Precautions and Warnings With Fluticasone HFA (Cont.)

Some Precautions and Warnings With Fluticasone HFA

Following are some precautions and warnings to be aware of with fluticasone HFA:
 
  • If you are switching from an oral steroid to fluticasone HFA (which is an inhaled steroid), your healthcare provider should decrease your dose of the oral steroid very slowly. Stopping an oral steroid too quickly can be very dangerous.
     
  • Fluticasone HFA is not a fast-acting asthma medication and cannot replace fast-acting rescue inhalers. Do not use fluticasone HFA to treat an asthma attack. Everyone taking fluticasone HFA should also have a rescue asthma medication available at all times. Let your healthcare provider know if you need to use your rescue inhaler more frequently than usual, as this may be a sign of worsening asthma.
     
  • Fluticasone HFA can cause an immediate worsening of asthma symptoms. If this happens, use your rescue inhaler (such as albuterol) as needed and contact your healthcare provider for further instruction.
     
  • Fluticasone HFA is a steroid and may suppress the immune system. Although this is more likely to occur with oral steroids, it is still possible with inhaled steroids (such as fluticasone HFA). You may be at a higher risk of infections if you are taking fluticasone HFA. Also, certain infections (such as chickenpox or the measles) may be more dangerous if you are taking fluticasone HFA. Let your healthcare provider know right away if you are exposed to chickenpox or the measles (if you have not had these infections and have not been vaccinated against them).
     
  • Like all steroids, fluticasone HFA may slow the growth of children and teenagers. Usually, this slowing of growth is small, with children growing about one centimeter less per year. Contact your child's healthcare provider if you are concerned about slow growth in your child.
     
  • Inhaled steroids (including fluticasone HFA) can cause glaucoma or cataracts (conditions of the eyes).
     
  • Before starting fluticasone HFA, be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you currently have any type of infection. Also let your healthcare provider know if you have ever had tuberculosis or a herpes infection of the eye, as fluticasone HFA may weaken the immune system, allowing these infections to worsen.
     
  • Fluticasone HFA can interact with certain other medications (see Drug Interactions With Fluticasone HFA).
     
  • Fluticasone HFA is considered a pregnancy Category C medication. This means that fluticasone HFA may not be safe to use during pregnancy. Talk with your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of using fluticasone HFA during pregnancy (see Flovent and Pregnancy for more information).
     
  • It is not known if inhaled fluticasone (the active ingredient of fluticasone HFA) passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, you should be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about using fluticasone HFA (see Flovent and Breastfeeding for more information).
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Fluticasone HFA Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;