Administration Information
FLOVENT HFA should be administered by the orally inhaled route only. After inhalation, rinse mouth with water without swallowing to help reduce the risk of oropharyngeal candidiasis.
A valved holding chamber and mask may be used to deliver FLOVENT HFA to young patients.
Priming
Prime FLOVENT HFA before using for the first time by releasing 4 sprays into the air away from the face, shaking well for 5 seconds before each spray. In cases where the inhaler has not been used for more than 7 days or when it has been dropped, prime the inhaler again by shaking well for 5 seconds and releasing 1 spray into the air away from the face. Avoid spraying in eyes.
Recommended Dosage
Adult and Adolescent Patients Aged 12 Years and Older
The recommended starting dosage for patients aged 12 years and older who are not on an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS): 88 mcg (2 inhalations of 44 mcg fluticasone propionate) twice daily by oral inhalation, approximately 12 hours apart.
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- The maximum recommended dosage for patients aged 12 years and older is 880 mcg twice daily.
Pediatric Patients Aged 4 to 11 Years
The recommended dosage for patients aged 4 to 11 years: 88 mcg (2 inhalations of 44 mcg fluticasone propionate) twice daily by oral inhalation, approximately 12 hours apart.
General Dosing Recommendations
The starting dosage is based on previous asthma therapy and asthma severity, including consideration of patients’ current control of asthma symptoms and risk of future exacerbation.
If symptoms arise between doses, an inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist should be used for immediate relief.
Individual patients will experience a variable time to onset and degree of symptom relief. Maximum benefit may not be achieved for 1 to 2 weeks or longer after starting treatment.
For other patients, and for patients who do not respond adequately to the starting dosage after 2 weeks of therapy, higher dosages may provide additional asthma control.
If a dosage regimen fails to provide adequate control of asthma, the therapeutic regimen should be re-evaluated and additional therapeutic options, e.g., replacing the current strength with a higher strength, initiating an ICS and long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) combination product, or initiating oral corticosteroids, should be considered.
After asthma stability has been achieved, titrate to the lowest effective dosage to reduce the possibility of side effects.
