Breakthrough drug can cause hypertension, abnormal behavior, and osteoporosis among others

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence lists the following conditions as common or very common side-effects of all corticosteroids, including dexamethasone, Sky News reports.

The discovery of the common steroid dexamethasone as a treatment for coronavirus has been hailed as a "major breakthrough".

Having been available for decades, it is relatively cheap and readily available.

Anxiety; behavior abnormal; cataract subcapsular; cognitive impairment; Cushing's syndrome; electrolyte imbalance; fatigue; fluid retention; gastrointestinal discomfort; headache; healing impaired; hirsutism; hypertension; increased risk of infection; menstrual cycle irregularities; mood altered; nausea; osteoporosis; peptic ulcer; psychotic disorder; skin reactions; sleep disorders; weight increase.

More uncommon side-effects include increased appetite, eye disorders, heart failure, seizure, tuberculosis reactivation and vertigo.-Photo: Sky News