Dexamethasone is first life-saving coronavirus drug

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

A cheap and widely available drug called dexamethasone can help save the lives of patients who are seriously ill with coronavirus.

UK experts say the low-dose steroid treatment is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus.

It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth.
...
Researchers estimate that if the drug had been available in the UK from the start of the coronavirus pandemic up to 5,000 lives could have been saved. Because it is cheap, it could also be of huge benefit in poorer countries struggling with high numbers of Covid-19 patients.



Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53061281

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Dexamethasone is cheap, available from any pharmacy, and easily obtainable anywhere in the world. Investigators said the drug was responsible for the survival of one in eight of the sickest patients – those who were on ventilators – in the Recovery trial, the biggest randomised, controlled trial of coronavirus treatments in the world.

“It is the only drug so far shown to reduce mortality and it reduces it significantly,” said Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases in the Nuffield department of medicine, at the University of Oxford, and one of the chief investigators of the trial. “It is a major breakthrough, I think.”

Prof Martin Landray, his co-chief investigator said the sickest patients could begin to be treated with the drug immediately. “The search has been on for a treatment that actually reduces the risk of dying. There hasn’t been one until today.

“This is a drug that is globally available. This is not an expensive drug. That is immensely important.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/16/steroid-found-to-help-prevent-deaths-of-sickest-coronavirus-patients

Reputable investigators, so I think this is very hopeful.

[weissmam]

1. well if it proves out

This is pretty cool, should help to loosen things up a bit

[Miguelito Loveless]

29. It seems that if it works

it does so after you are sick. We are not at the "loosen things up a bit" until we have a preventative, i.e. a vaccine.

[Maxheader]

38. I got that too..

Glad it helps...

[bronxiteforever]

2. Kick and recommend.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Good news. I'm no doctor

but it seems to me in my life and hearsay from others, that occasionally a corticosteroid is prescribed for a virus, and there are many formulations, or maybe they're just treating the side effects of the virus, inflammation. This treatment option should have been explored early-on.

[snowybirdie]

4. Amazing

Just yesterday, my wonderful old dog/companion, Spud, had a stroke! Vet prescribed this very same steroid for him to help him recover somewhat and stay with us a bit longer. Hopefully a true miracle drug.

[sweetloukillbot]

19. Off topic but my dog had a stroke last year as well

We fully expected we would have to put him down - he started having balance, sight and hearing issues. But the vet said that strokes weren't nearly as serious for dogs and we could expect a good recovery. And he did recover pretty well - he was walking normally within a week and hearing again within a month.

[snowybirdie]

30. Thank you

for the positive message! We're feeling pretty depressed this a.m. He's still feisty the vet said. We're hoping. Eleven years with our buddy isn't enough.

[Paladin]

5. trump tries to take full credit in 3...2...1... (nt)

[NCjack]

8. Jared activates his hot-shot team of children to misdirect supply chain to secret warehouses

for the purpose of cornering the market. Want some? You have buy from TrumpCo.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. If it's 5 quid in the UK, does that mean it's roughly $300 here?

[cannabis_flower]

9. Actually

I googled it and you can get 30 1mg tablets for $15.00

[louis-t]

31. Not for long....

[AllyCat]

11. Reasonable supposition. Thankfully, no.

This is a cheap, old drug. It’s everywhere.

[beachbumbob]

7. heard this on other such drugs before that went no where

[B Stieg]

10. Steroids suck.

But they're better than nothing.
Once, that's all we had to fight MS, but we've moved beyond them, now...
Here's hoping!

[Tanuki]

13. Since this would only be used for a short period of time, the long-term

consequences of steroid treatment in chronic conditions would be avoided.

[Texin]

14. True. But when they save your life, they're worth the side effects.

I'm an asthmatic. I have had some very, very serious asthma attacks and the ONLY thing that saved my life over four or five life-threatening events was the use of steroidal medications to diminish the inflammatory condition that provokes a serious asthma attack.

I'm now on what's called a maintenance inhaled medication with a low dose of a steroid+bronchial dilator. It controls the inflammation that causes asthma attacks. Trust me, when a person has nearly died from an asthmatic attack on several occasions (some that involved hospital admittance), you WILL use those prescribed medications faithfully every day (and in my case twice daily).

