Nasonex Nasal Spray

What is Nasonex and what is it used for?

Nasonex nasal spray can effectively treat and prevent the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Nasonex effectively treats both seasonal and year-round allergies including hayfever, house dust and animals. As well as helping to treat growths in the nose known as, nasal polyps.

Nasonex contains the active ingredient Mometasone furoate, which is a corticosteroid. Corticosteroids, such as Mometasone have anti-inflammatory properties helping to improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis by reducing inflammation in the nasal passages.

Nasonex Nasal Spray is manufactured by Organon Pharma and is available on prescription in 18-gram bottles containing approximately 140 metered doses. This nasal spray can be used by adults and children over the age of 3 years.

What is allergic rhinitis?

It is estimated that around 20% of people in The UK suffer from allergic rhinitis. The condition is caused by an overactive immune system, whereby it mistakenly reacts to allergens in the same way that it would an infection. As a result, when harmless allergens enter the nose, the body overreacts and starts to produce extra mucus.

It is this overreaction that leads to symptoms, such as sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. It still isn’t fully understood why some people’s immune system reacts this way. However, allergic rhinitis often runs in families, so genetics is believed to play a role.

In most cases, allergic rhinitis doesn’t cause any serious complications, though the symptoms can be extremely frustrating and inconvenient. In rare cases, allergic rhinitis can lead to sinusitis or a middle-ear infection.

How does Nasonex work?

Unfortunately, allergic rhinitis cannot be cured, however, the symptoms can be effectively managed with treatments like Nasonex. The corticosteroid works by stopping the immune system’s inflammatory response to allergens. This prevents unwanted allergy symptoms from developing and helps to improve symptoms once you have already developed a reaction.

Alternative Treatments

There are some non-medicinal methods to help combat hay fever symptoms. Some of these may include:

• Wear wrap-around sunglasses
• Keep windows closed when it is a day with a high pollen count.
• Try to have a shower after a day almost straight away. This will remove any trapped pollen grains from your hair and or skin.

There is an extremely large range of OTC (over-the-counter) products you can purchase in any pharmacy, these vary from tablets to nasal sprays and also eye drops. These treatments include:

• Benacort Nasal Spray
• Pirinase Nasal Spray
• Cetirizine Tablets
• Loratadine Tablets

You should try these before moving on to a prescription-only medicine. For a full list of treatments please see our Advice for Hayfever page.

Sources

• Nasonex, Patient Information Leaflet: https://www.medicines.org.uk/e...
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/...

Nasonex warnings

Reading the following warnings carefully will help to ensure you are selecting an appropriate product.

Nasonex Nasal Spray is unsuitable for you if:

• You have injured your nose
• You have recently undergone an operation on your nose
• There is an untreated infection in your nose

Consult your GP if you:

• Have any infections
• Have ever had tuberculosis
• Are currently taking any other corticosteroid medicines
• Have cystic fibrosis

While using Nasonex, inform your GP if you:

• Develop an infection of the throat or nose
• Take the medicine for several months or more
• Struggle to fight a cold or other infections
• Develop persistent nasal irritation – this may be caused by the inactive ingredient benzalkonium chloride

Please read all packaging and the Patient Information Leaflet before taking any new medicine and inform your doctor of medicines you are taking or intend to take.

Nasonex directions

Adults and children over the age of 12 years: Use 2 sprays in each nostril once a day. You should notice your symptoms improving within 12 hours, though it will likely take a few days for Nasonex to reach its full effect.

1. Shake the bottle gently and remove the dust cap.
2. Gently blow your nose.
3. Close one nostril and put the nozzle into the other nostril as shown.
4. Tilt your head forward slightly, keeping the bottle upright.
5. Start to breathe in gently or slowly through your nose and whilst you are breathing in squirt a spray of fine mist into your nose by pressing down ONCE with your fingers.
6. Breathe out through your mouth. Repeat step 4 to inhale a second spray in the same nostril if applicable.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the other nostril

Nasonex ingredients

The active ingredient contained in Nasonex Nasal Spray is: Mometasone furoate (50 micrograms).

Nasonex Nasal Spray also contains the following inactive ingredients: Dispersible cellulose, glycerol, sodium citrate, citric acid monohydrate, polysorbate 80, benzalkonium chloride, purified water.

Nasonex side effects

Not everyone will experience side effects when they take Nasonex Nasal Spray. However, if you do, they can include:

• nosebleeds
• irritation in the nose or throat
• headache
• sneezing
• nose ulcers
• respiratory tract infection

If you are concerned about these effects, or if the product affects you in any other way, stop using it and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.