Common questions about betamethasone tablets

Betamethasone is a steroid (corticosteroid) medicine.

Steroids closely copy the effects of natural hormones produced in your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys.

When prescribed in doses higher than your body's usual levels, steroids like betamethasone reduce swelling (inflammation). This can reduce the symptoms of inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and asthma.

Steroids also calm down your immune system. This can help in autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, where your immune system attacks your own body.

This can vary. For some conditions, you will feel better after a couple of days.

For other conditions, you may not feel any better even though the medicine is helping you. This may be the case if you're taking betamethasone to stop your symptoms getting worse or to prevent a problem (for example after an organ transplant).

Ask your doctor what to expect for your condition.

Taking betamethasone tablets for many months or years can have harmful effects on your body. It can lead to:

• weak bones (osteoporosis)
• diabetes, or worsening of your condition if you already have diabetes
• eye problems
• slower growth in children and teenagers

If you have to take betamethasone tablets for a long time, there are steps you can take to stay as healthy as possible.

• Take regular exercise and make sure you get enough calcium in your diet to help strengthen your bones. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese and leafy greens. To check your bones, your doctor may arrange for you to have an occasional bone scan.
• If you have diabetes, you may need to check your blood sugar more often. Your doctor can advise you about this.
• To reduce the chances of eyesight problems, visit an optometrist every 12 months to check for high pressure in your eye (glaucoma) and cataracts.
• Make sure that children and teenagers have their height monitored regularly by a doctor so that any slow growth can be picked up quickly.

There are other steroids available, including:

• deflazacort
• dexamethasone
• hydrocortisone
• methylprednisolone
• prednisolone

Some steroids, including betamethasone, are stronger (more potent) than others. The more potent the steroid is, the stronger its effects will be, but this also means there is a higher risk of side effects.

A small amount of a potent steroid such as betamethasone may have similar effects to a larger dose of a less potent steroid.

Talk to your doctor if you feel that the steroid treatment you're prescribed is not working for you.

If you need any vaccinations, let the doctor or nurse know that you're taking a steroid.

It's possible that your immune system might not be strong enough to have a live vaccine while you're taking betamethasone. This could mean you get an infection.

Live vaccines include the:

• Zostavax shingles vaccine
• BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine
• yellow fever vaccine
• MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine
• nasal spray flu vaccine

Non-live vaccines, like the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, the injected flu vaccine and the Shingrix shingles vaccine, are safe to have while you're taking betamethasone.

Betamethasone can sometimes affect your immune system so you're more likely to catch infections such as flu, coronavirus (COVID-19), the common cold and chest infections. Tell your doctor if you get symptoms of an infection or test positive for COVID-19.

Keep away from people with an infectious illness, especially chickenpox, shingles or measles. If you've never had these illnesses before they could make you very ill.

If you have to take betamethasone tablets for more than a few weeks, it's likely that you'll put on weight. Betamethasone can make you hungrier and retain water, so it can be quite challenging to avoid weight gain.

Try to eat well without increasing your portion sizes. Regular exercise will also help to keep your weight stable.

Once you stop taking betamethasone, your appetite and water retention should return to normal.

Steroid emergency card (red card)

If you are prescribed steroid medicines such as betamethasone, your adrenal glands may not make as much of some of the hormones your body needs such as cortisol (known as the stress hormone). This is known as adrenal insufficiency.

It's more likely to happen if you take high doses for a long time (especially tablets and injections) or if you regularly use different kinds of steroids at the same time (such as a steroid nasal spray and a steroid inhaler).

Your doctor or pharmacist will assess your risk of adrenal insufficiency based on the type and dose of steroids you're taking, and may recommend that you carry a steroid emergency card. This card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse.

The Addison's Disease Self-Help Group (ADSHG) website has more information about the NHS steroid emergency card.

Blue steroid card

If you're on a high dose of betamethasone, your doctor or pharmacist will also give you a blue steroid treatment card. It tells you how you can reduce the risks of side effects. It also gives details of your doctor, how much betamethasone you take and how long the treatment will last for.

If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your blue steroid card to the doctor or dentist.

Betamethasone does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.

However, if betamethasone makes you vomit or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Look on the pill packet to find out what to do.

Find out more:

• What to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the combined pill
• What to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the progestogen-only pill

Betamethasone does not make you sleepy, so it's usually safe to drive or ride a bike while taking it.

But if betamethasone affects your eyesight in any way, do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery until your vision is back to normal.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking betamethasone. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Yes, you can drink alcohol with betamethasone.

Do not eat real liquorice or drink liquorice tea while taking betamethasone.

It's thought that real natural liquorice increases the amount of steroid in your body and increases the risk of side effects from betamethasone.

Otherwise, you can eat and drink normally while taking betamethasone.