Qvar

Qvar is a prescription medication used to treat asthma in patients 5 years of age and older.

Qvar belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids. These work by preventing your body from making chemicals that cause inflammation and airway narrowing.

This medication comes in an aerosol inhaler form and is typically taken twice daily. 

Common side effects of Qvar include headache, upper respiratory tract infection, and throat irritation.

Qvar is a prescription medication used to treat asthma in patients 5 years of age and older. 

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes airway inflammation and difficulty breathing.

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

• TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

Side effects have been reported with Qvar. See the 'Qvar Precautions' section for more information.

Common side effects of Qvar include the following:

• Headache
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Throat irritation
• Stuffy nose
• Pain
• Nausea

This is not a complete list of Qvar side effects. Ask your physician or pharmacist for more information.

Inform your physician about side effects that do not go away or if you have any side effects that bother you.

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

No drug interactions have been identified by the manufacturer. However, you should inform your physician about all of the medications you take including all prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being discovered and reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Qvar including the following:

• Fungal infections (thrush) in your mouth and throat. Tell your doctor if you have any redness or white-colored coating in your mouth
• Decreased adrenal function (adrenal insufficiency). Symptoms of decreased adrenal function include tiredness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure
• Allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Call your doctor and stop Qvar right away if you have any symptoms of an allergic reaction including swelling of the face, throat and tongue, hives, rash, and/or breathing problems
• Decreased ability to fight infections. Symptoms of infection may include: fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea and vomiting. Tell your doctor about any signs of infection while you use Qvar
• Slow growth in children. The growth of children using Qvar should be checked regularly
• Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. Tell your doctor about any vision changes while using Qvar. Your doctor may tell you to have your eyes checked
• Increased wheezing (bronchospasm). Increased wheezing can happen right away after using Qvar. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
• Low bone mineral density. This may be a problem for people who already have a higher chance of low bone density (osteoporosis) 

Do not take Qvar if you are allergic to Qvar or to any of its ingredients

Qvar is not to be used for immediate relief of an asthma attack. It will not help in the event of an asthma attack.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Qvar, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before using Qvar, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• Are allergic to Qvar or to any of its ingredients
• Have been recently exposed to measles or chickenpox
• Take any other corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone
• Have any conditions affecting your immune system such as HIV/AIDS
• Have an infection
• Have a history of glaucoma or cataracts
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

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.

Qvar falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

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

Drugs in the same class as Qvar are secreted in human milk. Because of the potential for serious harm in nursing infants from QVAR, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Use Qvar exactly as prescribed.

Qvar comes in an aerosol inhaler form and typically is taken twice a day. It may take up to 2 weeks for Qvar to reach its full effectiveness.

Patients should be instructed on the proper use of their inhaler. Ask your doctor and/or pharmacist on the proper use of Qvar inhaler.

Make sure to rinse your mouth after using Qvar. 

If you miss a dose by several hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Qvar at the same time.

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

The dose your physician recommends may be based on the following:

• The condition being treated
• Other medical conditions you have
• Other medications you are taking
• Previous treatment
• How you respond to this medication
• Your age

Adults and Adolescents: The recommended dose range of Qvar is 40 to 320 mcg taken twice daily, and will depend on previous treatments.

Children 5 to 11 years: The recommended dose range of Qvar is 40 to 80 mcg taken twice daily, and will depend on previous treatments.

If you take too much Qvar, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Qvar is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Qvar at 25°C (77°F).
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.