Do researchers find that dexamethasone at recommended dosages has side effects strong enough to mentally incapacitate someone?
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid used to treat ailments including multiple sclerosis, allergies, post-surgery inflammation and, most recently, complications of COVID-19.
The most common side effect of corticosteroids is insomnia, reported in 45% of patients in one study. Other less common side effects include indigestion, agitation, weight gain, acne and depression. Corticosteroids can induce "an improved sense of well-being within several days of starting the medications," and "mild euphoria or anxiety may also occur."
The drug has been cited as causing more severe mental impairment almost exclusively in cases where dosages of 20 mg daily were administered for a prolonged period of time. Federal guidelines for COVID-19 patients recommend a course of 6 mg per day for up to 10 days. There are no specific studies about the effects in COVID-19 patients.
