Triamcinolone Explained

Verifiedfields:changed
Watchedfields:changed
Verifiedrevid:470612980
Width:200
Width2:200
Tradename:Kenalog, Nasacort, Adcortyl, others
Dailymedid:Triamcinolone
Pregnancy Au:A
Routes Of Administration:By mouth, topical, intranasal, intramuscular, intra-articular, intra-synovial
Atc Prefix:A01
Atc Suffix:AC01
Atc Supplemental:,,,,,
Legal Au:S4
Legal Au Comment:/ S3
Legal Uk:POM
Legal Uk Comment:/ P[1] [2] [3]
Legal Us:Rx-only
Legal Us Comment:OTC (Nasacort, intranasal)
Legal Status:Rx-only
Bioavailability:>90%[4]
Protein Bound:68%
Metabolism:Liver
Onset:(2–)24(–48) hours
Elimination Half-Life:200–300 minutes (plasma), up to 36 hours (total)
Excretion:Urine (75%) and faeces (25%)
Cas Number:124-94-7
Pubchem:31307
Iuphar Ligand:2870
Drugbank:DB00620
Chemspiderid:29046
Unii:1ZK20VI6TY
Kegg:D00385
Chebi:9667
Chembl:1451
Iupac Name:(11β,16α)-9-Fluoro-11,16,17,21-tetrahydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione
C:21
H:27
F:1
O:6
Smiles:O=C(CO)[C@]3(O)[C@]2(C[C@H](O)[C@]4(F)[C@@]/1(\C(=C/C(=O)\C=C\1)CC[C@H]4[C@@H]2C[C@H]3O)C)C
Stdinchi:1S/C21H27FO6/c1-18-6-5-12(24)7-11(18)3-4-13-14-8-15(25)21(28,17(27)10-23)19(14,2)9-16(26)20(13,18)22/h5-7,13-16,23,25-26,28H,3-4,8-10H2,1-2H3/t13-,14-,15+,16-,18-,19-,20-,21-/m0/s1
Stdinchikey:GFNANZIMVAIWHM-OBYCQNJPSA-N
Melting Point:260
Melting High:271
Solubility:2
Specific Rotation:
20
[\alpha]
D
+65° to +72°

Triamcinolone is a glucocorticoid used to treat certain skin diseases, allergies, and rheumatic disorders among others. It is also used to prevent worsening of asthma and COPD. It can be taken in various ways including by mouth, injection into a muscle, and inhalation.

Common side effects with long-term use include osteoporosis, cataracts, thrush, and muscle weakness. Serious side effects may include psychosis, increased risk of infections, adrenal suppression, and bronchospasm. Use in pregnancy is generally safe.[5] It works by decreasing inflammation and immune system activity.[6]

Triamcinolone was patented in 1956 and came into medical use in 1958.[7] It is available as a generic medication.[8] In 2021, it was the 104th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6million prescriptions.[9] [10]

Medical uses

Triamcinolone is used to treat a number of different medical conditions, such as eczema, alopecia areata, lichen sclerosus, psoriasis, arthritis, allergies, ulcerative colitis, lupus, sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, uveitis, ocular inflammation, keloids, urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, aphthous ulcers (usually as triamcinolone acetonide), central retinal vein occlusion, visualization during vitrectomy and the prevention of asthma attacks.[11] [12] [13]

The derivative triamcinolone acetonide is the active ingredient in various topical skin preparations (cream, lotion, ointment, aerosol spray) designed to treat skin conditions such as rash, inflammation, redness, or intense itching due to eczema[14] and dermatitis.[15]

Contraindications

Contraindications for systemic triamcinolone are similar to those of other corticoids. They include systemic mycoses (fungal infections) and parasitic diseases, as well as eight weeks before and two weeks after application of live vaccines. For long-term treatment, the drug is also contraindicated in people with peptic ulcers, severe osteoporosis, severe myopathy, certain viral infections, glaucoma, and metastasizing tumours.[16]

There are no contraindications for use in emergency medicine.

Side effects

Side effects of triamcinolone are similar to other corticoids. In short-term treatment up to ten days, it has very few adverse effects; however, sometimes gastrointestinal bleeding is seen, as well as acute infections (mainly viral) and impaired glucose tolerance.

Side effects of triamcinolone long-term treatment may include coughing (up to bronchospasms), sinusitis, metabolic syndrome–like symptoms such as high blood sugar and cholesterol, weight gain due to water retention, and electrolyte imbalance, as well as cataract, thrush, osteoporosis, reduced muscle mass, and psychosis.[17] Triamcinolone injections can cause bruising and joint swelling. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, itch, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing,[18] and anaphylaxis.

Overdose

No acute overdosing of triamcinolone has been described.

Interactions

Drug interactions are mainly pharmacodynamic, that is, they result from other drugs either adding to triamcinolone's corticoid side effects or working against its desired effects. They include:

Triamcinolone and other drugs can also influence each other's concentrations in the body, amounting to pharmacokinetic interactions such as:

Pharmacology

Mechanism of action

Triamcinolone is a glucocorticoid that is about five times as potent as cortisol, but has very few mineralocorticoid effects.

Pharmacokinetics

When taken by mouth, the drug's bioavailability is over 90%. It reaches highest concentrations in the blood plasma after one to two hours and is bound to plasma proteins to about 80%. The biological half-life from the plasma is 200 to 300 minutes; due to stable complexes of triamcinolone and its receptor in the intracellular fluid, the total half-life is significantly longer at about 36 hours.

A small fraction of the substance is metabolized to 6-hydroxy- and 20-dihydro-triamcinolone; most of it probably undergoes glucuronidation, and a smaller part sulfation. Three quarters are excreted via the urine, and the rest via the faeces.

