Beclometasone at a glance
Medicine class
Corticosteroid anti-inflammatory medicine.
Available forms
Selected UK products include inhalers, nasal spray, skin cream or ointment, and gastro-resistant prolonged-release tablets.
What is Beclometasone used for?
Licensed uses depend on the product and formulation.
Qvar is licensed for preventive asthma management in adults and children aged 5 years and over.
The selected Soprobec inhaler is licensed for maintenance treatment of adult asthma when a pressurised metered-dose inhaler is appropriate.
Beconase Aqueous Nasal Spray prevents and treats seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, including hay fever, and vasomotor rhinitis.
The selected cream and ointment treat steroid-responsive inflammatory skin conditions, including forms of eczema, dermatitis and selected psoriasis.
Clipper tablets treat active mild or moderate ulcerative colitis as add-on treatment when a 5-aminosalicylate medicine has not provided an adequate response.
How does Beclometasone work?
Beclometasone dipropionate is converted to an active metabolite that activates glucocorticoid receptors and reduces inflammatory signalling, swelling and irritation. Inhaled, nasal and skin products act mainly where applied; Clipper releases medicine later in the gut for a local bowel effect.
Beclometasone preparations and strengths
Cream
Route: Cutaneous
Strengths: 0.25 mg/g
Ointment
Route: Cutaneous
Strengths: 0.25 mg/g
Inhaled preparation
Route: Inhaled
Strengths: 50 micrograms/actuation, 100 micrograms/actuation, 200 micrograms/actuation, 200 micrograms/dose, 250 micrograms/actuation
How to take Beclometasone
Follow the instructions for the exact product because devices and formulations differ.
Ask a healthcare professional to check inhaler technique. Afterwards, rinse and spit, gargle with water or brush your teeth.
A compatible spacer may improve delivery and reduce medicine deposited in the mouth and throat.
For nasal spray, gently blow the nose, keep the bottle upright and aim into the nostril while breathing in slowly.
Apply cream or ointment thinly to affected skin, avoiding broken skin and the eyes. Wash your hands afterwards unless treating them.
Swallow Clipper tablets whole with liquid. Breaking or chewing them disrupts their gastro-resistant prolonged-release design.
Beclometasone side effects
Common or expected effects
- Inhaler: oral thrush, hoarse voice, sore throat or altered taste.
- Nasal spray: nosebleeds, nasal dryness or irritation, throat irritation, and unpleasant taste or smell.
- Skin: brief burning or stinging; pigment changes may occur.
- Clipper tablets: reported uncommon effects include nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, anxiety, sleepiness and muscle cramps.
Get urgent medical advice
- Anaphylaxis or angioedema.
- Immediate worsening of wheeze after inhalation.
- Possible adrenal insufficiency, including severe weakness, vomiting, dizziness or fainting.
- Blurred vision or another visual disturbance.
- Skin infection, marked skin thinning or a widespread burning or red withdrawal reaction after prolonged topical use.
- Severe mood, behavioural or psychotic symptoms, particularly with oral corticosteroid exposure.
Beclometasone in pregnancy
Inhaled and nasal beclometasone may be used during pregnancy, and maintaining asthma control is important. Prescribed skin cream or ointment is also considered acceptable because systemic absorption is usually low. Clipper tablets require specialist assessment because pregnancy evidence is limited; fetal-growth monitoring may be arranged.
Beclometasone while breastfeeding
Inhaled, nasal and prescribed topical beclometasone are generally compatible with breastfeeding because infant exposure should be very low. Prevent the baby touching treated skin; wash medicine from the breast or nipple and wash your hands before feeding. Clipper tablets are not recommended unless a specialist considers them necessary after assessing benefits and risks.
Beclometasone interactions
Systemic steroid effects can increase with some combinations.
Ritonavir, cobicistat and other strong CYP3A inhibitors
Systemic corticosteroid effects cannot be excluded; caution and appropriate monitoring are required.
Other corticosteroids
Combined exposure can increase adrenal suppression and other systemic effects.
Common questions about Beclometasone
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is a beclometasone inhaler a reliever inhaler?
No. A beclometasone-only inhaler is a preventer and does not rapidly relieve an asthma attack.
Why should I rinse my mouth after using an inhaler?
It removes deposited medicine and reduces oral thrush, sore throat and hoarseness.
Can I use a spacer?
Some pressurised inhalers can or must be used with a compatible spacer. Check the exact inhaler's instructions.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.