Fluticasone Propionate

1 medicine

Fluticasone propionate is an inhaled corticosteroid that prevents asthma and COPD symptoms by reducing airway inflammation. It is a preventer, not a reliever, and rinsing your mouth after each dose helps prevent oral thrush.

Cutivate

Fluticasone propionate

10/20g

Cutivate is a skin care medication containing Fluticasone propionate, available as 10/20g tubes.

from $29.75 / tube View

Key facts

  • Fluticasone propionate (used in inhalers such as Flixotide and combination products, and in nasal sprays such as Flonase) is a corticosteroid.
  • As an inhaler it is a preventer, taken daily on a fixed schedule to control asthma and COPD; it does not relieve a sudden attack. As a nasal spray it treats allergic rhinitis and works best with regular daily use.
  • Rinse your mouth with water and spit after every inhaled dose to prevent oral thrush and hoarseness. High-dose, long-term use can suppress your body's own steroid production, so never stop it abruptly.
  • Seek urgent care if breathing worsens despite your reliever inhaler, or if you develop signs of a severe allergic reaction.

What fluticasone propionate treats

Inhaled fluticasone propionate prevents asthma symptoms and attacks, and combination inhalers with a long-acting bronchodilator treat COPD in people with frequent exacerbations. The nasal spray treats seasonal and year-round allergic rhinitis. It does not treat an asthma attack that has already started.

How fluticasone propionate works

In asthma, COPD and allergic rhinitis, the airway or nasal lining becomes inflamed, swollen and oversensitive to triggers, producing extra mucus. Fluticasone propionate is a corticosteroid that dampens this inflammatory response at a cellular level, reducing swelling, mucus and airway twitchiness. Because it works on the underlying inflammation rather than muscle spasm, the benefit builds over days to weeks of consistent use.

Before you take it

  • Keep a fast-acting reliever inhaler on hand for sudden symptoms; fluticasone will not stop an attack in progress.
  • Tell your prescriber about tuberculosis or other untreated respiratory infections, cataracts, glaucoma, or osteoporosis.
  • Some antifungal and HIV medicines, such as ritonavir, raise fluticasone levels and increase the risk of steroid side effects. Tell your prescriber about all your medicines.
  • Use a spacer with a metered-dose inhaler to improve lung delivery.

Side effects

Common effects: oral thrush, hoarse voice, throat irritation, headache, and nosebleeds with the nasal spray.

Seek urgent medical care for:

  • Severe or worsening breathing difficulty.
  • Signs of adrenal suppression: unusual fatigue, weakness, low blood pressure or fainting, especially after a missed dose or abrupt stopping following long-term use.
  • Facial swelling, hives, or difficulty breathing after a dose, which can signal an allergic reaction.
  • Vision changes or eye pain.

Safety essentials

  • Fluticasone propionate is a preventer, not a reliever, and it will not help during an acute asthma attack. Do not stop long-term or high-dose treatment suddenly; taper it under medical supervision because of the risk of adrenal suppression.
  • Rinse your mouth and spit after every inhaled dose to prevent oral thrush.
  • At high doses over long periods, enough steroid can be absorbed into the bloodstream to affect bone density, growth in children, and adrenal function. Your prescriber uses the lowest effective dose and reviews it regularly.
  • Tell every clinician you see that you use long-term steroid treatment, particularly before surgery or during a serious illness.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.