# E-DRUG: rationale of dexamethasone combination? **URL:** https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-rationale-of-dexamethasone-combination/1783 **Category:** e-drug **Created:** [December 9, 1997, 6:30am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-rationale-of-dexamethasone-combination/1783 "1997-12-09T06:30:35Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![Ric\_Day](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@Ric\_Day](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/Ric_Day) #### Post date: [December 9, 1997, 6:30am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-rationale-of-dexamethasone-combination/1783/1 "1997-12-09T06:30:35Z")
E-DRUG: rationale of dexamethasone combination? (8) --------------------------------------------------- Dexamethasone is not recommended in RA because of its long half life compared to prednisolone and because Rx is likely to be over long periods of time. The risk of NSAID induced GI damage is enhanced in the presence of corticosteroids. Indomethacin should be dosed tds or minimally, bd both of which regimens are inappropriate for a glucocorticoid - morning doses of short half life glucocorticoids are preferred. The grounds for potential approval of a combination product in the EU and also Australia (which follows the EU position) is that there should be a proven advantage of the combination over the use of the individual ingredients. As noted above, there are only disadvantages of combining indomethacin with dexamethasone. Finally, dose adjustment would be very difficult. This proposed combination should be strongly opposed. Rick Day Richard DAY, MD FRACP Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Director Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, St Vincent's Hospital, Victoria St., Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia, 2010 Tel: 61-(0)2-9361-2331 Fax: 61-(0)2-9361-2724 -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.