Mometasone furoate
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Novasone.
It does not contain all the available information.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Novasone against the benefits it is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What Novasone is used for
The name of your medicine is Novasone. It contains the active ingredient called mometasone furoate.
It is a type of cortisone and belongs to the group of medicines called corticosteroids. Novasone is classified as a high potency topical corticosteroid.
There are three forms of Novasone: cream, ointment and lotion.
Novasone is used on the skin to relieve the redness, swelling, itching and discomfort of many skin problems such as:
psoriasis
eczema
other types of dermatitis
Novasone Lotion is also used on the scalp and hairy parts of the body.
Your doctor, however, may have prescribed Novasone for another purpose.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Novasone has been prescribed for you.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Before you use Novasone
When you must not use it
Do not use Novasone if you have had an allergic reaction to:
mometasone furoate
any other corticosteroid
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Do not use Novasone if you have:
a viral skin infection (such as cold sores, shingles or chicken pox)
a fungal skin infection (such as thrush, tinea or ringworm)
tuberculosis of the skin
acne rosacea
inflammation around the mouth
skin conditions with ulcers
unless your doctor tells you.
Ask your doctor if you are unsure whether you have any of these conditions.
Do not use Novasone after the expiry date on the pack.
If you use it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not use Novasone if the packaging shows signs of tampering.
Before you start to use it
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergies to:
any other medicines
any other substances, such as foods, dyes or preservatives.
Tell your doctor if:
you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Your doctor will tell you if you can use Novasone during pregnancy or while you are breast feeding.
you have any other medical conditions, especially if you have an infection.
Using other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using other creams, ointments or lotions or taking any other medicines. This includes any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
How to use Novasone
How to use it
Apply a thin film of Novasone Cream or Ointment or a few drops of Novasone Lotion to the affected skin or scalp once daily. Massage gently until it disappears.
It is important to use Novasone exactly as your doctor has told you. If you use it less often than you should, it may not work as well and your skin problem may not improve. Using it more often than you should may not improve your skin problem any faster and may cause or increase side effects.
How long to use it
Do not use Novasone for more than four weeks at a time unless your doctor tells you.
If you forget to use it
If you forget to use Novasone, use it as soon as you remember and then go back to your normal time for applying Novasone. Do not try to make up for the amount you missed by using more than you would normally.
If you swallow it
Telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (Phone 13 11 26) or go to the accident and emergency centre at your nearest hospital immediately if you think that you or anyone else may have swallowed Novasone.
Keep the telephone numbers of these places handy.
While you are using Novasone
Things you must do
Tell all doctors and pharmacists who are treating you that you are using Novasone.
Tell your doctor if you feel that Novasone is not helping your condition or if your skin condition worsens or appears to be infected.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used Novasone exactly as prescribed.
Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.
Things you must not do
Do not use Novasone under dressings or on large areas of skin unless your doctor tells you.
Do not use plastic pants or tight fitting nappies if Novasone is to be used on the nappy area of young children.
Do not use Novasone in or near the eyes.
Do not give Novasone to anyone else even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Do not use Novasone to treat other conditions unless your doctor tells you.
Your doctor has prescribed Novasone specially for you and your condition. If you use it for another condition, it may not work or make the condition worse.
Things to be careful of
Do not use large amounts for a long time.
If you use large amounts for a long time, the chance of absorption through the skin and the chance of side effects increases.
Only use Novasone on skin areas that rub together such as under the arm or in the groin area if your doctor tells you.
Only use Novasone on the face if your doctor tells you.
If improvement does not occur within one week, tell your doctor.
Side Effects
Tell your doctor if you do not feel well while you are using Novasone.
Novasone helps most people with skin problems but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
Novasone is generally well tolerated. However, unwanted effects that have been reported by some people using Novasone include:
itching
burning
tingling/stinging
thinning of the skin
appearance of small blood vessels on the surface on the skin
stretch marks or streaks on the skin
acne/pimples/lumps on the skin/blisters containing pus
redness
boils/abscesses
dermatitis
increased size of affected area/worsening of disease
numbness
dry skin
inflamed hair roots
vision disturbances or blurred vision
Novasone may cause other side effects.
Side effects that may happen with oral or injectables corticosteroids may also occur with corticosteroids used on the skin, especially in infants and children.
If you have any other side effects, check with your doctor.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
After using Novasone
Storage
Keep Novasone in a cool dry place. Novasone Cream, Ointment and Lotion should be stored where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not refrigerate Novasone.
Do not leave it in the car or on window sills.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep Novasone where children cannot reach it. Keep the medicine away from pets.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop using Novasone or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that is left over.
Product Description
What it looks like
Novasone Cream is a white to off-white cream. It is packed in 15 g tubes.
Novasone Ointment is a white to off-white ointment. It is packed in 15 g tubes.
Novasone Lotion is a colourless to light yellow lotion. It is packed in 30 mL bottles.
Ingredients
Novasone Cream contains:
mometasone furoate 1 mg/g
soft white paraffin
hexylene glycol
aluminium starch octenylsuccinate
soy phosphatidylcholine - hydrogenated
white beeswax
purified water
titanium dioxide
phosphoric acid
Novasone Cream does not contain any preservatives.
Novasone Ointment contains:
mometasone furoate 1 mg/g
soft white paraffin
hexylene glycol
white beeswax
purified water
propylene glycol monostearate
phosphoric acid
Novasone Ointment does not contain any preservatives.
Novasone Lotion contains:
mometasone furoate 1 mg/g
isopropyl alcohol
propylene glycol
hydroxypropylcellulose
sodium phosphate monobasic dihydrate
phosphoric acid
purified water
Novasone Lotion does not contain any preservatives.
