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Dr Ruch Karunadasa

Authored on 24 January 2024 by Dr Ruch Karunadasa,

Reviewed 24 January 2024 by Dr Adeel Arshad.

Dovobet Gel

Cream medication

A clear gel, containing betamethasone and calcipotriol, used in the treatment of scalp psoriasis or non-scalp plaque psoriasis vulgaris (mild to moderate) in adults.

Medication effect duration

Like any other prescription medication you must consult a doctor before using it. PrivateDoc offers a confidential free consultation service that may result in you receiving a prescription for Dovobet Gel if it is deemed appropriate and Dovobet Gel can prescribed safely.

Skin treatment

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Ingredients

Each 1 gram of gel includes –

Calcipotriol monohydrate 50micrograms

Betamethasone dipropionate 0.5mg

A full list of non-active ingredients (excipients) can be found by clicking here to access the patient information leaflet.

How much does Dovobet Gel cost?

What conditions can Dovobet Gel be used for

Dovobet Gel is used to treat scalp psoriasis or mild to moderate plaque psoriasis vulgaris in adults.

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How to use Dovobet Gel

Dovobet Gel should be used exactly as your prescriber has instructed. The calcipotriol helps to reduce the rate at which your skin cells reproduce, and the betamethasone reduces the redness/inflammation.

The usual recommend dose is applying the gel once daily to the affected area(s) only. Treatment length is usually 4 weeks for scalp areas or 8 weeks for non-scalp areas.

Topical preparations which include calcipotriol should not exceed a maximum daily dose of 15g. Dovobet Gel should not be used on more than 30% of the body surface area.

All the affected areas of the scalp can be treated, and this would normally require between 1g to 4g of the gel. 4g is the equivalent to one teaspoon.

Full instructions can be found in the product literature by clicking here.

Who cannot use Dovobet Gel

Dovobet Gel should not be used by anyone who has had a hypersensitivity reaction to either the active ingredients or any of the excipients. It is licensed for psoriasis vulgaris only and should not be used to treat erythrodermic, exfoliative or pustular psoriasis.

Dovobet Gel should be avoided in any patient with a known calcium metabolism disorder. The corticosteroid content means it should be avoided in patients that have a rash caused by a virus (chickenpox, shingles, cold sores, etc.). Dovobet should also be avoided in patients where there is a likelihood of a fungal/bacterial infection or where the skin is broken.

A full list of contraindications and cautions is available by clicking here to access the full summary of product characteristics.

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Pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is no adequate data for use during pregnancy. Studies in animals with glucocorticoids have shown a level of toxicity but the impact of this in humans is uncertain. Therefore, Dovobet should only be used in pregnant females is the benefits of therapy outweigh the potential risks to the unborn foetus.

Betamethasone can pass into the breast milk but at therapeutic doses is not known to be harmful. There is no data on the excretion of calcipotriol in breast milk. Dovobet Gel should be prescribed with caution to breastfeeding mothers. The gel should not be used on the breasts if the mother is breastfeeding.

Side effects

Dovobet Gel is generally well tolerated, but as is the case with all medication, a minority of patients may experience side effects from using the drug.

Side effects can include –

  • Hypersensitivity reactions
  • Blurred vision
  • Skin irritation
  • Skin atrophy
  • Hypercalcaemia
  • Rebound effects

A more complete list of side effects can be found in the patient information leaflet.

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Useful links

Click here for the Dovobet Gel patient information leaflet

Click here for the Dovobet Gel summary of product characteristics

Click here for the NHS psoriasis web link.

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