Learn more about usage, cautions, and possible side effects .
Chemical Name: FLUTICASONE (floo-TIK-a-sone)
This medicine is a corticosteroid used to prevent or reduce the frequency and seriousness of asthma attacks. This medicine will NOT help to stop an asthma attack once one starts.
Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with this medicine. INFORM YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking. ADDITIONAL MONITORING OF YOUR DOSE OR CONDITION may be needed if you are taking other medicines containing steroids, HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritanovir), or ketoconazole. DO NOT START OR STOP any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval. Inform your doctor of any other medical conditions, including active or inactive tuberculosis (TB) or a history of a positive skin test for TB, an infection of the airways or lungs, untreated fungal or bacterial infections, parasitic or viral infections, measles, chicken pox, herpes simplex infection in or around the eye, diarrhea, glaucoma, cataracts, allergies, pregnancy, breast-feeding, or if you have recently received a vaccination. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns about using this medicine.
Follow the directions for using this medicine provided by your doctor. An additional patient information leaflet is available with this medicine. Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist any questions that you may have about this information. EACH TIME YOU START TO USE A NEW INHALER, you must prime it. To prime the inhaler, remove the mouthpiece cap and shake the inhaler well for 5 seconds. Spray the inhaler into the air away from your face and eyes. Repeat 3 more times to finish priming it. You will need to prime the inhaler again if you go without using it for more than 7 days or if you drop it. To prime the inhaler again, take the cap off the mouthpiece and shake the inhaler well for 5 seconds. Spray it 1 time into the air away from your face and eyes. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about priming your inhaler. BEFORE USING THIS MEDICINE, be sure that the canister is properly placed in the inhaler unit and SHAKE WELL. For best results, the canister should be at room temperature before use. Breathe out slowly and completely. UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR HAD TOLD YOU OTHERWISE, place the mouthpiece between your lips and try to rest your tongue flat. Your doctor may have told you to hold the inhaler 1 or 2 inches (2 or 3 centimeters) away from the open mouth or to use a special spacing device. As you start to take a slow deep breath, press the canister and mouthpiece together at exactly the same time to administer a dose of this medicine. Continue inhaling slowly and deeply and hold for as long as comfortable, then exhale slowly through pursed lips or your nose. If more than 1 inhalation is to be used, wait a few minutes and repeat the above steps. KEEP THE SPRAY AWAY from your eyes. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions. RINSE YOUR MOUTH with water after using this medicine to help prevent mouth sores or bad taste. DO NOT SWALLOW THE RINSE WATER. Spit it out. CLEAN YOUR INHALER at least once a week. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about cleaning your inhaler. KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF SPRAYS YOU USE and subtract this number from the number of doses in the container. This will help you know when the container is becoming empty. STORE THIS MEDICINE at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store canister with mouthpiece down. Store away from heat and direct sunlight. Do not puncture, break, or burn the canister even if it appears to be empty. Contents are under pressure. CONTINUE TO USE THIS MEDICINE even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses. IF YOU MISS A DOSE OF THIS MEDICINE, use it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. DO NOT use 2 doses at once.
DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE if you have had an allergic reaction to it or if you are allergic to any ingredient in this product. THIS MEDICINE WILL NOT STOP AN ASTHMA ATTACK once one has started. Do NOT use this medicine to treat a severe asthma attack that requires quick relief. IF YOU ARE ALSO USING A BRONCHODILATOR INHALER, be sure to always carry the bronchodilator inhaler with you to use if you have an asthma attack. Contact your health care provider right away if you experience an asthma attack that does not improve with bronchodilator therapy (eg, albuterol). IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS for this medicine to work. Do not stop using this medicine without checking with your doctor. DO NOT EXCEED THE RECOMMENDED DOSE without checking with your doctor. KEEP ALL DOCTOR AND LABORATORY APPOINTMENTS while you are using this medicine. BEFORE YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL OR DENTAL TREATMENTS, EMERGENCY CARE, OR SURGERY, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using this medicine. IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD CHICKENPOX, SHINGLES, OR MEASLES, avoid contact with anyone who does. IF YOU ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY USING THIS MEDICINE or you are having side effects like mouth sores or bad taste, ask your doctor or pharmacist about using a spacing device. USE CAUTION IF YOU SWITCH FROM AN ORAL STEROID (eg, prednisone) to this medicine. It may take several months for your body to make enough natural steroids to handle events that cause physical stress. Such events may include injury, surgery, infection, loss of blood electrolytes, or a sudden asthma attack. These may be severe and sometimes fatal. Contact your doctor right away if any of these events occur. You may need to take an oral steroid (eg, prednisone) again. Carry a card at all times that says you may need an oral steroid (eg, prednisone) if any of these events occur. AVOID GETTING THIS MEDICINE IN YOUR EYES. If you get this medicine in your eyes, rinse them thoroughly with water. BEFORE YOU BEGIN TAKING ANY NEW MEDICINES, either prescription or over-the-counter, check with your doctor or pharmacist. CORTICOSTEROID MEDICINES MAY AFFECT growth rate in children and adolescents in some instances. Your child's growth should be checked regularly while using this medicine. FOR WOMEN: IF YOU PLAN ON BECOMING PREGNANT, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using this medicine during pregnancy. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS MEDICINE IS EXCRETED in breast milk. IF YOU ARE OR WILL BE BREAST-FEEDING while you are using this medicine, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.
SIDE EFFECTS that may occur while taking this medicine include dry mouth, headache, hoarseness, mouth or throat irritation, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, or upper respiratory tract infection. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY if you experience fainting, fever, chills, or persistent sore throat, joint or muscle pain, lack of energy, nausea, severe dizziness, slowed growth in children, sudden weight loss, tingling of the arms and legs, tiredness, vision changes, vomiting, weakness, wheezing, or white patches or sores in the mouth. AN ALLERGIC REACTION to this medicine is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your healthcare provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Drug interactions can result in unwanted side effects or prevent a medicine from doing its job. Use our drug interaction checker to find out if your medicines interact with each other. Check drug interactions
If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.
If your symptoms do not improve after regular use of this medicine or if your asthma becomes worse, contact your doctor. If you switched from oral corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone tablets) to an inhaler within the last 12 months, carry a warning card or medical ID bracelet that identifies your possible need of supplemental steroids during periods of stress or a severe asthma attack. THIS MEDICINE MAY AFFECT the growth rate in children and teenagers. They should have regular growth checks while they are use this medicine. CLEAN THE MOUTHPIECE weekly with a clean, dry tissue or cloth. Do not wash the inhaler or put any part of it in water. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about using or cleaning your inhaler. If you are using this medicine with a SPACING DEVICE, follow the directions provided by your doctor. DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others for whom it was not prescribed. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS MEDICINE out of the reach of children and pets. ALWAYS HAVE A SPARE INHALER available in case the unit malfunctions or is empty. IF USING THIS MEDICINE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, obtain refills before your supply runs out.
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