How to take Clobetasol
Clobetasol should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you have any doubts, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How to use Clobetasol
- Usually Clobetasol is applied in a thin layer 1-2 times a day. The frequency of use may be reduced as the skin condition improves. If necessary, your doctor may prescribe a weaker drug instead of Clobetasol.
- If you plan to use an emollient, apply Clobetasol first, allow it to be absorbed, and then apply the emollient.
- This ointment is for application to the skin only.
- Do not use Clobetasol for more than 4 weeks without consulting a doctor. If you need long-term treatment, your doctor may prescribe a weaker steroid cream or ointment.
- If your skin condition does not improve within 2-4 weeks, contact your doctor.
- Pathogens may promote infection in warm, humid conditions under occlusive dressings. Always wash your skin before applying a new dressing to prevent skin infections.
- If you apply the ointment to someone else, wash your hands thoroughly before applying or wear disposable gloves.
How to use Clobetasol ointment
- Wash your hands.
- Apply a thin layer of ointment to the affected areas, lightly rub into the skin for complete absorption. You can dose Clobetasol by applying it to your fingertip. For dosing in children, use less ointment, but still use an adult's finger as a dosage unit.
This picture shows the dosage unit - 1 Fingertip Unit (FTU).
FingerTip Unit - the amount of ointment from a tube with a hole diameter of 5 mm, covering the distal phalanx of the index finger of an adult.
- After applying the ointment, rinse your hands thoroughly, unless the skin on your hands is affected and is the area to apply the ointment.
Dosage for adults
For adults
Face and neck: 2.5 FTU
Rear Torso: 7 FTU
Front torso: 7 FTU
One arm(not including hand): 3 FTU
Both sides of one brush: 1 FTU
Single leg (not including feet): 6 FTU
One foot: 2 FTU
Don't worry if you use a little more or less ointment than you should, it will only be unevenly distributed.
Dosage for children from 1 to 10 years
| Required number of FTU units | |||||
| Childhood | Face and neck | Arm and hand | Leg and foot | Front part of the body | Rear area including buttocks |
| 1-2 years | 1,5 | 1,5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 3-5 years | 1,5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3,5 |
| 6-10 years | 2 | 2,5 | 4,5 | 3,5 | 5 |
- Cannot be used by children under 1 year of age.
- In children, it is especially important not to exceed the prescribed dose.
- The course of treatment should not exceed 5 days, unless your doctor has prescribed a longer course of treatment. The doctor may schedule an appointment for your child every week.
- The use of occlusive dressings or bandages in children is not recommended where the ointment is applied.
If you have psoriasis
If you have psoriatic plaques on your elbows or knees, your doctor may recommend applying ointment under sealed occlusive dressings. However, this is recommended when using the ointment at night to enhance the effect. After a short period of time, you need to return to your normal regimen of applying the ointment.
If you use Clobetasol on the facial skin
You can apply the ointment to your face only on the advice of a doctor. It is not recommended to use the ointment for more than 5 days, as long-term use of the drug leads to thinning of the skin. Bandages and bandages are not recommended for use on the face where the ointment is applied . Avoid getting Clobetasol in your eyes. If this happens, rinse your eyes with plenty of water.
If you took more Clobetasol than you were recommended
If you have used too much ointment or accidentally swallowed it, contact your doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room immediately.
If you forget to take Clobetasol
If you forget to take the next dose of the drug, take it as soon as you remember. If the time has come for the next use of Clobetasol, wait until this moment and then use the drug. Do not take an extra dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you stop using Clobetasol
If you use Clobetasol regularly and want to stop using it, you should talk to your doctor before you stop using this drug, as your condition may get worse if you suddenly stop using the drug.
If you have additional questions about the use of the drug, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Possible side effects
Like other medicines, Clobetasol can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
Stop using Clobetasol and tell your doctor immediately if:
- You will find that your skin gets worse, you develop a generalized rash, or your skin swells during treatment. You may be allergic to Clobetasol, have an infection, or need other treatment
- You have psoriasis and there are raised bumps of pus under the skin. This may occur very rarely during or after treatment and is known as pustular psoriasis.
Other side effects
Common (may affect 1 in 10)
- Burning sensations, pain, irritation or itching in areas where the ointment is applied.
Rare (may affect 1 in 100)
- Thinning skin, which can cause stretch marks
- Blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin may become more visible
Very rare (may affect 1 in 10,000)
Long-term use of the drug or use under an occlusive dressing may lead to the following symptoms:
- weight gain
- rounding the face
- obesity
- thinning of the face
- skin wrinkling
- dry skin
- changes in the color of your skin
- increase in body hair
- hair loss, lack of growth, hair damage
Other very rare skin reactions:
- allergic reactions at the application site
- deterioration of condition
- irritation and pain at the application site
- redness
- rash or hives
- if you have psoriasis, you may have raised bumps of pus under the skin. This may occur during or after treatment and is known as pustular psoriasis.
- skin infections
- acne
In children, watch for the following symptoms:
- slow weight gain
- slow growth
Very rare side effects that may show up in blood tests or during a doctor's examination.
- decreased levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood
- elevated sugar levels in the blood or urine
- high blood pressure
- increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma)
- weakening of bones due to gradual loss of minerals (osteoporosis). After a routine medical examination, additional tests may be needed to confirm this condition.
