Flunisolide
Flunisolide, a corticosteroid, is used to prevent wheezing, shortness
of breath, and troubled breathing caused by severe asthma and other lung diseases.
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your
doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should Flunisolide be used?
Flunisolide comes as an aerosol to inhale by mouth. It usually is
inhaled three or four times a day at evenly spaced intervals. Follow the directions on
your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part
you do not understand. Use flunisolide exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it
or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Do not stop using flunisolide without talking to your doctor.
Before you use flunisolide the first time, read the written
instructions that come with it. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to
demonstrate the proper technique. Practice using the inhaler while in his or her presence.
To use the inhaler, follow these steps:
- Shake the inhaler well.
- Remove the protective cap.
- Exhale (breathe out) as completely as possible through your nose while keeping your
mouth shut.
- Open Mouth Technique: Open your mouth wide, and place the open end of the mouthpiece
about 1-2 inches from your mouth.Closed Mouth Technique: Place the open end of the
mouthpiece well into your mouth, past your front teeth. Close your lips tightly around the
mouthpiece.
- Take a slow, deep breath through the mouthpiece and, at the same time, press down on the
container to spray the medication into your mouth. Be sure that the mist goes into your
throat and is not blocked by your teeth or tongue. Adults giving the treatment to young
children may hold the child's nose closed to be sure that the medication goes into the
child's throat.
- Hold your breath for 5-10 seconds, remove the inhaler, and exhale slowly through your
nose or mouth. If you take 2 puffs, wait 2 minutes and shake the inhaler well before
taking the second puff.
- Replace the protective cap on the inhaler.After each treatment, rinse your mouth with
water or mouthwash.
If you have difficulty getting the medication into your lungs, a
spacer (a special device that attaches to the inhaler) may help; ask your doctor,
pharmacist, or respiratory therapist.
Before using flunisolide,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to flunisolide or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you
are using, especially arthritis medications, aspirin, digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics ('water
pills'), estrogen (Premarin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), oral contraceptives, phenobarbital,
phenytoin (Dilantin), rifampin (Rifadin), theophylline (Theo-Dur), and vitamins.
- if you have a fungal infection (other than on your skin), do not use flunisolide without
talking to your doctor.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver, kidney, intestinal, or heart
disease; diabetes; an underactive thyroid gland; high blood pressure; mental illness;
myasthenia gravis; osteoporosis; herpes eye infection; seizures; or ulcers.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If
you become pregnant while using flunisolide, call your doctor.
- if you have a history of ulcers or take large doses of aspirin or other arthritis
medication, limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages while using this drug.
Flunisolide makes your stomach and intestines more susceptible to the irritating effects
of alcohol, aspirin, and certain arthritis medications. This effect increases your risk of
ulcers.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Your doctor may instruct you to follow a low-sodium, low-salt,
potassium-rich, or high-protein diet. Follow these directions.
What side effects can this medication cause?
Although side effects from flunisolide are not common, they can occur.
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- dry or irritated throat and mouth
- cough
- difficult or painful speech
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor
immediately:
- skin rash
- increased difficulty breathing
- white spots or sores in your mouth
- swollen face, lower legs, or ankles
- vision problems
- cold or infection that lasts a long time
- muscle weakness
Speial Warning concerning Flunisolide.
If you are switching (or have recently switched) from an oral corticosteroid such as
betamethasone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, or prednisone to
flunisolide inhalation and have an injury, infection, or severe asthma attack, use a full
dose (even if you have been gradually decreasing your dose) of the oral corticosteroid and
call your doctor for additional instructions.Carry an identification card that indicates
that you may need to take supplementary doses (write down the full dose you took before
gradually decreasing it) of the corticosteroid during periods of stress (injuries,
infections, and severe asthma attacks). Ask your pharmacist or doctor how to obtain this
card. List your name, medical problems, drugs and dosages, and doctor's name and telephone
number on the card.
What other information should I know about Flunisolide?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor
will order certain lab tests to check your response to flunisolide.
Flunisolide is not used for rapid relief of breathing problems. If you
do not have another inhaler for prompt relief of breathing difficulty, ask your doctor to
prescribe one.
If your doctor has prescribed a bronchodilator (a drug to be inhaled
for rapid relief of difficult breathing), use it several minutes before you use your
flunisolide inhaler so that flunisolide can reach deep into your lungs.
Avoid exposure to chicken pox and measles. This drug makes you more
susceptible to these illnesses. If you are exposed to them while using flunisolide, call
your doctor. Do not have a vaccination or other immunization unless your doctor tells you
that you may.
Report any injuries or signs of infection (fever, sore throat, pain
during urination, and muscle aches) that occur during treatment.
If your sputum (the matter you cough up during an asthma attack)
thickens or changes color from clear white to yellow, green, or gray, call your doctor;
these changes may be signs of an infection.
Inhalation devices require regular cleaning. Once a week, remove the
drug container from the plastic mouthpiece, wash the mouthpiece with warm tap water, and
dry it thoroughly. |
