Betamethasone

• Type: Corticosteroid (steroid medication)

• Main Use: Reduces inflammation, swelling, redness, and itching.

• How It Works: Betamethasone mimics natural corticosteroids produced by your adrenal glands. It works by suppressing the immune system’s inflammatory response, which helps calm allergic reactions and inflammation.

• Forms Available: Creams, ointments, lotions, injections, and oral tablets.

• Common Uses:

  • Skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis

  • Allergic reactions

  • Certain autoimmune disorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)

• Possible Side Effects: Skin thinning (with long-term topical use), irritation, hormonal effects if used excessively, increased risk of infections due to immune suppression.

Neomycin

• Type: Antibiotic (Aminoglycoside class)

• Main Use: Treats bacterial infections.

• How It Works: Neomycin kills bacteria by interfering with their ability to make proteins, which stops them from growing or reproducing.

• Forms Available: Creams, ointments, oral tablets, ear drops, and eye drops.

• Common Uses:

  • Preventing or treating bacterial infections on skin wounds, cuts, or burns

  • Sometimes used in combination with other antibiotics or steroids

• Possible Side Effects: Skin irritation, redness, itching, risk of allergic reactions (contact dermatitis). With oral use, it can affect the gut microbiome and—rarely—damage hearing or kidneys (if absorbed in significant amounts).

Combination Use (Betamethasone + Neomycin)

Often, these two are combined in a topical cream or ointment.

• Why Combine Them?

  • Betamethasone reduces inflammation and itching.

  • Neomycin prevents or treats bacterial infections.

  • This makes the combination helpful for inflamed skin conditions that also risk becoming infected.

Important Note: Such combinations should usually be used short-term and only as directed by a doctor, since overuse can lead to steroid-related side effects or antibiotic resistance.