mometasone
Mometasone furoate is a topical steroid medication that's applied onto the skin. It's used to treat certain conditions that involve red, itchy, or dry skin, such as eczema and psoriasis. It comes in different formulations for adults and children. The cream and ointment are for people 2 years and older. And the topical solution and lotion are for people 12 years and older. You apply the medication to the affected area(s) of skin once daily. Temporary side effects include burning and itching where you applied the medication.
What is Mometasone furoate?
What is Mometasone furoate used for?
How Mometasone furoate works
Mometasone furoate is a topical corticosteroid. When it’s used on the skin, it has two main actions:
- It blocks inflammatory chemicals that cause redness, itching, and swelling. This helps lower skin inflammation.
- It also slows down how fast new skin cells are made. This can help lessen the patches or scales from some skin problems (like psoriasis).
Drug facts
Side effects of Mometasone furoate
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Side effects aren't common. See other side effects.
Less Common Side Effects
- Burning
- Itching
- Skin thinning
- Tingling or stinging sensation
- Acne-like bumps
- Skin irritation
- Dry skin
- Loose skin (loss of skin elasticity)
Mometasone furoate serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Topical steroid withdrawal: skin redness; itchy skin; burning skin; swelling skin; sensitivity to water, clothing, movement, and temperature; tiredness; trouble sleeping
The following Mometasone furoate side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Burning
thinning of the skin with easy bruising, especially when used on the face or where the skin folds together (eg, between the fingers)
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
burning, itching, and pain in hairy areas, or pus at the root of the hair
loss of elasticity
loss of normal skin markings
raised, dark red, and wart-like spots on the skin, especially when used on the face
shininess
Incidence not known
Burning and itching of the skin with pinhead-sized red blisters
increased hair growth on the forehead, back, arms, and legs
lightening of normal skin color
lightening of treated areas of dark skin
reddish purple lines on the arms, face, legs, trunk, or groin
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Mometasone furoate
Pros
- Many formulations to choose from, such as ointment, cream, and solution
- Safe to use on children of certain ages (depends on formulation)
- Only applied once a day
Cons
- Not safe to use on sensitive areas, like the face, armpits, or groin
- Should only use for short periods of time to lower the risk of skin thinning
- Risk of topical steroid withdrawal after regularly using for a long time
Pharmacist tips for Mometasone furoate
- Ask your prescriber how long you should use mometasone furoate. They'll usually tell you to stop using it when your skin condition gets under control. Using this medication for too long can put you at risk of side effects, like thin skin or more sensitive skin.
- If you don't see your skin get better after using mometasone furoate for 2 weeks, let your prescriber know. They might consider other treatment options for you.
- Only use mometasone furoate on skin that's not broken. Don't put it on wounds or damaged skin. More medication can get absorbed into the body through broken skin. This can cause more side effects.
- Don't put mometasone furoate in your mouth, eyes, nose, or ears. Also don't insert this medication into your vagina or rectum.
- Wash your hands after using mometasone furoate. This helps lower the risk of getting the medication in your eye. If it does, rinse your eye with water and reach out to your care team if irritation doesn't go away.
- After applying mometasone furoate, don't cover the area with a tight bandage unless your prescriber says it's okay. Covering the area tightly can make more medication get absorbed through the skin. This can make it more likely to have more side effects.
- For young children, avoiding putting mometasone furoate in the diaper area. Diapers can be considered tight wrapping and could lead to more side effects.
- You might feel some stinging or burning after using mometasone furoate. It should go away in a short while. But if it bothers you, doesn't get better, or gets worse, let your care team know. Also tell them if you notice a rash or if your skin condition gets worse. You might need to get your skin checked to see what's going on.
- Don't use another topical steroid with mometasone furoate without checking with your prescriber first. Using more than one topical steroid at the same time can raise your risk of side effects. This can include thin skin or more serious hormone-related problems.
- If you've been using mometasone furoate for a few weeks and need to stop, check in with your prescriber. They might ask you to lower how much and how often you apply slowly over time before you stop. This can help lower your risk of topical steroid withdrawal.
Common questions about Mometasone furoate
It's possible for mometasone furoate to make your skin lighter. It's usually more visible if you have darker skin tone, but it can happen in all skin types. It also might be more likely to happen if you cover the treated area with tight bandages. If you notice changes in your skin color and it worries you, reach out to your care team. Your skin color should go back to normal after you stop using mometasone furoate.
Yes, mometasone furoate is a steroid medication. It's applied onto the skin to reduce inflammation. This helps relieve redness, itching, and swelling on the skin.
