Qvar (beclomethasone dipropionate) is a steroid used to prevent asthma attacks. Qvar will not treat an asthma attack that has already begun. Qvar is available in generic form.
The recommended dose of Qvar is 40 to 320 mcg twice daily for adults and 40 to 80 mcg twice daily for children. If you are also using a bronchodilator, use it first before using the beclomethasone inhaler.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Qvar?
There may be other drugs that can interact with Qvar. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors.
Qvar During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Qvar should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. There are rare reports of harm to a fetus when the mother took other corticosteroids. Infants born to mothers who have been using high doses of beclomethasone for an extended time may have hormone problems. Tell your doctor if you notice symptoms such as persistent nausea/vomiting, severe diarrhea, or weakness in your newborn. It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
Additional Information
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Our Qvar (beclomethasone dipropionate) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
Qvar Consumer Information
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Beclomethasone can affect growth in children. Talk with your doctor if you think your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medicine.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
wheezing, choking, or other breathing problems after using this medicine;
worsening asthma symptoms;
white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
signs of infection--fever, chills, body aches, vomiting;
signs of low adrenal gland hormones--worsening tiredness, lack of energy, weakness, feeling light-headed, nausea, vomiting; or
increased adrenal gland hormones--hunger, weight gain, swelling, skin discoloration, slow wound healing, sweating, acne, increased body hair, tiredness, mood changes, muscle weakness, missed menstrual periods, sexual changes.
Common side effects may include:
a yeast infection in the mouth;
sinus pain, irritation in your nose; or
cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed
in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug
and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The following reporting rates of common adverse experiences are based upon 4 clinical trials in which
1196 patients (671 female and 525 male adults previously treated with as-needed bronchodilators and/or
inhaled corticosteroids) were treated with QVAR (doses of 40, 80, 160, or 320 mcg twice daily) or
CFC-BDP (doses of 42, 168, or 336 mcg twice daily) or placebo. Table 3 below includes all events
reported by patients taking QVAR (whether considered drug related or not) that occurred at a rate over
3% for QVAR. In considering these data, difference in average duration of exposure and clinical trial
design should be taken into account.
Table 3 Adverse Events Reported by at Least 3% of the Patients for QVAR by Treatment
and Daily Dose
Adverse
Events
Placebo
(N=289)
%
QVAR
Total
(N=624)
%
80-160
mcg
(N=233)
%
320
mcg
(N=335)
%
640
mcg
(N=56)
%
HEADACHE
9
12
15
8
25
PHARYNGITIS
4
8
6
5
27
UPPER RESP
TRACT
INFECTION
11
9
7
11
5
RHINITIS
9
6
8
3
7
INCREASED
ASTHMA
SYMPTOMS
18
3
2
4
0
ORAL SYMPTOMS
INHALATION
ROUTE
2
3
3
3
2
SINUSITIS
2
3
3
3
0
PAIN
<1
2
1
2
5
BACK PAIN
1
1
2
<1
4
DYSPHONIA
2
<1
1
0
4
Other adverse events that occurred in these clinical trials using QVAR with an incidence of 1% to 3%
and which occurred at a greater incidence than placebo were nausea, dysmenorrhea, and coughing.
Oropharyngeal candidiasis occurred in <1% of patients in both QVAR and placebo treatment groups.
Pediatric Studies
In two 12-week placebo-controlled studies in steroid naive pediatric patients 5 to 12 years of age, no
clinically relevant differences were found in the pattern, severity, or frequency of adverse events
compared with those reported in adults, with the exception of conditions which are more prevalent in a
pediatric population generally.
Postmarketing Experience
In addition to adverse reactions experienced in the clinical trials, the following adverse events have
been reported during post-approval use of QVAR. Because they are reported voluntarily from a
population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a
causal relationship to drug exposure.
Local Effects: Localized infections with Candida albicans have occurred in patients treated with QVAR
or other orally inhaled corticosteroids [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Psychiatric and Behavioral Changes: Aggression, depression, sleep disorders, psychomotor
hyperactivity, and suicidal ideation have been reported (primarily in children).
&Copy; Qvar Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Qvar Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.
