Like all medicines, fluticasone nasal spray or drops can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
Common side effects
These common side effects of fluticasone nasal spray or drops can happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
An unpleasant taste or smell
Rinse your mouth with water or have a drink of water.
A dry or sore nose, or nosebleeds
Stop using your nasal spray for a few days, then start again. Speak to your doctor or a pharmacist if these side effects do not go away.
A dry or sore throat, or hoarse voice
Rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after you use your nasal spray or drops to help prevent this.
Headache
Try to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Talk to your doctor if the headache does not go away or is severe.
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects are rare. Less than 1 in 10,000 people have a serious side effect when using fluticasone nasal spray or drops.
Very little medicine is absorbed into the rest of your body, so it's not likely to give you serious side effects.
However, serious side effects are more likely if you use high doses of fluticasone for more than a few months.
Call your doctor or call 111 immediately if you get:
- problems with your breathing
- damage to your nose or sores inside your nose
- 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
If your doctor has prescribed high doses of fluticasone, or you're also taking other steroid medicines or tablets for fungal infections or HIV, you may get symptoms of underactive adrenal glands as a side effect. Ask your doctor if you need to carry a steroid emergency card.
Serious allergic reaction
It happens rarely, but it is possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to fluticasone nasal spray or drops.
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.
Other side effects
These are not all the side effects of fluticasone nasal spray or drops. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.