Inhaled Corticosteroids

Also indexed as: AeroBid® Inhaled, Azmacort® Inhaled, Beclomethasone Inhaled, Beclovent® Inhaled, Beconase AQ® Inhaled, Beconase® Inhaled, Budesonide Inhaled, Cutivate® Inhaled, Decadron® Phosphate Turbinaire or Respihaler, Dexamethasone Inhaled, Flonase® Inhaled, Flovent® Inhaled, Flunisolide Inhaled, Fluticasone Inhaled, Levalbuterol Inhaled, Mometasone Inhaled, Nasacort AQ® Inhaled, Nasacort® Inhaled, Nasalide® Inhaled, Nasonex® Inhaled, Proventil® Inhaled, Pulmicort® Inhaled, Rhinocort® Inhaled, Triamcinolone Inhaled, Vancenase AQ® Inhaled, Vancenase® Inhaled, Vanceril® Inhaled, Ventolin® Inhaled, Volmax® Inhaled, Xopenex™

Corticosteroids are inhaled by mouth to treat and prevent asthma, as well as other inflammatory conditions of the lungs that restrict breathing. They are inhaled into the nose to treat and prevent symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. In addition, some agents may be used to prevent recurrence of nasal polyps following surgical removal.

The information in this article pertains to inhaled corticosteroids in general. The interactions reported here may not apply to all the Also Indexed As terms. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of these drugs.

Safetychecker Summary for Inhaled Corticosteroids
(for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article)

May be Beneficial: Depletion or interference—The medication may deplete or interfere with the absorption or function of the nutrient. Taking these nutrients may help replenish them.	Calcium Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)*
Side effect reduction/prevention	None known
Supportive interaction	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known
Adverse interaction	None known

Interactions with Dietary Supplements

Calcium
Most of an inhaled dose of beclomethasone is actually swallowed, which may lead to reduced absorption of calcium.¹ Health practitioners may recommend calcium supplementation to individuals using beclomethasone inhalers.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
A group of women with asthma who had been taking inhaled beclomethasone were shown to have low levels of DHEA compared to women with asthma who were not taking beclomethasone.² The authors speculated that this effect may partially explain how corticosteroids can cause osteoporosis. However, more research is needed to confirm these suspicions and to evaluate whether supplemental DHEA is beneficial to patients taking inhaled corticosteroids.

References:

1. Smith BJ, Phillips PJ, Pannall PR. Effect of orally administered beclomethasone dipropionate on calcium absorption from the gut in normal subjects. Thorax 1993;48:890–3.

2. Smith BJ, Buxton JR, Dickeson J, Heller RF. Does beclomethasone dipropionate suppress dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in postmenopausal women? Austral NZ J Med 1994;24:396–401.

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.