer table where it runs on). A reaction in a trial table is not necessarily caused by the medicine, and trials differ from everyday use.
Source: FDA drug label, NDA018594 (Taro), as published by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc., effective March 12, 2026 (SPL set 96dfac6f-540f-4b7d-bcee-7e62088ebc93), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show?
18,942 reports list desoximetasone among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 5,061 are coded as a death and 7,098 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Of the 23 reactions below, none is named by the same term (in US spelling) in the label's adverse reactions, warnings or patient leaflet; a reaction the label does not name may still be there under another word, and a report does not show that the medicine caused it.
Reports received each year
The 25 most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026; reactions as MedDRA preferred terms
What next?
- Desoximetasone: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Report a side effect to the FDA
- MedWatch
- Side effects hub
- the most reported medicines and reactions