Asmanex Information and Uses

Asmanex

Asmanex Overview Follow Medication

Asmanex (generic: mometasone) is a prescription medication used to prevent asthma attacks in patients 4 years of age and older. Asmanex belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids. These medications decrease inflammation of the airways.

Asmanex is available as a special inhaler called the Asmanex Twisthaler. It is usually taken every day, once or twice daily.

Some of the common side effects of Asmanex include headache, nasal allergy symptoms, sore throat, and upper respiratory tract infection.

Uses of Asmanex

Asmanex is a prescription medicine used to prevent and control asthma symptoms.

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

Side Effects of Asmanex

Serious Side Effects may include:

Fungal infections in the mouth and throat. Patients who use inhaled steroid medicines for asthma may develop a fungal infection of the mouth. Rinse your mouth with water after using Asmanex.
Worsening asthma or sudden asthma attacks
Serious allergic reactions like swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue.
Possible increased risk of infection due to a weakened immune system with using steroid medicines. Tell your health care provider if you or your child have or had TB, are exposed to anyone with chickenpox or measles, or about any other infections you or your child had before or while using Asmanex Twisthaler.
Decreased bone mass (bone mineral density). Patients who use inhaled steroid medicines for a long time may have an increased risk of decreased bone mass, which can affect bone strength. Talk with your doctor about any questions about bone health.

The most common side effects with Asmanex include:

headache
nasal allergy symptoms
sore throat
upper respiratory tract infection
sinus infection,
fungal infections in the mouth
painful menstrual periods
muscle and bone pain
back pain
upset stomach

Tell your doctor about any side effects that bother you or do not go away. This is not a complete list of Asmanex side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Asmanex Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbal products. Especially tell your doctor if you take ketoconazole (Nizoral), corticosteroids, or seizure medicines, or if you have taken these medicines in the past.

Asmanex Precautions

Do not use Asmanex:

To treat sudden, severe symptoms of asthma.
If you have an allergy to milk proteins. Ask your doctor if you are not sure.

Asmanex Food Interactions

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 Asmanex, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Asmanex.

Inform MD

Before using Asmanex, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including if you:

are allergic to mometasone or any other medications.
have ever had osteoporosis (a condition of thinning or weak bones which break easily)
have or have ever had tuberculosis (a type of infection in your lungs)
have eye disease such as cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye), glaucoma or high pressure in the eye
have liver disease
have any type of untreated infection anywhere in your body or a herpes infection (a type of infection that causes a sore on the eyelid or eye surface) in your eye, or if you are on bedrest or unable to move around
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery
have never had chickenpox or measles and you have not been vaccinated against these infections

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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

Asmanex and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you are planning to become pregnant. It is not known if Asmanex will harm your unborn baby.

Asmanex and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It is not known if Asmanex is excreted into human breast milk or if it will harm your baby.

Asmanex Usage

Use your Asmanex regularly and at the same time each day, as prescribed by your doctor. You or your child may not get the most benefit for 1 to 2 weeks or longer after starting Asmanex. If you or your child's symptoms do not improve in that time frame or if your condition gets worse, contact your doctor.

The cap is needed to use the Asmanex. Do not twist the mouthpiece with your hand. When the cap is removed from the Twisthaler, the dose counter will count down by one, and show the number of doses available after this use.

The inhaler delivers your medicine as a very fine powder that you or your child may not taste, smell, or feel. Do not take or give extra doses unless your doctor has told you to.

It is important to replace the cap after each inhalation to protect the inhaler from moisture.

It is important to rinse your mouth out with water after using your inhaler

Do not use the inhaler if you notice that it is not working correctly. Take it to your doctor or pharmacist.

When stopping this or other corticosteroid inhaler do not stop therapy abruptly.

It is important to slowly decrease your dose of the medicine over time, to give your body time to adjust and make its own steroids again.

Asmanex Dosage

Use Asmanex Twisthaler exactly as prescribed by your doctor, by the orally inhaled route only. Use as directed on your prescription label. It may take up to two weeks before symptoms improve. Continue taking Asmanex and tell your doctor if symptoms don't improve after two weeks. Your dose may need to be changed if you undergo surgery, are ill, or are under stress.

Patients 12 years of age and older who received bronchodilators alone and patients 12 years of age and older who received inhaled corticosteroids:

recommended starting dose is 220 mcg once daily in the evening (highest recommended daily dose is 440 mcg - can be administered in divided doses of 220 mcg twice daily or as 440 mcg once daily)

Patients 12 years of age and older who received oral corticosteroids:

recommended starting dose is 440 mcg twice daily (highest recommended daily dose is 880 mcg)

Children 4 to 11 years of age:

recommended starting dose is 110 mcg once daily in the evening (regardless of prior therapy)

Asmanex Overdose

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

Forms of Asmanex

Asmanex Twisthaler is a dry powder for inhalation that is available in two strengths.

Asmanex Twisthaler 220 mcg delivers 200 mcg mometasone furoate (active ingredient) per actuation from the mouthpiece.

Asmanex Twisthaler 110 mcg delivers 100 mcg mometasone furoate (active ingredient) per actuation from the mouthpiece.

Inactive ingredient: anhydrous lactose

Other Requirements

Keep your inhaler clean and dry at all times. If the mouthpiece needs cleaning, gently wipe the mouthpiece with a dry cloth or tissue as needed. Do not wash the inhaler. Avoid contact with any liquids.
Store in a dry place at 25°C (77°F) [may range between 15°–30°C (59°–86°F)]
Keep your inhaler out of the reach of children.

The inhaler has a dose counter on the colored base, which shows the number of doses left to use. As you lift off the cap to take your dose, the dose counter on the base will count down by one (if you began with the dose counter reading "30" this will cause the dose counter to now read "29"). Read the numbers from top to bottom. When the unit reads "01" this indicates the last remaining dose. After dose "01" the counter will read "00". When you replace the cap, the unit will lock and then must be thrown away. Start using a new Asmanex Twisthaler as instructed by your health care provider.