Reporting Adverse Events
If you notice any side effects, tell your doctor, pharmacist or pharmacist, including any side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects by going to the website www.arpimed.com and filling out the appropriate form “Report a side effect or ineffectiveness of a drug” and to the Scientific Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Technologies named after. Academician E. Gabrielyan by going to the website www.pharm.am to the “Report a side effect of a drug” section and fill out the form “Card of reporting a side effect of a drug.” Scientific center hotline phone number: +37410237665; +37498773368 By reporting side effects, you help gather more information about the safety of this drug.
How to store Clobetasol
- Store out of the reach of children, in a cool place, protected from moisture and light.
- Shelf life – 3 years. Do not take Clobetasol after the expiration date indicated on the drug package. When indicating the expiration date, we mean the last day of the specified month. Shelf life after opening is 6 months.
- Medicines should not be disposed of in wastewater or sewer systems. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of any medicine you no longer need. These measures are aimed at protecting the environment.
Package contents and additional information
What Clobetasol contains
Each gram of Clobetasol 0.05% ointment contains:
- active substance: clobetasol propionate - 0.5 mg
- excipients: liquid paraffin, propylparaben, white petrolatum, ethyl alcohol.
What Clobetasol looks like and contents of the pack:
The ointment is white, odorless.
Description of packaging
0.05% ointment for external use, 15 g in aluminum tubes along with a leaflet in a cardboard pack.
Vacation conditions
Available with prescription
Clobetasol, cream
Externally.
Applying the cream is especially advisable on damp or wet surfaces.
The cream is applied in a thin layer in an amount no greater than required to cover the entire affected area, once or twice a day, and rubbed in gently. Duration of use – until the effect appears or, if necessary, up to 4 weeks. Treatment should not be carried out for more than 4 weeks. If long-term treatment is necessary, the frequency of application should be gradually reduced or less active drugs should be used. After each application of Clobetasol, allow sufficient time for absorption before applying an emollient.
To prevent exacerbations of skin diseases, short (intermittent) courses of the drug Clobetasol are administered.
In particularly resistant cases, especially in the presence of hyperkeratosis, the effect of the drug Clobetasol, cream for external use 0.5 mg/g, if necessary, can be enhanced by applying an occlusive dressing (plastic film) to the area of application of the drug at night, which is usually accompanied positive dynamics of symptoms. In the future, the achieved effect can usually be maintained without the use of an occlusive dressing.
If the condition worsens or does not improve within 2-4 weeks, the diagnosis and treatment should be reconsidered. The maximum weekly dose should not exceed 50 g/week.
Treatment with the drug Clobetasol should be gradually withdrawn as soon as disease control is achieved, and treatment with the emollient should be continued as maintenance therapy.
Sudden discontinuation of the drug Clobetasol may lead to a relapse of previously existing dermatoses.
When used on the face, occlusive dressings should not be used, and the duration of treatment should, if possible, be limited to five days.
Dermatoses characterized by persistent progression
Patients with frequent relapses of the disease
In case of acute illness, once the effect of a continuous course of treatment with a glucocorticosteroid is achieved, the possibility of its intermittent use (once a day, twice a week, without an occlusive dressing) may be considered. This treatment has been shown to effectively reduce the incidence of relapses.
Application of the drug should be continued to all previously affected areas of the skin or to known areas of potential exacerbation. This regimen should be combined with routine daily use of emollients. The condition and the benefits and risks of continuing treatment should be regularly assessed.
Description of the drug CLOBETASOL
In rare cases, treatment of psoriasis with corticosteroids for external use (or their cancellation) provokes the development of pustular psoriasis.
Long-term administration of GCS for external use in large doses or application to large areas of the skin may be accompanied by systemic absorption with subsequent development of symptoms of hypercortisolism. The risk of developing this complication is increased in children, especially when using an occlusive dressing, while a diaper can serve as such a dressing. In such cases, it is necessary to strengthen medical supervision and regularly examine the patient for suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Provided that clobetasol is used in adults at a dose of no more than 50 g per week, suppression of the function of the pituitary and adrenal glands is transient in nature with their rapid recovery immediately after the end of the course of treatment.
Clobetasol is preferably used short-term.
The use of GCS for external use for a long time should be avoided, because suppression of adrenal function may occur.
Atrophic skin changes may appear on the face more often than on other parts of the body as a result of long-term use of external forms of corticosteroids.
Clobetasol should not be applied to the periorbital area, because this may cause the development of glaucoma.
Treatment of psoriasis with GCS for external use may be accompanied by the development of relapses of the disease, tolerance, generalized pustular form of the disease, local or systemic toxic reactions due to impaired barrier function of the skin, therefore monitoring the patient’s condition is especially important.
In case of secondary infection, appropriate antibacterial therapy should be carried out. If there are any signs of generalization of the infection, it is necessary to stop the external use of GCS and carry out appropriate treatment with antibacterial drugs. The warm, moist conditions created by applying an occlusive dressing are conducive to bacterial infection, so be sure to clean the skin before applying a new dressing.
Clobetasol in the form of shampoo is indicated only for the treatment of psoriasis of the scalp, it should not be applied to other parts of the body and areas of the skin prone to diaper rash (armpits, genital and anal areas) and to erosive areas of the skin, as this increases the risk of local unwanted reactions such as atrophic skin changes, telangiectasia or dermatitis caused by GCS. If shampoo gets into your eyes, rinse them immediately with plenty of water.
Use in pediatrics
The use of clobetasol in children requires medical supervision at least once a week. The use of GCS for external use for a long time in young children should be avoided, because suppression of adrenal function may occur.
