Beclomethasone

Beclomethasone is a medication that is approved for treating inflammation associated with asthma, allergies, and other conditions. It is available by prescription and comes in the form of an inhaler and nasal spray. While the inhaler is used for preventing asthma attacks, the nasal spray is used for treating nasal polyps and stuffy, irritated, or runny nose due to allergies. Side effects may include nausea, headache, sore throat, and nose or throat irritation.

What Is Beclomethasone?

Beclomethasone dipropionate is a prescription medication used to treat various conditions.

Beclomethasone Products

There are two different beclomethasone products:

Beclomethasone inhaler (Qvar^®)
Beclomethasone nasal spray (Beconase AQ^®).

Qvar is approved to prevent asthma attacks, while Beconase AQ nasal spray is approved to treat the following conditions:

Stuffy, irritated, or runny nose due to allergies or other causes
Nasal polyps (to prevent them from coming back after surgical removal).

How Does It Work?

Beclomethasone is a medication that belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids, or steroids for short.

Inhaled steroids (like Qvar) go directly into the lungs and help to decrease the inflammation of airways that makes asthma attacks more likely. Because beclomethasone does not work quickly, it should not be used for treating an asthma attack. Rather, it is used twice a day in order to prevent asthma attacks.

Steroid nasal sprays (like Beconase AQ) are sprayed directly onto the nasal surface, helping to reduce inflammation associated with allergies and other conditions.

Because beclomethasone is sprayed directly into the lungs or nose, the rest of the body is exposed to lower steroid levels, compared to steroids taken by mouth. This helps to reduce or eliminate many of the side effects associated with long-term steroid use.

(Click Asthma Treatment for information about other medicines used for treating asthma.)

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