Mometasone Oral Inhalation

Mometasone oral inhalation is used to prevent difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing caused by asthma. Mometasone oral inhalation (Asmanex ® HFA) is used in adults and children 12 years of age and older. Mometasone powder for oral inhalation (Asmanex ® Twisthaler) is used in adults and children 4 years of age and older. It is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. Mometasone works by decreasing swelling and irritation in the airways to allow for easier breathing.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Mometasone inhalation comes as a powder to inhale by mouth and as an aerosol to inhale by mouth using an inhaler. Mometasone oral inhalation is usually inhaled twice daily. Mometasone powder for oral inhalation is usually inhaled once a day in the evening or twice daily. Use mometasone inhalation at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use mometasone inhalation exactly as directed. Do not inhale more or less of it or inhale 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 mometasone 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 at least 1 week after you begin to use mometasone inhalation.

Mometasone inhalation helps to prevent asthma attacks but will not stop an asthma attack that has already started. Do not use mometasone inhalation during an asthma attack. Your doctor will prescribe a short-acting inhaler to use during asthma attacks.

Your doctor will probably start you on an average dose of mometasone inhalation. Your doctor may decrease your dose if your symptoms are controlled or gradually increase your dose if your symptoms have not improved after 2 weeks.

Mometasone inhalation controls asthma but does not cure it. It may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of the medication. Continue to use mometasone inhalation even if you feel well. Do not stop using mometasone inhalation without talking to your doctor.

Tell your doctor if your asthma worsens during your treatment. Call your doctor immediately if you have an asthma attack that does not stop when you use your fast-acting asthma medication, or if you need to use more of your fast-acting medication than usual.

Before you use your mometasone oral inhaler the first time, read the written instructions that come with it. 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 how to use it. Practice using the inhaler while he or she watches.

The dose counter on the base of your mometasone inhaler tells you how many doses of medication are left in your inhaler. Read the numbers on the dose counter from top to bottom. The number on the dose counter decreases every time you lift the cap to load a dose of medication. Do not use the inhaler if the numbers on the dose counter do not change after you load a dose. Call your pharmacist if your inhaler is not working properly.

To use the aerosol inhaler, follow these steps:

1. Remove the cap from the mouthpiece.
2. If you are using the inhaler for the first time or if you have not used the inhaler in more than 5 days, prime it by releasing 4 test sprays into the air, away from your face. Be careful not to spray the medication into your eyes or face. Shake the inhaler prior to each inhalation.
3. Breathe out through your mouth.
4. Hold the inhaler facing you with the mouthpiece on the bottom. Place your thumb under the mouthpiece and your index finger on the center of the dose indicator at the top of the canister. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth and close your lips around it.
5. Breathe in deeply and slowly through your mouth. At the same time, press down firmly on the center of the dose indicator at the top of the canister with your index finger. Remove your index finger as soon as the spray is released.
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 30 seconds, then breathe out gently.
8. If your doctor has told you to take more than one puffs per treatment, repeat steps 3 through 7.
9. Put the cap back on the mouthpiece.
10. Rinse your mouth with water and spit the water out. Do not swallow the water.
11. Clean your aerosol inhaler once a week. To clean your inhaler, use a clean, dry tissue or cloth. Do not wash or put any part of your inhaler in water.

To use the powder using the inhaler, follow these steps:

1. If you are using a new inhaler for the first time, remove it from the foil pouch. Write the date that you opened the inhaler in the space provided on the cap label.
2. Hold the inhaler straight up with the colored base on the bottom. Twist the white cap counterclockwise and remove it. This loads the correct amount of medication in the base of the inhaler, so it is important to twist the cap and not twist the base with your hand. As you lift the cap off, the dose counter on the base will count down by one to show the number of doses left after this use.
3. Breathe out fully.
4. Hold the inhaler on its side with the mouthpiece facing you. Be sure that you are not covering the ventilation holes on the sides of the inhaler. Place the mouthpiece of the inhaler in your mouth and close your lips firmly around it.
5. Breathe in a fast, deep breath. You will receive your medication as a very fine powder, so you may not be able to smell, feel, or taste it as you inhale.
6. Remove the inhaler from your mouth and hold your breath for 10 seconds or as long as you comfortably can. Do not breathe out into the inhaler.
7. Wipe the mouthpiece dry. Put the cap back onto the inhaler so that the indented arrow is in line with the dose counter. Gently press down and turn clockwise until you hear a click.
8. Rinse your mouth with water and spit. Do not swallow the water.

If your inhaler needs to be cleaned, gently wipe it with a dry cloth. Do not wash the inhaler. Keep the inhaler away from water or other liquids.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.