Diflorasone

Diflorasone is a prescription medication indicated for relief of inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses.

• Diflorasone is available under the following different brand names: Psorcon, ApexiCon, ApexiCon E

Common side effects of Diflorasone include:

• burning
• itching
• irritation
• dryness
• thinning or softening of the skin
• skin rash or irritation around the mouth
• swollen hair follicles
• changes in the color of treated skin
• blisters
• pimples
• crusting of treated skin
• stretch marks

Serious side effects of Diflorasone include:

• hives
• difficult breathing
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• swelling, weight gain (especially in your face or the upper back and torso)
• irregular menstrual periods 
• changes in sexual function
• memory problems, feeling irritable

Rare side effects of Diflorasone include:

• none 

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, coordination loss, unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors.
• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights.
• Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out.

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems that may occur because of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Adult dosage

Cream/ointment

• 0.05%

Dermatoses

Adult dosage

• Apply sparingly to the affected area(s)once a day every 8 hours; discontinue therapy when; discontinue therapy if control is achieved and reassess diagnosis if no improvement within 4 weeks

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, healthcare provider, or pharmacist first.

• Diflorasone has no noted severe interactions with any other drugs
• Diflorasone has no noted serious interactions with any other drugs
• Diflorasone has no noted moderate interactions with any other drugs
• Diflorasone has no noted minor interactions with any other drugs

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your healthcare professional or doctor for additional medical advice, health questions, or concerns.

Contraindications

• Underlying infection
• Hypersensitivity
• Ophthalmic use

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Diflorasone?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Diflorasone?”

Cautions

• Chronic topical corticosteroid therapy may interfere with growth and development in children
• Use med to very high potency for less than 2 weeks to reduce local and systemic side effects
• Use low potency for chronic therapy
• Kaposi's sarcoma reported with prolonged corticosteroid therapy
• Avoid medium to very high potency on the face, folds, and groin because can increase steroid absorption
• Use lower potency for children (ie, increase BSA/kg, therefore increase systemic absorption)
• Use of topical corticosteroids may increase risk of posterior subcapsular cataracts and glaucoma; cataracts reported in postmarketing experience with the use of topical diflorasone diacetate products; glaucoma, with possible damage to the optic nerve, and increased intraocular pressure reported in postmarketing experience with the use of topical dermal corticosteroids
• Avoid contact with eyes; advise patients to report any visual symptoms
• Some patients, including children may exhibit susceptibility to corticosteroid-induced HPA axis suppression and Cushing's syndrome due to prolonged use, or the addition of occlusive dressings
• Pediatric patients may absorb proportionally larger amounts of topical corticosteroids and thus be more susceptible to systemic toxicity
• If irritation develops, topical corticosteroids should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted
• In the presence of dermatological infections, institute appropriate antifungal or antibacterial; if a favorable response does not occur promptly, discontinue corticosteroid therapy until the infection has been adequately controlled

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Corticosteroids are generally teratogenic in laboratory animals when administered systemically at relatively low dosage levels; more potent corticosteroids shown to be teratogenic after dermal application in laboratory animals; there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women on teratogenic effects from topically applied corticosteroids; topical corticosteroids should be used during pregnancy only if potential benefit justifies potential risk to fetus; drugs of this class should not be used extensively on pregnant patients, in large amounts, or for prolonged periods
• Lactation
  • Not known whether topical administration of corticosteroids could result in sufficient systemic absorption to produce detectable quantities in breast milk; because many drugs are excreted in human milk, exercise caution should be when administering the product to a nursing woman