Table of Contents
ToggleDesonide 0.05% is a type of medicine called a corticosteroid. Corticosteroids like Desonide 0.05% work by mimicking the effects of hormones that are produced naturally by the body’s adrenal glands. These hormones help to reduce inflammation in the skin.
What is Desonide 0.05% used for?
Desonide 0.05% is used to help relieve the redness, swelling, itching, and burning of various skin conditions. These include eczema, psoriasis, and allergic reactions. Desonide 0.05% is usually applied to the affected area of skin two or three times daily. It comes in the form of an ointment, cream, or lotion.
Desonide 0.05% brand names
Desonide 0.05% is the generic name used. Here are the lists of brand names known for Desonide 0.05%:
United States
- Desonate
- Desowen
- LoKara
- Tridesilon
- Verdeso
Canada
- Pms-Desonide
Which body parts should be avoided when using Desonide 0.05%?
Only the skin should be used for this medication. Avoid getting it in your mouth, nose, eyes, or vagina. It should not be applied to skin that has been burned, scraped, or cut. Rinse it off with water as soon as possible if it does get on these locations.
Use the topical gel for no more than 4 weeks and avoid applying the gel to the groin or underarms unless your doctor instructs you to.
How long does Desonide 0.05% stay in your system?
The amount of time that Desonide 0.05% stays in your system is dependent on the duration of use of the medicine. Some research suggests that suppression of cortisol levels is still apparent 96 hours after topical use of corticosteroid creams, which implies that Desonide 0.05% can stay in your system for long periods of time, possibly for up to a few weeks. Desonide 0.05% is not recommended for long term use. More research is required about the half-life of Desonide 0.05% and how long it stays in your system.
According to the NHS, for people who use Desonide 0.05% for extended periods of time (more than 12 months in adults), a withdrawal reaction may occur which can include:
- redness or changes in skin color (hyperpigmentation)
- burning, stinging, itching or peeling of the skin, or oozing, open sores
What are the side effects of Desonide 0.05%?
According to MayoClinic, here are the possible side effects of Desonide 0.05%. Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
- Blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
- burning, itching, redness, skin rash, swelling, or soreness at the application site
- flushing or redness of the skin
- irritation
- itching, scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
- peeling of the skin
- raised, dark red, wart-like spots on the skin, especially when used on the face
- stinging and burning
- unusually warm skin
Incidence not known
- Blindness
- blurred vision or other change in vision
- decreased vision
- eye pain
- headache
- loss of vision
- nausea
- redness and scaling around the mouth
- tearing
- thinning of the skin with easy bruising, especially when used on the face or where the skin folds together (eg, between the fingers)
- Vomiting
There are certain potential side effects that often do not require medical treatment. During therapy, these side effects could fade away as your body gets used to the medication. Additionally, your healthcare provider might be able to provide you with information on how to avoid or lessen some of these adverse effects. If any of the following side effects persist, are troublesome, or if you have any questions about them, speak with your doctor:
More common
- Body aches or pain
- chills
- cough
- difficulty with breathing
- ear congestion
- fever
- headache
- loss of voice
- runny or stuffy nose
- sneezing
- sore throat
- unusual tiredness or weakness
Less common
- Hoarseness
- irritability
- noisy breathing
- tender, swollen glands in the neck
- tightness in the chest
- trouble with swallowing
- voice changes
Incidence not known
- Acne or pimples
- burning and itching of the skin with pinhead-sized red blisters
- burning, itching, and pain in hairy areas, or pus at the root of the hair
- lightening of normal skin color
- lightening of treated areas of dark skin
- reddish purple lines on the arms, face, legs, trunk, or groin
Why does my skin burn when I apply Desonide 0.05% to my skin?
If your skin burns after applying Desonide 0.05% to your skin, you may have an allergic reaction to the steroid cream and your skin cannot tolerate it. Desonide 0.05% also contains cetostearyl alcohol which may cause acute allergic reactions.
How do I taper down from using desonide?
To taper down from using desonide many doctors advise adjusting to using a weaker steroid cream over an extended period of time. This is commonly known as climbing down the topical steroid ladder.
Which steroid creams are weaker than Desonide 0.05%?
According to the Topical Steroid Potency Strength Chart, desonide 0.05% is a low-strength topical corticosteroid. Topical steroids that are weaker than desonide 0.05% are as follows:
- Fluocinolone acetonide
- Hydrocortisone 0.5% – 2.5%
- Hydrocortisone
Which steroid creams are stronger than Desonide 0.05%?
Topical steroid creams that are stronger than desonide 0.05% are as follows:
- Augmented betamethasone dipropionate
- Clobetasol propionate
- Desoximetasone
- Augmented diflorasone diacetate
- Diflorasone diacetate
- Fluocinonide
- Flurandrenolide 4 mcg/cm2
- Halobetasol propionate
- Amcinonide
- Betamethasone dipropionate
- Halcinonide
- Mometasone furoate
- Fluticasone propionate
- Triamcinolone acetonide 0.5%
- Betamethasone valerate
- Fluocinolone acetonide
- Flurandrenolide
- Hydrocortisone valerate
- Triamcinolone acetonide
- Betamethasone valerate 0.1%
- Clocortolone pivalate
- Fluticasone propionate
- Flurandrenolide
- Hydrocortisone butyrate
- Hydrocortisone probutate
- Hydrocortisone valerate 0.2%
- Prednicarbate
- Alclometasone dipropionate
What happens when you use Desonide 0.05% too often?
If you use Desonide 0.05% too frequently or for an extended period of time, tolerance or tachyphylaxis to that potency level of steroid cream may develop. Desonide 0.05% is not recommended for extended use which may result in some of the common side effects listed above. Consult with your doctor if you have concerns.
Does Desonide 0.05% cause topical steroid withdrawal?
More research is required to understand the complexity of Topical Steroid Withdrawal and its specific connection to Desonide 0.05%. Desonide 0.05% is a highly potent corticosteroid commonly used for skin conditions and the side effects of discontinuing the use of this topical steroid medicine is yet to be studied.
Throughout online groups and communities, there are serious concerns, accounts, discussions and images about corticosteroid creams (not just Desonide 0.05%) causing Topical Steroid Withdrawal. The accounts and experiences of the Topical Steroid Withdrawal community continues to grow and has gathered media wide attention for the aesthetic physical severity of many suffering.
Topical Steroid Withdrawal is an iatrogenic health phenomena that requires more research and studies. The International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN) is currently building a patient registry to begin preliminary studies.
Is there treatment for Topical Steroid Withdrawal?
Currently, there is no global protocol or medical treatment for topical steroid withdrawal. However, medical advice favours the gradual reduction of topical steroids, rather than stopping usage abruptly.
At TSW Assist, we are identifying crowd sourced insights that can help manage the inflammation and symptoms during the withdrawal period from topical steroids. Currently, there is no quick cure for Topical Steroid Withdrawal.
Through the community, we are finding insights of the management of the symptoms of TSW, through the tracking of the efficacy of specific products, methods and therapies.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is not medical advice. There is no known medical cure for topical steroid withdrawal, but there are collective methods to manage the symptom and inflammation during the withdrawal period. It should not be mistaken that all usage of steroid creams will cause topical steroid withdrawal. More clinical research is required to understand the cause of Topical Steroid Withdrawal within an individual.