• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is triamcinolone inhalation?
Triamcinolone is a steroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Triamcinolone inhalation is used to prevent asthma attacks. It will not treat an asthma attack that has already begun. Triamcinolone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Back to Top

What are the possible side effects of triamcinolone inhalation?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• weakness, tired feeling, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss;

• wheezing or breathing problems after using this medication;

• skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;

• pain or burning when you urinate;

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist);

• worsening asthma symptoms.

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain;

• joint or muscle pain;

• dryness in your mouth, nose, or throat;

• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;

• stuffy nose, sinus pain, sore throat, cough; or

• hoarseness or deepened voice.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Back to Top

How should I use triamcinolone inhalation?
Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Triamcinolone comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Do not use triamcinolone inhalation to treat an asthma attack that has already begun. It will not work fast enough to reverse your symptoms. Use another, faster-acting inhalation medication to treat an asthma attack.

Back to Top

What is the most important information I should know about triamcinolone inhalation?
Do not use triamcinolone inhalation to treat an asthma attack that has already begun. It will not work fast enough to reverse your symptoms. Use another, faster-acting inhalation medication to treat an asthma attack. Contact your doctor if your asthma symptoms do not improve after using triamcinolone inhalation for 2 weeks. Seek medical attention if you think any of your asthma medications are not working as well as usual. An increased need for medication could be an early sign of a serious asthma attack. Your dosage needs may also change if you have surgery, are ill, are under stress, or have recently had an asthma attack.

Back to Top

What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Back to Top

What other drugs will affect triamcinolone inhalation?
There may be other drugs that can interact with triamcinolone inhalation. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Back to Top

Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Triamcinolone has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed evidence of teratogenicity when corticosteroids are administered orally. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Triamcinolone should only be used during pregnancy when benefit outweighs the risk.

There are no data on the excretion of triamcinolone into human milk.

Back to Top

Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to triamcinolone or any ingredient in the formulation.
• Oral or parenteral administration in presence of systemic fungal infections. (See Increased Susceptibility to Infection under Cautions.)
• Concurrent administration of live virus vaccines in patients receiving immunosuppressive dosages of glucocorticoids (oral or parenteral formulations). (See Immunosuppression under Cautions.)
• IM administration for conditions prone to bleeding (e.g., ITP).
• Oral inhalation for primary treatment of severe acute asthmatic attacks or status asthmaticus when intensive measures are required.
• Epidural administration in patients with local or systemic infection; individuals with bleeding disorders or receiving concurrent anticoagulant therapy (e.g., warfarin, heparin, antiplatelet agents); patients with known hypersensitivity to local anesthetic agents, contrast agents, or glucocorticoids; and patients who experienced complications with prior glucocorticoid injections.

Back to Top

What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of triamcinolone inhalation is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.

Back to Top

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using triamcinolone inhalation?
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have been sick or had an infection of any kind (especially tuberculosis). You may not be able to use triamcinolone inhalation until you are well. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether triamcinolone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use triamcinolone inhalation without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Back to Top

Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

Back to Top

I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

Back to Top

Where can I get more information?
More Information

Back to Top