Due to corticoids' mechanism of action, the effects are delayed as compared to plasma concentrations. Depending on the route of administration and the treated condition, the onset of action can be from two hours up to one or two days after application; and the drug can act much longer than its elimination half-life would suggest.

Chemistry

Triamcinolone is a synthetic pregnane corticosteroid and derivative of cortisol (hydrocortisone) and is also known as 1-dehydro-9α-fluoro-16α-hydroxyhydrocortisone or 9α-fluoro-16α-hydroxyprednisolone as well as 9α-fluoro-11β,16α,17α,21-tetrahydroxypregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione.[20] [21]

The substance is a light-sensitive, white to off-white, crystalline powder, or has the form of colourless, matted crystals. It has no odour or is nearly odourless. Information on the melting point varies, partly due to the substance's polymorphism: NaNC, NaNC, or NaNC can be found in the literature.

Solubility is 1:500 in water and 1:240 in ethanol; it is slightly soluble in methanol, very slightly soluble in chloroform and diethylether, and practically insoluble in dichloromethane. The specific rotation is

20
[\alpha]
D
+65° to +72° cm3/dm·g (1% in dimethylformamide).

Society and culture

In 2010, Teva and Perrigo launched the first generic inhalable triamcinolone.[22]

According to Chang et al. (2014), "Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) is classified as an S9 glucocorticoid in the 2014 Prohibited List published by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which caused it to be prohibited in international athletic competition when administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly or rectally".[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kenalog Intra-articular / Intramuscular Injection - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) . (emc) . 10 June 2020 . 20 August 2020.
  2. Web site: Nasacort Allergy 55 micrograms/dose Nasal Spray suspension - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) . (emc) . 30 August 2018 . 20 August 2020.
  3. Web site: Adcortyl Intra-Articular/Intradermal Injection 10mg/ml - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) . (emc) . 11 December 2017 . 20 August 2020.
  4. Book: Arzneistoff-Profile. Dinnendahl V, Fricke U . Govi Pharmazeutischer Verlag. Eschborn, Germany. 2004. 19. 10. Triamcinolon. 978-3-7741-9846-3. German.
  5. Web site: Triamcinolone Use During Pregnancy . Drugs.com . 3 March 2019 .
  6. Web site: Triamcinolone Monograph for Professionals . Drugs.com . American Society of Health-System Pharmacists . 3 March 2019 .
  7. Book: Fischer J, Ganellin CR . Analogue-based Drug Discovery . 2006 . John Wiley & Sons . 978-3-527-60749-5 . 486 .
  8. Book: Vallerand AH . Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses . 2018 . F.A. Davis . 978-0-8036-7000-6 . 365 .
  9. Web site: The Top 300 of 2021 . ClinCalc . 14 January 2024 . 15 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240115223848/https://clincalc.com/DrugStats/Top300Drugs.aspx . live .
  10. Web site: Triamcinolone - Drug Usage Statistics . ClinCalc . 14 January 2024.
  11. Web site: Triamcinolone: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Warnings. Drugs.com.
  12. Web site: Azmacort Inhaler: Side Effects, Dosage & Uses. Drugs.com.
  13. Web site: Alcon Receives FDA Approval of Triesence Injectable Triamcinolone Suspension for Use in Eye Surgery. Drugs.com.
  14. Chong M, Fonacier L . Treatment of Eczema: Corticosteroids and Beyond . Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology . 51 . 3 . 249–262 . December 2016 . 25869743 . 10.1007/s12016-015-8486-7 . 44337035 .
  15. Eichenfield LF, Tom WL, Berger TG, Krol A, Paller AS, Schwarzenberger K, Bergman JN, Chamlin SL, Cohen DE, Cooper KD, Cordoro KM, Davis DM, Feldman SR, Hanifin JM, Margolis DJ, Silverman RA, Simpson EL, Williams HC, Elmets CA, Block J, Harrod CG, Smith Begolka W, Sidbury R . 6 . Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis: section 2. Management and treatment of atopic dermatitis with topical therapies . Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology . 71 . 1 . 116–132 . July 2014 . 24813302 . 4326095 . 10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.023 . Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are used in the management of AD in both adults and children and are the mainstay of anti-inflammatory therapy. .
  16. Book: Austria-Codex. Haberfeld H . Volon 4 mg-Tabletten. Österreichischer Apothekerverlag. Vienna. 2020. German.
  17. Triamcinolone (systemic) . Accessed 19 August 2020.
  18. Web site: Drugs and Treatments – Nasacort AQ Nasl – Patient Handout. WebMD. 24 March 2008.
  19. Moore CD, Roberts JK, Orton CR, Murai T, Fidler TP, Reilly CA, Ward RM, Yost GS . 6 . Metabolic pathways of inhaled glucocorticoids by the CYP3A enzymes . Drug Metabolism and Disposition . 41 . 2 . 379–389 . February 2013 . 23143891 . 3558858 . 10.1124/dmd.112.046318 .
  20. Book: Elks J . The Dictionary of Drugs: Chemical Data: Chemical Data, Structures and Bibliographies. 14 November 2014. Springer. 978-1-4757-2085-3. 1228–.
  21. Book: Index Nominum 2000: International Drug Directory. January 2000. Taylor & Francis. 978-3-88763-075-1. 1054–.
  22. Web site: Perrigo Announces Launch Of Generic Version Of Nasacort AQ. 15 June 2011.
  23. Chang CW, Huang TY, Tseng YC, Chang-Chien GP, Lin SF, Hsu MC . Positive doping results caused by the single-dose local injection of triamcinolone acetonide . Forensic Science International . 244 . 1–6 . November 2014 . 25126738 . 10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.07.024 . free .