Pronunciation: floo-TIK-a-sone
Generic Name: Fluticasone HFA
Brand Name: Flovent HFA
Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler is used for:
Preventing or reducing the frequency and seriousness of asthma attacks. Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler will NOT help to stop an asthma attack once one starts.
Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler is a corticosteroid. It works by reducing inflammation in the airway.
Do NOT use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler
- you are having a severe asthma attack requiring quick relief
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Before using Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler:
Some medical conditions may interact with Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
- if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
- if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
- if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
- if you have active or inactive tuberculosis (TB) or a history of a positive skin test for TB
- if you have an infection of the airways or lungs, untreated fungal or bacterial infections, parasitic or viral infections, measles, chickenpox, or a herpes simplex infection in or around the eye, or if you have recently received a vaccination
- if you have diarrhea, glaucoma, or cataracts
Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
- Certain medicines that act on the liver (eg, ketoconazole, ritonavir) because they may increase the actions of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler and the risk of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler's side effects
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
How to use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler:
Use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
- An extra patient leaflet is available with Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. Talk to your pharmacist if you have questions about this information.
- You must prime the inhaler before you use it for the first time. 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.
- For best results, the canister should be at room temperature before use.
- Before using Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler, be sure that the canister is properly placed in the inhaler unit. Shake well before each use. Breathe out slowly and completely. Place the mouthpiece between your lips and try to rest your tongue flat, unless your doctor has told you otherwise. 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. This will release a dose of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. Continue breathing in slowly and deeply and hold for as long as comfortable, then breathe out 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.
- After inhaling, rinse your mouth with water and spit it out.
- 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.
- Continue to use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.
- If you miss a dose of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler, 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.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler.
Important safety information:
- Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler is used to prevent asthma attacks. Do NOT use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler 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.
- Use caution if you switch from an oral steroid (eg, prednisone) to Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. 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.
- Improvement may be noticeable within the first 1 or 2 days of starting Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. However, you may need to use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler for 1 to 2 weeks before the full benefit is achieved.
- Do NOT take more than the recommended dose without checking with your doctor.
- Contact your health care provider right away if you experience an asthma attack that does not improve with bronchodilator therapy (eg, albuterol).
- Some patients may have trouble using Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler correctly. Some may also get mouth sores or a bad taste in the mouth after using it. If you have any of these problems, ask your health care provider if a spacing device may help.
- If you have not had chickenpox, shingles, or measles, avoid contact with anyone who does.
- Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
- Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 4 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
- Corticosteroids may affect growth rate in CHILDREN and teenagers in some cases. They may need regular growth checks while they use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler.
- PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler while you are pregnant. It is not known if Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler, check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.
Contact your health care provider if WITHDRAWAL symptoms (joint or muscle pain, lack of energy, depression) occur.
Possible side effects of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler:
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Dry mouth; flu; headache; hoarseness; mouth or throat irritation; nasal discharge; runny nose; sinus swelling; sore throat; stuffy nose; upper respiratory tract infection.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); fainting; 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; white patches or sores in the mouth.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
See also: Flovent HFA side effects (in more detail)
If OVERDOSE is suspected:
Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control center, or emergency room immediately.
Proper storage of Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler:
Store Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler 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. Keep Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler out of the reach of children and away from pets.
General information:
- If you have any questions about Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler, please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
- Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
- If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
- Check with your pharmacist about how to dispose of unused medicine.
This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Flovent HFA Aerosol Inhaler. If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
More Flovent HFA resources
- Flovent HFA Side Effects (in more detail)
- Flovent HFA Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- Flovent HFA Drug Interactions
- Flovent HFA Support Group
- 1 Review for Flovent HFA - Add your own review/rating
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