Dexamethasone vs Desoximetasone: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Dexamethasone | Desoximetasone | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Corticosteroid | Corticosteroid |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 294,871 | 18,941 |
| Serious | 84% | 95% |
| Death outcome | 47,727 | 5,061 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Dexamethasone | Desoximetasone | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep vein thrombosis postoperative | 352 · PRR 15.4 | 1,310 · PRR 2,284.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Dexamethasone
- Secondary immunodeficiency — n=260, PRR 19.6 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Desoximetasone
- Folliculitis — n=3,857, PRR 664.2 Labeled adverse reaction
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Dexamethasone or Desoximetasone?
Dexamethasone has 294,871 FAERS reports and Desoximetasone 18,941. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (84% vs 95%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Dexamethasone and Desoximetasone share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for deep vein thrombosis postoperative. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Dexamethasone or Desoximetasone safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.