Mometasone Nasal Spray

(moe met' a sone)

Brand Name(s): Nasonex^®

WHY is this medicine prescribed?

Mometasone nasal spray is used to prevent and relieve symptoms of sneezing, runny, stuffy, or itchy nose caused by hay fever or other allergies. It is also used to treat nasal polyps (swelling of the lining of the nose). Mometasone nasal spray should not be used to treat symptoms (e.g., sneezing, stuffy, runny, itchy nose) caused by the common cold. Mometasone nasal spray is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works by blocking the release of certain natural substances that cause allergy symptoms.

Are there OTHER USES for this medicine?

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

HOW should this medicine be used?

Mometasone comes as a suspension (liquid) to spray in the nose. If you are using mometasone nasal spray to prevent or relieve hay fever or allergy symptoms, it is usually sprayed in each nostril once a day. If you are using mometasone nasal spray to treat nasal polyps, it is usually sprayed in each nostril once or twice daily (in the morning and evening). Use mometasone at around the same times every day.Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use mometasone nasal spray exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

For the prevention of nasal symptoms of seasonal allergies, use mometasone nasal spray 2 to 4 weeks before the beginning of the pollen season.

An adult should help children younger than 12 years old to use mometasone nasal spray. Children younger than 2 years of age should not use this medication.

Mometasone nasal spray is only for use in the nose. Do not swallow the nasal spray and be careful not to spray it into your mouth or eyes.

Each bottle of mometasone nasal spray should only be used by one person. Do not share mometasone nasal spray because this may spread germs.

Mometasone nasal spray controls the symptoms of hay fever or allergies, but does not cure these conditions. Your symptoms may improve in 1 to 2 days after you first use mometasone, but it may take 1 to 2 weeks before you feel the full benefit of mometasone. Mometasone works best when used regularly. Use mometasone on a regular schedule unless your doctor has told you to use it as needed. Call your doctor if your symptoms get worse or do not improve after you use mometasone nasal spray.

Mometasone nasal spray is designed to provide a certain number of sprays. After the marked number of sprays has been used, the remaining sprays in the bottle might not contain the correct amount of medication. You should keep track of the number of sprays you have used and throw away the bottle after you have used the marked number of sprays even if it still contains some liquid.

Before you use mometasone nasal spray for the first time, read the written directions that come with it. Follow these steps:

Shake the bottle gently before each use.
Remove the dust cover.
If you are using the pump for the first time, have not used it for a week or more, or have just cleaned the nozzle, you must prime it by following steps 4 to 5 below. If you have used the pump in the past week, skip to step 6.
Hold the spray with the applicator between your forefinger and middle finger and the bottom of the bottle resting on your thumb. Point the applicator away from your face.
If you are using the spray for the first time, press down and release the pump ten times or until you see a fine spray. If you have used the pump before but not within the past week or have just cleaned the nozzle, press down and release the spray twice until you see a fine spray.
Gently blow your nose to clear the nostrils.
Hold one nostril closed with your finger.
Tilt your head slightly forward and carefully put the nasal applicator tip into your other nostril. Be sure to keep the bottle upright.
Hold the pump with the applicator between your forefinger and middle finger and the bottom resting on your thumb.
Begin to breathe in through your nose.
While you are breathing in, use your forefinger and middle finger to press firmly down on the applicator and release a spray.
Breathe gently in through the nostril and breathe out through your mouth.
If your doctor told you to use two sprays in that nostril, repeat steps 6 to 12.
Repeat steps 6 to 13 in the other nostril.
Wipe the applicator with a clean tissue and cover it with the dust cover.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.

What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?

Before using mometasone nasal spray,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to mometasone, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in mometasone nasal spray. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take while using mometasone nasal spray. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
tell your doctor if you have recently had surgery on your nose, or injured your nose in any way, or if you have sores in your nose, if you have or have ever had cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye), glaucoma (an eye disease), any type of infection, or a herpes infection of the eye (an infection that causes a sore on the eyelid or eye surface). Also tell your doctor if you have chicken pox, measles, or tuberculosis (TB; a type of lung infection), or if you have been around someone who has one of these conditions.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using mometasone nasal spray, call your doctor.

What SPECIAL DIETARY instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?

Mometasone nasal spray may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

fever, chills, tiredness, nausea, or vomiting
nosebleeds
headache
sore throat
increased menstrual pain
muscle or joint pain
sinus pain
weakness
diarrhea
chest pain
red or itchy eyes
ear pain
heartburn

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop using mometasone nasal spray or get emergency medical treatment:

wheezing
hives
rash
itching
difficulty breathing or swallowing
vision problems
redness or white patches in your throat, mouth, or nose

You should know that this medication may cause children to grow at a slower rate. Talk to your child's doctor to see how long your child needs to use this medication. Talk to your child's doctor if you have concerns about your child's growth while they are using this medication.

Mometasone nasal spray may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (https://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. https://www.upandaway.org

What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?

You should clean your nasal spray applicator periodically. You will need to remove the dust cap and then pull on the applicator to remove it from the bottle. Wash the dust cap and applicator in cold water and rinse them in cold water, let them dry at room temperature, and then put them back on the bottle.

If the spray tip is clogged, wash it in cold water and then rinse it in cold water and dry it. Do not use pins or other sharp objects to remove the blockage.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

This report on medications is for your information only, and is not considered individual patient advice. Because of the changing nature of drug information, please consult your physician or pharmacist about specific clinical use.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. represents that the information provided hereunder was formulated with a reasonable standard of care, and in conformity with professional standards in the field. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to such information and specifically disclaims all such warranties. Users are advised that decisions regarding drug therapy are complex medical decisions requiring the independent, informed decision of an appropriate health care professional, and the information is provided for informational purposes only. The entire monograph for a drug should be reviewed for a thorough understanding of the drug's actions, uses and side effects. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. does not endorse or recommend the use of any drug. The information is not a substitute for medical care.

AHFS^® Patient Medication Information™. © Copyright, 2024. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists^®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.

Selected Revisions: July 20, 2024.