[catrose]

17. I'm with you on that! Steroids do awful things to me. Glad for those who will be helped, though!

[luvtheGWN]

12. "...if the drug had been available in the UK from the start"

Well, that doesn't make sense. Of course it was available. Every patient going through chemo takes it just before and just after their treatment, and as the article says, it's cheap and widely available -- everywhere.

What the article should have said was that if any doc had thought it might be useful at the start, they would have administered it.

[Texin]

16. I believe it took a while for doctors to understand the cytokine storm

that causes the body's hyper-immune response in the most severe cases of this infection. Steroids reduce inflammation which is the underlying condition of the cytokine storm that is causing the most deadly potential of this illness. NSAIDS are also anti-inflammatory pain and fever reducers, so it never seemed reasonable to believe that they would be a causation of worse outcomes, as the French posited early in the outbreak, and I don't know whether the warning to use acetaminophen only has been dialed back or not.

[luvtheGWN]

20. Yes, of course.

I was only suggesting that dexamethasone was/is widely available. My argument is with the way the article was written.

However, from the infectious disease experts I've heard here about the development of the illness, the cytokine storm that so many of the earliest victims suffered was indeed understood -- at that time.

[LeftInTX]

22. It is commonly given in the US for respiratory infections

But it may not be routine everywhere

As a matter of fact, prescribing steroids for tracheo/ bronchitis varies from doctor to doctor. Some do. Some don't.

I started going to a walk in clinic a few years back and he prescribes almost every time.

My previous primary care didn't hand them out routinely

[EllieBC]

15. It's used in NICUs too.

Very sparingly because it can cause developmental delay. My oldest was given it while on a ventilator (she was born a micro prem).

She also had it when she got RSV when she was 3.

Dex is an oldie but a goodie drug for respiratory issues.

[ronatchig]

18. This is great news tho

I had a hard time with this drug when my tumor was discovered. It was used in my case to reduce brain swelling both pre and post op. I hard to take it for about three mo. and then spent 4.5 mo. getting off of it.My dr. said I had soggy brain syndrome. I told him it was a life long condition but he wasn't laughing. My point is this is a pretty serious medication especially for older patients,it caused a pretty serious psychotic break for me. Tho I was being treated for a menigoma that may have had a contribution . It is great that the drs. have found a drug that helps people.

[ToxMarz]

23. Dexamethasone is cheap, available from any pharmacy

I'm guessing that is about to change if it's not already sold out. A lot of people are probably tired of drinking bleach.

[LeftInTX]

24. My current doc hands it out like candy for resp stuff

Some docs don't

However, my hunch is it may already be part of CV treatment in the US

[rocktivity]

25. In the absence of a vaccine, what's also needed is medication

that can be given to the asymptomatic and newly infected to prevent them from getting sicker and/or spreading the virus to others.


rocktivity

[Javaman]

26. in other news: makers of dexamethasone just jacked up price 1000%

it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[iluvtennis]

27. This drug is for seriosuly ill hospitalized CV patients. But this drug together with Remdesivir will

reduce healing time and save some lives - excellent news!

[PatrickforO]

28. Oh, they'll boost the prices. Gouging is the noble way of capitalism. n/t

[flying_wahini]

32. Unless you have any underlying respiratory diseases, like COPD or asthma?

Yes, this article is a whole 3 months old....

Another article stated that corticosteroids can cause the cytokines to go wild. Usually fatal.

[link:https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/avoid-routine-corticosteroids-in-treatment-of-suspected-coronavirus-infection|

[DeminPennswoods]

33. Steroids reduce inflammation?

Who knew?

[Baclava]

34. For sick people on ventilators?, OK, Im sticking to nicotine for preventive medicine, kept me safe!

(Knock on wood)


Vapers vote too!

[Squinch]

35. One in eight of the sickest patients. That's something, but not enough

to get me into a restaurant.

[CousinIT]

36. Major COVID symptom is inflammation. Steroid treatment makes sense.

Steroids reduce inflammation.

[live love laugh]

37. 1 in 8? Doesn't seem that significant but of course every life truly matters. nt

[maxrandb]

39. Someone saw the Stock Market collapsing yesterday

and called The Guardian.

I think they said; "Blue Horseshoe loves Endicott Steel"

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

40. Dexamethasone has some complications

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29891009/

There are concerns about immunosuppression caused by its administration.
I can understand reluctance in using it. There's a fine line.