Fluticasone (Inhalation-Local)

Brand Names : Flovent, Flovent Rotadisk, Flovent Diskus

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For inhaled fluticasone, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to fluticasone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, especially milk, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Inhaled fluticasone has not been studied in pregnant women. However, in animal studies, fluticasone given by injection was shown to cause birth defects. Also, too much use of corticosteroids during pregnancy may cause other unwanted effects in the infant, such as slower growth and reduced adrenal gland function.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether inhaled fluticasone passes into breast milk. However, in animals given fluticasone by injection, the medicine did pass into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children - Corticosteroids taken by mouth or injection have been shown to slow or stop growth in children and cause reduced adrenal gland function. If enough fluticasone is absorbed following inhalation, it is possible it also could cause these effects. Your doctor will want you to use the lowest possible dose of fluticasone that controls asthma. This will lessen the chance of an effect on growth or adrenal gland function. It is also important that children taking fluticasone visit their doctors regularly so that their growth rates may be monitored. Children who are taking this medicine may be more susceptible to infections, such as chickenpox or measles. Care should be taken to avoid exposure to chickenpox or measles. If the child is exposed or the disease develops, the doctor should be contacted and his or her directions should be followed carefully. Before this medicine is given to a child, you and your child's doctor should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of using it.

Older adults - Inhaled fluticasone has been studied in elderly patients and has not been found to cause different side effects or other problems than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of inhaled fluticasone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Herpes simplex (virus) infection of the eye or
• Infections (virus, bacteria, or fungus) - Inhaled fluticasone may make these infections worse

• Tuberculosis (active or history of) - Inhaled fluticasone may cause this infection to start up again