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Beclomethasone (or Beclometasone)

Beclomethasone is a potent steroid used to treat hay fever and asthma.

Pronunciation: bek-lo-meth-a-sone

What are beclomethasone’s uses?

Beclomethasone nasal spray is used to treat an itchy or runny nose, sneezing, or other symptoms caused by hay fever.

Its other benefit is for the prevention and control of symptoms (wheezing and shortness of breath) caused by asthma. A doctor will need to prescribe it when used for asthma. 

It’s available as an aerosol powder and liquid.

What dosage should you take?

For nasal dosage form (spray) for the treatment of hay fever for adults and children 12 years and older: two sprays in each nostril once a day. Each spray contains 50 micrograms (mcg).

Check the correct paediatric dosages with your Clicks pharmacist first.

What special precautions should you take?

  • Use it regularly to prevent breathing problems. It doesn’t work immediately and should not be used to relieve an asthma attack.
  • Check with your doctor or Clicks pharmacist if you should use beclomethasone if you have bloody mucous, sores inside the nose, unexplained nosebleeds, or a whistling sound when you breathe.
  • Consult with your doctor immediately if you have blurred vision, difficulty in reading or any other change in vision occurs during or after treatment.
  • It may increase your risk of having an adrenal gland that is less active than normal.

Beclomethasone should be used with caution if you suffer from the following conditions:

  • Asthma or wheezing
  • Cataracts
  • Chickenpox
  • Glaucoma (an eye disorder that results in optic nerve damage)
  • Herpes simplex infection of the eye
  • Infections (bacteria, fungus, virus, or parasite)
  • Measles (includes recent exposure)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Injury to the nose
  • Nose surgery
  • Sores or ulcers in the nose

What drug interactions could you experience?

To avoid adverse drug interactions, always inform your doctor or Clicks pharmacist what prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbal products you are taking or planning to take.

What are beclomethasone’s side effects?

Side effects could include:

  • Headache
  • Dryness in your mouth, nose, or throat after use
  • Stuffy nose, sinus pain, sore throat, cough
  • Hoarseness
  • Weakness, fatigue
  • White patches or sores inside your mouth
  • Skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness
  • Blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights
  • Worsening asthma symptoms

This medicine can cause serious allergic reactions, including angioedema (deep swelling under the skin) and anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction that can cause death). Call your doctor immediately if you start to have swelling of your face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, or legs, or if you are having trouble swallowing or breathing.

What are the overdose symptoms?

Using high doses of inhaled steroids over a long time may aggravate mental health problems and be a risk factor for other problems such as developing osteoporosis.

Children who use an inhaled steroid over a long time should have their growth monitored.

The accuracy of this information was checked and approved by Clicks' pharmacist Waheed Abdurahman in April 2015