Like all medicines, beclometasone can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
When you take beclometasone through an inhaler, very little medicine gets into the rest of your body, so it's unlikely to give you side effects.
If you're on high doses of beclometasone, or you're also taking other steroid medicines or tablets for fungal infections or HIV, you may get underactive adrenal glands (adrenal insufficiency) as a side effect. Ask your doctor if you need to carry a steroid emergency card.
Your doctor or nurse will always aim to give you the lowest dose of steroid medicine to keep your symptoms controlled. You'll only be given higher doses if you need extra help to deal with your symptoms.
It's important to remember that inhaled steroid medicines are one of the best ways to treat asthma and COPD and reduce your risk of symptoms and asthma attacks.
Common side effects
These common side effects of beclometasone inhalers may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
Oral thrush
If you get oral thrush, a fungal infection that causes white patches, redness and soreness in your mouth, try rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth after using your inhaler to stop this happening.
You can also ask a pharmacist to recommend a suitable treatment such as an antifungal mouth gel. They may suggest that you see your doctor to discuss the best treatment.
Keep using your beclomethasone inhaler while using any antifungal treatment.
Dry or sore throat, or hoarse voice
Try rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth after using your inhaler to stop this happening.
Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor, nurse or a pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and these side effects bother you or do not go away. They can check that you're using your inhaler correctly.
Using a spacer with your beclometasone inhaler can also help to prevent side effects in your mouth.
Serious side effects
It's unusual to have any serious side effects when using a beclometasone inhaler.
Side effects are more likely if you're on a higher dose of beclometasone for a long time (more than a few months).
Speak to your GP if you get "moon face" (a puffy, rounded face), weight gain in the upper back or belly. This happens gradually and can be a sign of Cushing's syndrome.
Call your doctor or call 111 now if you get:
- high temperature, chills, a very sore throat, ear or sinus pain, a cough, coughing up more mucus (phlegm), a change in colour of your mucus, pain when you pee, mouth sores or a wound that will not heal – these can be signs of an infection
- a very upset stomach or you're being sick (vomiting), feeling very dizzy or passing out, muscle weakness, feeling very tired, mood changes, loss of appetite and weight loss – these can be signs of adrenal insufficiency
- changes in your eyesight, such as blurred vision or a cloudy lens in the eye – these can be signs of increased pressure in your eyes (glaucoma) or a cataract
Serious allergic reaction
In rare cases, beclometasone inhalers may cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
This is different to an asthma attack. If you or your child have asthma symptoms, such as wheezing or tightness in the chest or throat, use a reliever inhaler. If the symptoms do not improve or get worse, call 999 or go to A&E.
Immediate action required: Call 999 now if:
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
Children and teenagers
Using beclometasone inhalers at higher doses for a long time could possibly slow down the normal growth of children and teenagers. But the risk of this happening is very low, less than 1 in 10,000 people.
Talk to your doctor or asthma nurse if you're worried. They'll be able to explain the benefits and risks of giving your child beclometasone inhalers.
Your child's doctor or asthma nurse will monitor their height and weight on an annual basis for as long as they're taking this medicine. This will help them spot any slowing down of your child's growth and change their treatment if needed.
Even if your child's growth slows down, it does not seem to have much effect on their overall adult height.
Other side effects
These are not all the side effects of beclometasone inhalers. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.