Rhinocort Aqua

Rhinocort Aqua is a prescription medication is used to treat seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms. Rhinocort Aqua belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids which help to decrease inflammation to relieve symptoms.

This medication comes in a nasal spray. It is typically used once per day, one to four sprays per nostril. 

Common side effects of Rhinocort Aqua include nose bleeds, sore throat, and cough. 

Rhinocort Aqua is a prescription medication is used to treat seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms such as stuffy and runny nose.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

Starting dosage: 

• Adult and children 6 years of age and older: 64 mcg (one spray per nostril) once daily. 

Maximum dosages: 

• Adults 12 years of age and older: 256 mcg (four sprays per nostril) once daily. 
• Pediatric patients (6 to <12 years of age): 128 mcg (two sprays per nostril) once daily. 

Serious side effects of Rhinocort Aqua have been reported including the following:

• damaged cartilage inside the nose (nasal septal perforation). Tell your healthcare provider if you have a whistling sound from your nose when you breathe.

• slow wound healing. You should not use Rhinocort Aqua until your nose has healed if you have a sore in your nose, if you have had surgery on your nose, or if your nose has been injured.
• fungal infection in your nose.
• allergic reactions. Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have skin rash, redness or swelling, severe itching, and swelling of the face, mouth and tongue.
• immune system problems that may increase your risk of infections. You are more likely to get infections if you take medicines that weaken your body’s ability to fight infections. Avoid contact with people who have contagious diseases such as chicken pox or measles while using Rhinocort Aqua. Symptoms of infection may include fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea and vomiting.
• adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough steroid hormones. Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include tiredness, weakness, nausea, vomiting and low blood pressure.
• slowed or delayed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using Rhinocort Aqua.
• eye problems, such as glaucoma and cataracts. Tell your healthcare provider if you have a change in vision or have a history of increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and/or cataracts.

Do not use Rhinocort Aqua if you are allergic to Rhinocort Aqua or any of its ingredients. 

Serious side effects have been reported with Rhinocort Aqua. See the “Drug Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Rhinocort Aqua include:

• nosebleeds
• sore throat
• breathing difficulties such as wheezing, or chest tightening
• coughing
• nasal irritation

Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all of the side effects of Rhinocort Aqua. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using Rhinocort Aqua with certain other medicines may affect each other causing side effects.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

• corticosteroid medicines
• anti-seizure medicine (anticonvulsants)
• medicines that suppress your immune system (immunosuppressant)
• ketoconazale (Nizoral)
• ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra)
• atazanavir (Reyataz)
• clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• indinavir (Crixivan)
• itraconazole (Sporanox, Onmel)
• nefazodone
• nelfinavir (Viracept)
• saquinavir (Invirase)
• telithromycin (Ketek)

This is not a complete list of Rhinocort Aqua drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category B. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given Rhinocort Aqua, and some babies had problems. But in human studies, pregnant women were given this medication and their babies did not have any problems related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 

The active ingredient in Rhinocort Aqua is excreted in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Rhinocort Aqua, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Rhinocort Aqua is not intended for rapid relief of asthma attacks.

Albuterol, or a similar bronchodilator used for rapid relief of breathing difficulties, may be used several minutes before Rhinocort Aqua to help get Rhinocort Aqua into the deeper parts of your lungs.

Rhinocort Aqua and other inhaled steroids can cause glaucoma or cataracts. 

Rinse your mouth with water and spit the water out after each dose of Rhinocort Aqua. Do not swallow the water. This will lessen the chance of getting a fungal infection (thrush) in the mouth.