Side Effects of Lotrisone (clotrimazole and betamethasone)

Lotrisone (clotrimazole and betamethasone) is a cream or lotion that is a combination of an antifungal drug and a corticosteroid used to treat local fungal infections such as tinea pedis ("athlete's foot"), tinea cruris ("jock itch"), and tinea corporis (fungal infections elsewhere on the body). It also is used to treat allergic or inflammatory conditions.

Common side effects of Lotrisone include

• local redness,
• stinging,
• blistering,
• peeling,
• swelling/water retention (edema),
• itching,
• tingling or prickling sensation,
• hives,
• burning at the area of application,
• decreased pigmentation, and
• stretch marks.

Serious side effects of Lotrisone include

• growth retardation,
• intracranial hypertension,
• infection due to bacteria,
• Cushing's syndrome, and
• skin atrophy.

Drug interactions of Lotrisone include psoriasis treatment with anthralin, because long-term use or withdrawal of topical corticosteroids may aggravate psoriasis. Therefore, there should be an interval of at least 1 week between the discontinuance of topical steroids like betamethasone and the starting of anthralin.

Safety of using Lotrisone during pregnancy has not been evaluated.

It is unknown if clotrimazole or betamethasone is secreted in breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

The most common side effects include:

• Local redness
• Stinging
• Blistering
• Peeling
• Swelling (edema)
• Itching
• Tingling or prickling sensation
• Hives
• Burning at the area of application

Other important side effects include:

• Water retention (edema)
• Decreased pigmentation
• Stretch marks

Possible serious side effects include:

• Growth retardation
• Intracranial hypertension
• Infection due to bacteria
• Cushing's syndrome
• Skin atrophy

Clinical Trial Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

In clinical trials common adverse reaction reported for Lotrisone cream was paresthesia in 1.9% of patients. Adverse reactions reported at a frequency < 1% included rash, edema, and secondary infection.

Postmarketing Experience

Because adverse reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

The following local adverse reactions have been reported with topical corticosteroids:

• itching,
• irritation,
• dryness,
• folliculitis,
• hypertrichosis,
• acneiform eruptions,
• hypopigmentation,
• perioral dermatitis,
• allergic contact dermatitis,
• maceration of the skin,
• skin atrophy,
• striae,
• miliaria,
• capillary fragility (ecchymoses),
• telangiectasia, and
• sensitization (local reactions upon repeated application of product).

Ophthalmic adverse reactions of blurred vision, cataracts, glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure, and central serous chorioretinopathy have been reported with the use of topical corticosteroids, including topical betamethasone products.

Adverse reactions reported with the use of clotrimazole are:

• erythema,
• stinging,
• blistering,
• peeling,
• edema,
• pruritus,
• urticaria, and
• general irritation of the skin.

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