Also indexed as: AeroBid Inhaled, Azmacort Inhaled,
Beclomethasone Inhaled, Beclovent Inhaled, Beconase AQ Inhaled, Beconase Inhaled, Budesonide
Inhaled, Cutivate Inhaled, Decadron Phosphate Turbinaire or Respihaler, Dexamethasone Inhaled,
Flonase Inhaled, Flovent Inhaled, Flunisolide Inhaled, Fluticasone Inhaled, Levalbuterol
Inhaled, Mometasone Inhaled, Nasacort AQ Inhaled, Nasacort Inhaled, Nasalide Inhaled, Nasonex
Inhaled, Proventil Inhaled, Pulmicort Inhaled, Rhinocort Inhaled, Triamcinolone Inhaled,
Vancenase AQ Inhaled, Vancenase Inhaled, Vanceril Inhaled, Ventolin Inhaled, Volmax Inhaled,
Xopenex
Corticosteroids are inhaled by mouth to treat and prevent asthma, as well as other inflammatory conditions of
the lungs that restrict breathing. They are inhaled into the nose to treat and prevent
symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. In addition, some agents may be used to
prevent recurrence of nasal polyps following surgical removal.
The information in this article pertains to inhaled corticosteroids in general. The
interactions reported here may not apply to all the Also Indexed As terms. Talk to your doctor
or pharmacist if you are taking any of these drugs.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 May Be Beneficial: Depletion or
interference—The medication may deplete or interfere with the absorption or
function of the nutrient. Taking these nutrients may help replenish them. |
Calcium
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)*
|
| Side effect reduction/prevention |
None known
|
| Supportive interaction |
None known
|
| Reduced drug
absorption/bioavailability |
None known
|
| Adverse interaction |
None known
|
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the
interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific
evidence.
Interactions with Dietary Supplements
Calcium
Most of an inhaled dose of beclomethasone is actually swallowed, which may lead to reduced
absorption of calcium.1 Health practitioners may recommend calcium supplementation
to individuals using beclomethasone inhalers.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
A group of women with asthma who had been
taking inhaled beclomethasone were shown to have low levels of DHEA compared to women with
asthma who were not taking beclomethasone.2 The authors speculated that this effect
may partially explain how corticosteroids can cause osteoporosis. However, more research is needed to
confirm these suspicions and to evaluate whether supplemental DHEA is beneficial to patients
taking inhaled corticosteroids.
References:1. Smith BJ, Phillips PJ, Pannall PR. Effect of orally administered
beclomethasone dipropionate on calcium absorption from the gut in normal subjects.
Thorax 1993;48:890–3.
2. Smith BJ, Buxton JR, Dickeson J, Heller RF. Does beclomethasone
dipropionate suppress dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in postmenopausal women? Austral NZ
J Med 1994;24:396–401.