Beclomethasone Oral Inhalation

Beclomethasone is used to prevent difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing caused by asthma in adults and children 5 years of age and older. It belongs to a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works by decreasing swelling and irritation in the airways to allow for easier breathing.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Beclomethasone comes as an aerosol to inhale by mouth using an inhaler. It usually is inhaled twice a day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use beclomethasone exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about how you should use your other oral and inhaled medications for asthma during your treatment with beclomethasone inhalation. If you were taking an oral steroid such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), or prednisone (Rayos), your doctor may want to gradually decrease your steroid dose starting after you begin to use beclomethasone.

Beclomethasone controls symptoms of asthma but does not cure it. Improvement in your asthma may occur as soon as 24 hours after using the medication, but full effects may not be seen for 1 to 4 weeks after using it regularly. Continue to use beclomethasone even if you feel well. Do not stop using beclomethasone without talking to your doctor. Call your doctor if your symptoms or your child’s symptoms do not improve during the first 4 weeks or if they get worse.

Beclomethasone helps to prevent asthma attacks (sudden episodes of shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing) but will not stop an asthma attack that has already started. Your doctor will prescribe a short-acting inhaler to use during asthma attacks. Tell your doctor if your asthma worsens during your treatment.

Do not use your beclomethasone inhaler when you are near a flame or source of heat. The inhaler may explode if it is exposed to very high temperatures.

Preventable medical errors kill about 22,000 patients a year, according to research from the Yale School of Medicine. That’s much less than a previously reported number of 250,000 deaths a year where medical error is to blame.

Each beclomethasone inhaler is designed to provide 50, 100, or 120 inhalations, depending on its size. After the labeled number of inhalations has been used, later inhalations may not contain the correct amount of medication. You should keep track of the number of inhalations you have used. You can divide the number of inhalations in your inhaler by the number of inhalations you use each day to find out how many days your inhaler will last. Throw away the inhaler after you have used the labeled number of inhalations even if it still contains some liquid and continues to release a spray when it is pressed.

Before you use beclomethasone inhaler the first time, read the written instructions that come with the inhaler. Look at the diagrams carefully and be sure that you recognize all the parts of the inhaler. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to show you the right way to use the inhaler. Practice using the inhaler in front of him or her, so you are sure you are doing it the right way.

To use the aerosol inhaler, follow these steps: Keep the inhaler clean and dry with the cover tightly in place at all times. To clean your inhaler, use a clean, dry tissue or cloth. Do not wash or put any part of your inhaler in water.

1. Remove the protective cap.
2. If you are using the inhaler for the first time or if you have not used the inhaler in more than 10 days, prime it by releasing 2 test sprays into the air, away from your face. Be careful not to spray the medication into your eyes or face.
3. Breathe out as completely as possible through your mouth.
4. Hold the inhaler in the upright (mouthpiece up) or horizontal position. Place the mouthpiece between your lips well into your mouth. Tilt your head slightly back. Close your lips tightly around the mouthpiece keeping your tongue below it. Inhale slowly and deeply.
5. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the mouthpiece. At the same time, press down once on the container to spray the medication into your mouth.
6. When you have breathed in fully, remove the inhaler from your mouth and close your mouth.
7. Try to hold your breath for about 5 to 10 seconds, then breathe out gently.
8. If your doctor has told you to take more than 1 puff per treatment, repeat steps 3 through 7.
9. Replace the protective cap on the inhaler.
10. After each treatment, rinse your mouth with water and spit. Do not swallow the water.