No, don't use mometasone furoate on your face unless your prescriber said it's okay. The skin on your face is quite sensitive. So, your face might get irritated more easily if you put this medication there. It also might be more uncomfortable if you have a burning or stinging feeling after applying. Other side effects can include skin redness and acne. If you need to treat the skin on your face, ask your prescriber about safer options.
No, mometasone furoate isn't the same as hydrocortisone. Both are topical steroids used on the skin to help with itching and swelling. Mometasone furoate is usually a stronger steroid than hydrocortisone. And, you need a prescription for mometasone furoate. Some forms of topical hydrocortisone also need a prescription, but lower strengths are available at the pharmacy without one. Talk to a healthcare professional to compare and see which option is best for you.
No, don't use mometasone furoate in yours ears. The skin in and around your ears is sensitive and could get irritated if you put medication there. This medication comes in different formulations, like an ointment and topical solution. But they're not meant to be used in the ears.
No, you can't buy mometasone furoate over the counter. You'll need a prescription from a healthcare professional to get it from the pharmacy.
You shouldn't use mometasone furoate if it's expired. Using expired medications can lead to side effects and they might not work as well anymore. If you have expired mometasone furoate, throw it away and call your healthcare professional for a refill.
No, don't use mometasone furoate to treat a yeast infection. Mometasone furoate is a steroid, not an antifungal medication. Topical steroids might help relieve itching and inflammation that comes with a skin yeast infection. But it doesn't help get rid of the yeast itself. If you have a yeast infection, ask a healthcare professional for treatment options.
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Risks and warnings for Mometasone furoate
Mometasone furoate can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
More side effects with longer use and coverings
- Risk factors: Regularly using mometasone furoate over a longer period of time | Covering the treated area with a tight bandage
Using mometasone furoate longer than prescribed can raise your risk of more skin reactions. Your risk is also higher if you put a tight bandage over the area where you used the medication.
These skin reactions can include irritation, dry skin, skin thinning, and allergic rash. It can also include stretch marks, changes in skin color, and inflamed hair follicles.
To help prevent these skin reactions, use the lowest dose and smallest amount of mometasone furoate needed for the shortest time possible. If you notice any new or worsening skin problems, tell your care team.
Changes in stress hormone levels
- Risk factors: Applying mometasone furoate regularly for a long time | Applying too much mometasone furoate on your skin | Applying mometasone furoate to large areas of the body | Covering the treated area with a tight bandage | Applying onto damaged skin | Liver problems | Younger age
Using topical steroids like mometasone furoate can sometimes change your body's stress hormone levels. This is more likely to happen if you use the medication regularly for a long time. It's also more likely if you apply it over larger areas of skin or cover the treated skin with tight bandages.
Sometimes, your stress hormone levels could get too high in these situations. This could cause symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and high blood sugar.
To stay safe, you'll use the lowest possible dose of mometasone furoate for the shortest time needed. Don't use the medication for more than 2 weeks at a time unless your prescriber told you to.
Topical steroid withdrawal
Topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is possible with mometasone furoate. This can happen if you stop using the medication suddenly after regular use. Some symptoms of TSW include itchy, burning, or flaky skin. You might also become sensitive to water, clothing, movement, and temperature.
If this happens, talk to your prescriber. They can suggest ways to help with this problem. Don't suddenly stop using mometasone furoate without talking to your prescriber first.
Higher risk of cataracts and glaucoma
Mometasone furoate can put you at risk of cataracts and glaucoma. Be careful not to get the medication into your eyes to help lower this risk. Avoid applying mometasone furoate near your eyes.
Let your prescriber know if you have any eye conditions. Tell your care team and eye specialist if you have any blurry vision, eye pain, or halos around lights. They can check to see if your eyes are okay.
Worsening of skin infections
Tell your care team if you get a skin infection while using mometasone furoate. Watch out for signs of a skin infection, like redness, pain, swelling, or pus.
Topical steroids can sometimes make skin infections worse or take longer to heal. So, it's important to treat the infection with the right medication, like an antifungal or antibacterial. If the infection doesn't get better with treatment, tell your care team. You might have to stop using mometasone furoate until the infection goes away.
Allergic skin reaction
Skin irritation that doesn't go away can be an early sign of an allergic skin reaction to mometasone furoate. Tell your prescriber if your skin condition doesn't get better or worsens. They can check to see what's happening and figure out if you need a different medication.
More on Mometasone furoate warnings
Mometasone furoate dosage
Typical dosage for Mometasone furoate
-
Mometasone furoate cream or ointment
- Adults and children 2 years and older: Apply a small amount to the affected area(s) of skin once daily. Cover the area with a thin layer of medication.
-
Mometasone furoate topical solution or lotion
- Adults and children 12 years and older: Apply a few drops to the affected area(s) of skin once daily. Gently massage the medication in until it disappears.
Interactions between Mometasone furoate and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
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