Flovent HFA

Flovent HFA is a prescription medication used to prevent difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing caused by asthma. Flovent HFA is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works by decreasing swelling and irritation in the airways to allow for easier breathing.

Flovent HFA comes as an aerosol for oral inhalation and is typically used twice daily. 

Common side effects of Flovent HFA include upper airway infection or inflammation, throat irritation, and cough.

Flovent HFA is a prescription medication used to prevent difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing caused by asthma.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• GlaxoSmithKline LLC

Common side effects of Flovent HFA include

• upper airway infection or inflammation
• throat irritation
• sinus infection
• hoarse voice
• candidiasis
• cough
• headache

This is not a complete list of Flovent HFA side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• medications that block a protein in the body (CYPA4) such as some macrolide antibiotics (clarithromycin, telithromycin), some HIV protease inhibitors (indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir), some HCV protease inhibitors (boceprevir, telaprevir), some azole antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole), conivaptan (Vaprisol), delavirdine (Rescriptor), and nefazodone (Serzone)

This is not a complete list of Flovent HFA drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Flovent HFA including the following:

• fungal infections (thrush) in your mouth and throat. Tell your doctor if you have any redness or white-colored coating in your mouth
• decreased adrenal function (adrenal insufficiency). Symptoms of decreased adrenal function include tiredness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure. Decreased adrenal function can lead to death.
• allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Call your doctor and stop Flovent HFA right away if you have any symptoms of an allergic reaction:
  • swelling of the face, throat and tongue
  • hives
  • rash
  • breathing problems
• decreased ability to fight infections. Symptoms of infection may include: fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea and vomiting. Tell your doctor about any signs of infection while you use Flovent HFA.
• slow growth in children. The growth of children using Flovent HFA should be checked regularly.
• eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. Tell your doctor about any vision changes while using Flovent HFA. Your doctor may tell you to have your eyes checked.
• increased wheezing (bronchospasm). Increased wheezing can happen right away after using Flovent HFA. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing.
• lower bone mineral density. This may be a problem for people who already have a higher chance of low bone density (osteoporosis).

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Flovent HFA, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Flovent HFA, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are exposed to measles or chickenpox
• are allergic to fluticasone nasal spray
• have liver problems
• take ritonavir (Norvir)
• have an autoimmune disease such as HIV/AIDS
• have an infection
• have an allergy to formaldehyde
• have a history of glaucoma or cataracts
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Flovent HFA falls into category C. Studies in animals have shown a harmful and undesired effect on the unborn baby, yet there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

This medication may be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that its benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to her unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Flovent HFA is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

How do I take Flovent HFA?

• It is important that you inhale each dose as your doctor has prescribed. The prescription label provided by your pharmacist will usually tell you what dose to take and how often. If it doesn’t or if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist. DO NOT inhale more doses or use your Flovent HFA more often than your doctor has prescribed.
• It may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer for this medicine to work, and it is very important that you use it regularly. Do not stop taking Flovent HFA, even if you are feeling better, unless your doctor tells you to.
• If you miss a dose, just take your next scheduled dose when it is due. Do not double the dose.
• Your doctor may prescribe additional medicine (such as fast-acting bronchodilators) for emergency relief if a sudden asthma attack occurs. Contact your doctor if:
  • an asthma attack does not respond to the additional medicine
  • you need more of the additional medicine than usual
• If you also use another medicine by inhalation, you should ask your doctor for instructions on when to use it while you are also using Flovent HFA.
• Children should use Flovent HFA with an adult’s help, as instructed by the child’s healthcare provider. A valved holding chamber (a kind of spacer) and face mask may be used to deliver Flovent HFA to young patients.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

• The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:
• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your age

The recommended adult dose of Flovent (fluticasone propionate aerosol for oral inhalation) for the prevention of asthma symptoms is 88 to 440 mcg twice daily, depending on previous treatment with corticosteroids.

If you take too much this medication, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If this medication is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Flovent HFA at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.