Beclomethasone for inhalation

What is beclomethasone?

Beclomethasone is a corticosteroid that is inhaled to help prevent asthma symptoms and attacks. If it is used regularly every day, your child's beclomethasone inhaler will decrease the number and severity of asthma attacks. It may also be used to decrease cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath from respiratory infections.

Beclomethasone is a preventer medicine. It does not stop the signs of an asthma attack or wheezing once they have started. Your child should use their reliever medicine.

You may hear beclomethasone called by its brand name, QVAR.

Before giving beclomethasone to your child

Tell your doctor if your child is allergic to beclomethasone. Precautions may be needed with this medicine if your child has:

• had any serious infections in the past, such as tuberculosis (TB)

How should you give your child beclomethasone?

Follow these instructions when giving your child beclomethasone:

• Give your child beclomethasone exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, even if your child seems better.
• Talk to your child's doctor before you change the dose or stop giving this medicine for any reason. Your child may become ill if they stop taking this medicine suddenly.
• Give your child beclomethasone at the same time every day. Pick times that are easy for you so that you do not miss doses.
• Have your child breathe beclomethasone in through the mouth.
• If you are not sure how to give your child this medicine, ask the pharmacist or the nurse in the Asthma Clinic to show you.
• If your child uses a reliever medicine with beclomethasone, use the reliever medicine first. The reliever medicine opens the airways, which helps beclomethasone enter deeper into the lungs.
• Wait five minutes between giving beclomethasone and the reliever medicine. Waiting five minutes lets the airways open up enough so that beclomethasone is better absorbed.
• Have your child rinse their mouth with water after taking the beclomethasone to help reduce its side effects.
• If your child is too young to rinse their mouth out, give them water or juice to drink after every dose of beclomethasone.
• Your doctor or asthma nurse may give you a spacer device (commonly called an Aerochamber) to use with your child's inhaler. A spacer is a device designed to make the puffer easier to use by helping deliver more medicine directly into the lungs where it is needed. This makes the medicine more effective and reduces the side effects that may occur from inhaling the medicine into the mouth or throat.

What should you do if your child misses a dose of beclomethasone?

• Give the missed dose as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time.
• Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.

How long does beclomethasone take to work?

It may take four to six weeks after your child starts beclomethasone before you see their breathing getting better.

What are the possible side effects of beclomethasone?

Your child may have some of these side effects while they take beclomethasone. Check with your child's doctor if they continue to have any of these side effects, especially if they do not go away or they bother them:

• dry mouth or throat
• sore throat and cough
• hoarse voice
• headaches

Call your child's doctor during office hours if they have any of these side effects:

• white patches in the mouth; this can be a sign of a mouth infection

Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem.

Call your child's doctor right away or take them to the nearest Emergency Department if they have any of these side effects, especially if they do not go away after using the reliever medicine:

• wheezing
• chest tightness
• fever
• itching
• bad cough
• blue skin colour
• seizures (convulsions)
• rash or any other sign of an allergic reaction, such as swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat
• any other unusual behaviour

Any of these symptoms could be signs of a life-threatening reaction.

What safety measures should you take when your child is using beclomethasone?

Beclomethasone does not stop an asthma attack after it has already started. Your child should use the reliever medicine.

Keep all appointments at the clinic or doctor's office so the doctor can check your child's reaction to beclomethasone. The doctor may need to change the dose so that your child is getting the right amount.

These warning signs indicate that your child's asthma is getting worse and that they need to see their doctor:

• Symptoms, such as coughing, attacks of wheezing, chest tightness, or severe breathlessness, become worse or more frequent.
• Relief lasts less than three hours after taking the reliever medicine.
• Your child wakes up at night with chest tightness, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
• Your child is missing school or other activities because of asthma.

Gargling and rinsing the mouth with water after each dose may help prevent hoarseness, throat irritation, and infection in the mouth. Your doctor may also want your child to use a spacer device to prevent these problems.

Check with your child's doctor or pharmacist before giving them any other medicines (prescription, non-prescription, herbal, or natural products).

What other important information should you know about beclomethasone?

• Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to the doctor or pharmacist.
• Do not share your child's medicine with others. Do not give anyone else's medicine to your child.
• Make sure you always have enough beclomethasone to last through weekends, holidays, and vacations. Call your pharmacy at least two days before your child runs out of medicine to order refills.
• Keep beclomethasone at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do NOT store it in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Do not store near heat (stoves, hot water, radiator, etc.), as the inhaler (puffer) may explode if heated. Do not burn. Do not put holes in the metal part of the puffer. The contents are under pressure.
• Do not keep any medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicines.
  

Keep beclomethasone for inhalation out of your child’s sight and reach and locked up in a safe place. If your child takes too much beclomethasone for inhalation, call your local Poison Information Centre at one of these numbers. These calls are free. 

• Call 1-844 POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, from anywhere in Canada except Quebec.
• Call 1-800-463-5060 if you live in Quebec.