Calcort is a drug whose active ingredient is Deflazacort, a synthetic corticosteroid well tolerated by the human body. For this reason, the percentage of patients who have side effects from taking calcort is much lower than in patients who are administered equivalent drugs made up of other active substances.
Calcort is used to treat a variety of diseases including dystrophy, Crohn’s disease, and uveitis. This drug is characterized by its therapeutic efficacy superior to that of cortisol or prednisolone-based drugs.
Index
What is Calcort?
Calcort is a steroid drug based on the active element Deflazacort, belonging to the category of corticosteroids, specifically glucocorticoids. Due to its mechanism of action and risks of overdose, this drug can only be dispensed with a valid prescription.
Calcort is highly recommended because deflazacort, its main active component, is considered the most harmless of the cortisones. In this sense, generally the doses of calcort prescribed by a doctor do not usually present significant side effects. However, it must be taken into account that corticosteroids taken in large doses and for long periods of time can cause fluid retention and fat accumulation.
What is the Calcort for?
Calcort is used for the treatment of various diseases: dermatological, systemic, respiratory, ocular, hematological and gastrointestinal. It can also be used to treat allergic diseases and in cases of primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency, together with mineralocorticoids.
Below, the different ills and conditions in which calcort serves as part of the treatment are shown in detail:
Calcort for primary and secondary adrenocortical insufficiency
The difficulty in diagnosing and identifying the causes of adrenocortical insufficiency constitutes a barrier to choosing an adequate treatment. However, the vast majority of these cases are known to be related to glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiency.
Therefore, an alternative for the a priori treatment of these conditions would consist of the administration of calcort. Generally, to reinforce the treatment where endocrinologists usually prescribe mineralocorticoids as a companion.
Calcort for rheumatic diseases
More than 100 variants of rheumatic diseases have been identified, which are characterized by inflammation of the joints, muscles and bones.
Different clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of calcort in reducing the manifestations of rheumatic diseases. It was also shown that the continuous use of corticosteroids with a high inflammatory effect in the treatment of these diseases causes side effects. However, recent studies regarding calcort determined that, although it retains its anti-inflammatory properties, it does not usually cause adverse effects.
Calcort for collagen diseases
The term collagen diseases or collagen diseases is used to refer to a group of autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma, which were believed to be related by the presence of collagen defects.
The choice of treatment for collagen diseases is carried out according to each condition. However, medications that act as immunosuppressants and glucocorticoids, such as calcort, are prescribed indistinctly for these types of illnesses.
Calcort for Dermatological Diseases
The anti-inflammatory properties of calcort contribute to the treatment of various dermatological diseases that often only require basic care and some time to be eliminated.
However, calcort also helps in treating skin conditions that are associated with serious medical conditions. In most of these cases, it acts as a drug intended to correct the underlying problem.
Calcort for different types of allergies
Calcort is often prescribed for the treatment of various health complications resulting from allergic reactions. The allergic diseases or conditions for which calcort has shown effectiveness are: seasonal or permanent allergic rhinitis, contact dermatitis, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, hyper-reactivity to medications, etc.
Calcort for respiratory diseases
Either exclusively or acting as part of a treatment with multiple drugs, calcort intervenes in the recovery of health in cases of respiratory diseases. For example, in cases of fulminant or disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis, it is usually administered in conjunction with the appropriate chemotherapy for the patient.
Calcort for eye diseases
Calcort works effectively for the treatment of eye diseases that can be caused by various types of allergies. As a regulator of the immune system, it prevents the body’s reactions from damaging the eye system. For its part, the anti-inflammatory property of calcort is used to reduce the symptoms of various types of eye disease.
Hematologic Disorders and Malignant Hematologic Diseases
Being a drug with properties to optimize the functioning of the immune system, calcort is a drug present in the treatment of hematological disorders and diseases. The most common cases for which calcort is prescribed are: autoimmune hemolytic anemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, childhood acute leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, etc.
Gastrointestinal diseases
Gastrointestinal diseases are complications and disorders of the gastrointestinal system that occur in both men, women and children. The symptoms of these diseases can become so debilitating for the patient that they often end up prostrate. When calcort is given in these cases, it acts as a palliative and immune regulator drug at the same time. Reducing the impact of the symptoms on the patient and improving the conditions for their recovery.
Calcort dosage
Taking into account the severity and progression of the disease to be treated, the doctor will define the initial daily dose, which in adults can range from 6 mg to 90g. Depending on the clinical response of the patient, this initial dosage will be maintained or may be modified until satisfactory indications are found.
It should not be forgotten that the administration of corticosteroids usually varies depending on the disease that the patient presents and how he responds to the treatment chosen by the doctor in the beginning.
Due to the risk of withdrawal symptoms, it is recommended to administer a maintenance dose that will be gradually reduced, taking into account its impact on the results of the treatment.
Calcort contraindications
The use of calcort contemplates some contraindications that must be taken seriously into account.
Carcort and some vaccines
Systemic corticosteroid therapy could significantly reduce the efficacy of immunization therapies, rendering the related protective effects virtually useless and increasing the risk of infections. Therefore, the doctor should be informed in case of receiving immunosuppressive vaccines or presenting infectious processes.
Calcort and diabetic patients
Prolonged therapy over time could lead to the development of secondary adrenal insufficiency, manageable by gradually reducing the doses of calcort, and a hyperglycemic effect that may require additional dose adjustment in diabetic patients.
Calcort in neurological patients
The psychic and neurological alterations induced by corticosteroid therapy could make the use of machinery and driving motorized vehicles dangerous, which would also aggravate the health conditions of neurological or psychiatric patients.
Calcort and lactose intolerant patients
Calcort tablets contain lactose and should not be taken by patients with lactose intolerance or lactase deficiency and glucose-galactose malabsorption.
Calcort in pregnancy
In the absence of statistically significant experimental and clinical data in pregnant women, a safety profile of calcort for fetal and infant health is not handled. Therefore, during pregnancy and lactation, calcort should be administered only in cases of real need and under strict supervision of the attending physician.
Conclusion Is the use of calcort safe?
Because it is a steroid, Calcort requires great care during use. Failure to follow the instructions of the treating physician, mainly in the way that the dose should be gradually decreased, can cause serious problems in the functioning of the adrenal gland.
Dr. Samantha Robson ( CRN: 0510146-5) is a nutritionist and website content reviewer related to her area of expertise. With a postgraduate degree in Nutrition from The University of Arizona, she is a specialist in Sports Nutrition from Oxford University and is also a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.