Elocon

Mometasone is a prescription medication used to treat asthma, allergies, and skin conditions. Mometasone belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids, more commonly known as steroids. It works by affecting the immune system to decrease inflammation of the airways, nasal passages, or if applied topically, the skin.

The medication comes in several forms, including an inhaler, a nasal spray, a cream, a lotion, and an ointment. The nasal spray and inhaler are used once or twice daily. Mometasone cream, lotion, and ointment are applied to the skin, usually once daily.

Common side effects include headaches, viral infections, sore throat, and nosebleeds.

Mometasone is a prescription medication available in several forms to be used to treat a variety of conditions including: 

• a nasal spray for nasal allergy symptoms such as runny, stuffy, itchy nose and sneezing related to allergies. It is also used to treat nasal polyps
• an inhaled form used to prevent asthma attacks
• a cream, lotion, and an ointment used to treat eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and other inflammatory skin conditions

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

• Cheshire Pharm. Systems

• Compumed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

• DHS, Inc.

• Dispensing Solutions, Inc.

• Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

• Pharma Pac (A Service Of H.J. Harkins Co., Inc.)

• Quality Care Pharmaceuticals

The most common side effects of mometasone nasal spray include:

• Headache
• viral infection
• sore throat
• nosebleeds
• cough

Common side effects of mometasone inhalers include:

• headache
• sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• common cold

Common side effects of cream, lotion, or ointment forms include reactions at the site of application:

• burning
• itching
• irritation
• dryness

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

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. mometasone and other medicines may affect each other and cause side effects. Mometasone may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how mometasone works.

If you are taking other corticosteroid medicines for allergy, either by mouth or injection, your doctor may advise you to stop taking them once you begin using mometasone.

Do not use mometasone if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in mometasone. 

Taking steroids may put you at a higher risk for infections. Mometasone is a nasal steroid and may suppress the immune system. Oral steroids (those taken by mouth) are more likely to cause immune suppression, but it is possible with mometasone. Before starting mometasone, let your doctor know if you have ever had tuberculosis or a herpes infection of the eye, as mometasone may allow these infections to worsen by weakening the immune system.

Mometasone, like all steroids, may slow the growth rate of children and teenagers.

Mometasone can cause glaucoma or cataracts or worsen these conditions.

Avoid exposure to measles and chicken pox. If you are exposed to measles or chicken pox while using mometasone, call your doctor right away.

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 mometasone there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before you take mometasone, tell your doctor if you:

• have had recent nasal sores, nasal surgery, or nasal injury.
• have eye or vision problems, such as cataracts or glaucoma (increased pressure in your eye).
• have tuberculosis or any untreated fungal, bacterial, viral infections, or eye infections caused by herpes.
• have been near someone who has chickenpox or measles.
• have any other medical conditions.
• are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if mometasone will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It is not known whether mometasone passes into your breast milk.

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.

Mometasone falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It is not known whether mometasone passes into your breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

Mometasone comes in a nasal spray that is sprayed into the nose, usually once or twice daily, depending on whether it is being used for allergies or nasal polyps.

Mometasone inhaler is inhaled into the lungs, usually once or twice daily.

Mometasone cream, lotion, and ointment are applied to the skin, usually once daily. Avoid contact with the eyes.

Mometasone Nasal Spray

• Use mometasone exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
• This medicine is for use in the nose only. Do not spray it into your mouth or eyes.
• Shake the pump before each use.
• An adult should help a young child use this medicine.
• For best results, you should keep using mometasone regularly each day without missing a dose. If you do miss a dose of mometasone, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not take more than the daily dose prescribed by your doctor.
• Do not use mometasone more often than prescribed.

Before you use mometasone the first time, read the written instructions that come with it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you how to use it. To use the nasal inhalation, follow these steps:

1. Gently blow your nose to clear the nostrils.

2. Close one nostril. Tilt your head forward slightly and keep the bottle upright while inserting the nasal applicator into the other nostril.

3. For each spray, press down firmly once on the shoulders of the white applicator using your forefinger and middle finger. Support the base of the bottle with your thumb. Breathe gently inward through the nostril.

4. Breathe out through the mouth.

5. Repeat in the other nostril.

6. Replace the plastic cap.

Before using a new pump of mometasone for the first time, prime the pump by spraying ten times or until a fine spray appears. If you do not use the pump for more than 1 week, prime it again by spraying two times or until a fine spray appears.

Take mometasone exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

If you have taken too much mometasone, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Store mometasone between 15° and 30°C (59° to 86°F).

When Mometasone Nasal Spray, 50 mcg is removed from its cardboard container, prolonged exposure of the product to direct light should be avoided. Brief exposure to light, as with normal use, is acceptable. SHAKE WELL BEFORE EACH USE.

Keep mometasone and all medications out of the reach of children.