📌 COMPOSITION

Each 1 g contains: Betamethasone valerate 1.2 mg (equivalent to betamethasone 1 mg).

📌 DESCRIPTION

Betamethasone valerate is an active topical corticosteroid which produces a rapid response in those inflammatory dermatoses that are normally responsive to topical corticosteroid therapy, and is often effective in the less responsive conditions such as psoriasis.

📌 INDICATIONS

• Eczema in children and adults, including atopic and discoid eczema.
• Prurigo nodularis.
• Psoriasis (excluding widespread plaque psoriasis).
• Neurodermatoses including lichen simplex, lichen planus.
• Contact sensitivity reactions.
• Discoid lupus erythematosus.
• An adjunct to systemic steroid therapy in generalised erythroderma.

📌 DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION

• A small quantity should be applied to the affected area once or twice a day until improvement occurs. It may then be possible to maintain improvement by applying once a day.

Notes:

• Do not cover the treated skin area unless your doctor tells you to. Covering treated areas can increase the amount of medicine absorbed through your skin and may cause harmful effects.
• Children are more likely to develop local and systemic side effects of topical corticosteroids in general, so they require shorter courses and less potent agents than adults; therefore, courses should be limited to five days and occlusion should not be used on the treated skin area.
• For topical administration only.

📌 RESTRICTIONS ON USE

Contraindications

• Children under 1 year, rosacea and acne vulgaris.
• Perioral dermatitis.
• Perianal and genital pruritus.
• Primary cutaneous viral infections (e.g., herpes simplex, chickenpox).
• Hypersensitivity to betamethasone valerate.

Precautions

• Avoid applying to broken skin or within skin folds.
• Long‑term continuous topical therapy should be avoided.
• If applied to the eyelids, care is needed to ensure that the preparation does not enter the eye, as glaucoma might result.
• Topical steroids may be hazardous in psoriasis for a number of reasons, including rebound relapses, development of tolerance, risk of generalised pustular psoriasis and development of local or systemic toxicity due to impaired barrier function of the skin. If used in psoriasis, careful patient supervision is important.

Use in Pregnancy and Lactation

If you are pregnant or breast‑feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

📌 SIDE EFFECTS

• Very rare: Hypersensitivity, features of hypercortisolism, thinning of skin (this may cause stretch marks and it may also damage more easily), striae, pigmentation changes, hypertrichosis, allergic contact dermatitis, pustular psoriasis, exacerbation of symptoms. Blood vessels under the surface of the skin may become more noticeable.
• If signs of severe allergy appear, use should be discontinued immediately.
• Common: Local skin burning and pruritus.

📌 OVERDOSAGE

Acute overdosage is very unlikely to occur; however, in the case of chronic overdosage or misuse, features of hypercortisolism may appear. In this situation, topical steroids should be discontinued gradually under medical supervision because of the risk of adrenal insufficiency.

📌 STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

• Store below 30°C.
• For external use only.

📌 PHARMACEUTICAL FORMS

• Betatop cream: Tube 15 g.
• Betatop ointment: Tube 15 g.