Flovent Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with
Flovent® HFA (
fluticasone HFA); however, not everyone who takes Flovent will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate Flovent well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
This article uses the names "Flovent" and "Flovent HFA" interchangeably to refer to Flovent HFA.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Flovent. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Flovent side effects with you.)
Common Flovent Side Effects
Flovent has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common Flovent side effects included:
- Upper respiratory tract infections (similar to the common cold) -- in up to 18 percent of people
- Headaches -- up to 11 percent
- Throat irritation -- up to 10 percent
- Sinus infections -- up to 7 percent
- Hoarseness or voice changes -- up to 6 percent
- Cough -- up to 6 percent
- Bronchitis -- up to 6 percent
- Upper respiratory inflammation -- up to 5 percent
- Thrush -- up to 5 percent.