Mometasone is a medicine used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

It comes as a "twisthaler" which is a type of inhaler. It's also called a preventer inhaler as it helps prevent you getting symptoms.

Mometasone inhalers are only available on prescription.

Mometasone is a type of medicine known as a corticosteroid (or steroid).

It can also be used to treat other conditions, such as:

• a cream, ointment or scalp lotion for eczema and psoriasis
• a nose spray (nasal spray) for allergic rhinitis, hay fever and nasal polyps
• skin treatments for eczema and psoriasis

• Use your mometasone inhaler every day for it to work, even if you do not have any symptoms.
• You'll usually be given another inhaler called a "reliever" to relieve symptoms when you get them.
• A mometasone inhaler gets your next dose ready when you twist the cap after using it.
• Common side effects include a dry or sore throat and oral thrush.
• It's important to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after using a steroid preventer inhaler. This is to prevent infections and a sore mouth.
• You may get a blue steroid treatment card if you need high doses of mometasone to control your symptoms. You may also need to carry a steroid emergency card. Ask your pharmacist or doctor about both of these.

Adults and children aged 12 years and older can use mometasone.

Mometasone is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to mometasone or any other medicines in the past
• are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant – your doctor may want to lower your dose
• have ever had TB (tuberculosis)
• are taking or have recently taken other steroid medicines
• are being treated for viral or fungal infections

It's important to use your mometasone inhaler regularly to manage your symptoms. Use it regularly, even if you do not have any symptoms. After using your inhaler, always put the lid back on to keep it clean.

Mometasone inhalers come in 2 strengths that give either 200 micrograms or 400 micrograms of medicine with each "puff". Your doctor or respiratory nurse will tell you which strength is right for you. Always follow their instructions. They may tell you to have 2 puffs at a time from your inhaler. It depends on how bad your breathing is and which inhaler you're using.

Dosage

The usual dose is 1 or 2 puffs, taken once or twice a day.

If you or your child uses an inhaler once a day, it will work better if it's taken in the evening.

If it's taken twice a day, use it once in the morning and once in the evening.

It’s important to use your mometasone inhaler regularly to manage your condition. Keep using it, even if you do not have any symptoms.

How to use a twisthaler

1. Remove the cap from your inhaler by twisting it off.
2. Bring the inhaler up to your mouth, with the mouthpiece pointing toward you.
3. Gently breathe out, as far as you can.
4. Put the mouthpiece of the inhaler in your mouth, close your lips tightly around the mouthpiece, and then breathe in rapidly and deeply.
5. Take the inhaler out of your mouth and hold your breath for around 10 seconds, or for as long as you can. Do not breathe out through the inhaler.
6. Close the inhaler by replacing the cap as soon as you've used it. Load the dose so it's ready the next time you need to use it. To do this, turn the cap clockwise while gently pressing the cap down until a click sound is heard and the cap is fully closed. The arrow on the cap must be lined up with the window at the bottom on the inhaler.
7. Rinse your mouth with water or a mouthwash and spit it out – this will help stop you getting oral thrush.

Check your inhaler technique

To get the most from your inhaler, it's important to have your technique checked regularly.

If you're not sure how to use your inhaler, or your technique has not been checked for a year, ask your doctor, nurse or a pharmacist to watch you use it.

It’s very important to use your inhaler properly. This is so you get the right amount of mometasone into your lungs and the most benefit from your medicine.

Will my dose go up or down?

Your dose may go up or down depending on how bad your breathing is. Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dose that controls your symptoms.

If you have agreed on a personal action plan with your doctor or nurse, follow your action plan.

What if I forget to use it?

Use your inhaler as soon as you remember. If it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose as usual.

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

What if I use too much?

Using too much mometasone is unlikely to harm you.

If you're worried, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Steroid cards

If you are using a steroid inhaler regularly, ask your doctor, nurse or a pharmacist if you need to carry a blue steroid card.

Like all medicines, mometasone can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

With inhaled mometasone very little medicine gets into the rest of your body, so it's unlikely to give you side effects.

If you’re on high doses of mometasone, or you’re also taking other steroid medicines or tablets for fungal infections or HIV, you may get underactive adrenal glands as a side effect. Ask your doctor if you need to carry a steroid emergency card.

Common side effects

These common side effects may happen in more than 1 in 100 people.

Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor if these side effects bother you or do not go away:

• dry or sore throat, or hoarse voice
• oral thrush – a fungal infection that causes white patches, redness and soreness in your mouth
• headaches

Serious side effects

It's unusual to have any serious side effects when using a mometasone inhaler.

Side effects are more likely to happen if you're on a higher dose of mometasone for a long time (more than a few months).

Tell your doctor straight away if you get:

• a high temperature, chills, a very sore throat, ear or sinus pain, a cough, coughing up more mucus (phlegm) or a change in colour of your mucus, pain when you pee, mouth sores or a wound that will not heal – these can be signs of an infection
• "moon face" (a puffy, rounded face), weight gain in the upper back or belly – this happens gradually and can be a sign of Cushing's syndrome
• a very upset stomach or you're being sick (vomiting), very bad dizziness or passing out, muscle weakness, very tired, mood changes, loss of appetite and weight loss – these can be signs of adrenal gland problems
• changes in your eyesight, such as blurred vision or a cloudy lens in the eye – these can be signs of increased pressure in your eyes (glaucoma) or a cataract

Serious allergic reaction

It is possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to mometasone.

This is different to an asthma attack. If you or your child have asthma symptoms, such as wheezing or have tightness in the chest or throat, use a reliever inhaler. If the symptoms do not improve or get worse, call 999 or go to A&E.

What to do about:

• dry or sore throat, or hoarse voice – try rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth after using your inhaler to stop this happening. See your doctor if it does n't improve after 1 week.
• oral thrush – try rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth after using your inhaler to stop this happening. If you get oral thrush ask a pharmacist to recommend a treatment such as a mouth gel and get them to check that you're using your inhaler correctly. They may suggest that you see your doctor to discuss the best treatment.
• headaches – make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller and talk to your doctor if the headaches are severe or they last longer than a week.

It's important to manage your asthma or COPD while you're pregnant. Having uncontrolled breathing can be dangerous for you and your baby.

You can use a mometasone inhaler in pregnancy. There's no evidence that mometasone will harm your baby.

Always tell your doctor if you're pregnant. For safety your doctor will only prescribe mometasone in pregnancy if the benefits outweigh the risks. They will prescribe the lowest dose that works for you.

If you become pregnant while taking mometasone, do not stop using your medicine without talking to your doctor first.

Find more information on using steroid inhalers during pregnancy on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) website.

Mometasone and breastfeeding

It's generally OK to use your mometasone inhaler while you're breastfeeding.

However, always check with your doctor first. Your baby may need extra monitoring if you use high doses of the inhaler.

Some medicines and mometasone interfere with each other. This can increase your chance of side effects, or it may mean changing your dose.

Check with a pharmacist or your doctor if you're taking:

• medicines to treat HIV, such as ritonavir or cobicistat
• antifungal medicines such as ketoconazole or itraconazole
• other medicines that contain steroids such as eczema creams, tablets, injections, nasal sprays, eye or nose drops

Mixing mometasone with herbal remedies and supplements

There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements while taking or using mometasone. Ask a pharmacist for advice.