Side Effects

Side Effects of Flixotide Inhaler 50mcg

Possible Side Effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you notice any of the following serious side effects, stop using this medicine and talk to your doctor straight away. You may need urgent medical treatment. • allergic reactions (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) – the signs include skin rashes, redness, itching or weals like nettle rash or hives • severe allergic reactions (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) – the signs include swelling of your face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, itchy rash, feeling faint and light headed and collapse • your breathing or wheezing gets worse straight after using your inhaler Other side effects include: Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people) • thrush in the mouth and throat Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) • sore tongue or throat • hoarseness of voice Problems with your mouth and throat can be reduced by doing certain things straight after inhaling your dose. These are brushing your teeth, rinsing your mouth or gargling with water and spitting it out. Tell your doctor if you have these problems with your mouth or throat, but do not stop treatment unless you are told to. The following side effects have also been reported in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): • Pneumonia and bronchitis (lung infection). Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms: increased sputum production, change in sputum colour, fever, chills, increased cough, increased breathing problems Page 7 of 8 • Bruising Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) • thrush (candidiasis) in the oesophagus Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) • sleeping problems or feeling worried, over-excited and irritable. These effects are more likely to occur in children • joint pains • indigestion • level of sugar (glucose) in your blood may be increased • the way steroids are produced by your body may be affected when using Flixotide. This is more likely to happen if you use high doses for a long period of time (e.g. 400 micrograms daily in children). This can cause: – children and young people to grow more slowly – something called ‘Cushing’s syndrome’. This happens when you have too much steroid in your body and it can cause thinning of your bones and eye problems (such as cataracts and glaucoma which is high pressure in the eye) Your doctor will help stop this happening by making sure you use the lowest dose of steroid which controls your symptoms. Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data: • depression, feeling restless or nervous. These effects are more likely to occur in children • nosebleeds. • blurred vision Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if: • after 7 days of using Flixotide your shortness of breath or wheezing does not get better, or gets worse • you or your child is on high doses of inhaled steroid and become unwell with vague symptoms such as tummy ache, sickness, diarrhoea, headache or drowsiness. This can happen during an infection such as a viral infection or stomach upset. It is important that your steroid is not stopped suddenly as this could make your asthma worse and could also cause problems with the body’s hormones Reporting of side effects If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.