Avamys Nasal Spray

What is Avamys Nasal Spray?

Avamys is a nasal spray which belongs to a group of medicines known as corticosteroids. Corticosteroids help to reduce inflammation in the body caused by a number of conditions.

It is a treatment for allergic rhinitis.

You must have a prescription to buy Avamys nasal spray.

What is Avamys used to treat?

Avamys nasal spray works to relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, which can include watery, itchy or red eyes, sneezing, or a stuffy, itchy or runny nose.

You can suffer from allergy symptoms at any time of year. They can be caused by a number of factors including animal fur, pollen from grass and trees and household dust or mites. This results in allergic rhinitis (nasal swelling from your allergies).

Avamys nasal spray contains the active ingredient fluticasone furoate, which is a corticosteroid that works very effectively as an anti-inflammatory. It reduces the swelling that comes with allergic reactions in the nose, especially hay fever.

Why is Avamys recommended for allergic rhinitis?

Research has shown Avamy's active ingredient, fluticasone furoate, to be fast-acting and effective at relieving the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, it has been shown to be well tolerated by adults and children.

The nasal spray should start to reduce your symptoms within 8 hours of using it. It should have taken full effect after you have been using it for a few days.

How does Avamys work?

Fluticasone furoate is a corticosteroid medicine, it reduces inflammation caused by allergens in your body.

When you suffer from hay fever, your nasal passage can become inflamed and close up. Furthermore, you may also experience an increased production of mucus, making it harder to breathe properly. Corticosteroids work to relieve inflammation, so when you use this nasal spray, the medicine will reduce swelling of the nasal passage.

By reducing the swelling, you should find that other symptoms, such as sneezing and a runny nose, should also improve.

Who can use Avamys nasal spray?

Avamys nasal spray is not suitable for everyone to use.

Do not use Avamys nasal spray if you are allergic to fluticasone furoate or any of the other ingredients contained in this product (please refer to the Ingredients tab for full details).

This product is not suitable for children who are under 6 years of age.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines or if you have ever suffered with glaucoma or cataracts.

This information is not exhaustive. You should always read the patient information leaflet, which will come with your medicine, for a complete list of warnings.

Can you buy Avamys nasal spray over the counter?

You cannot buy Avamys over the counter. It is only available on prescription.

Can you buy Avamys nasal spray online in the UK?

Yes, you are able to buy Avamys online from Medicine Direct. However, to ensure this medication is right for you, you will need to fill out our online consultation questionnaire. This confidential questionnaire will be reviewed by one of our certified prescribers, who will assess the condition and determine whether this is a suitable medicine for you to use.

Next day delivery is available on orders placed by 2pm.

Medicine Direct is a fully regulated UK pharmacy. You should never buy medicine online from anywhere other than regulated pharmacies. This ensures you are ordering approved, genuine and safe medication.

Avamys nasal spray alternatives

While there is no cure for allergic rhinitis, there are many medicines for controlling the symptoms.

Antihistamines such as Loratadine or Levocetirizine can also be ordered from our online pharmacy after an online consultation. These medicines work to stop the production of a chemical called histamine, which triggers allergy symptoms to flare up. There are many different antihistamine medicines available from Medicine Direct. They also come in the form of tablets, liquids or nasal sprays.

Flixonase and Dymista nasal sprays are other treatment options that are closely related to Avamys and contain a very similar active ingredient, Fluticasone Furoate.

Corticosteroid nasal sprays like Flixonase or Beclometasone can be used to relieve inflammation in the nose, which is often a symptom of allergic rhinitis. These nasal sprays make it easier to breathe by reducing inflammation and mucus production.

Avamys Nasal Spray Dosage and Directions

Our pharmacists and prescribers follow NICE guidelines when prescribing Avamys nasal spray. 

Use this product at the same time each day.

Do not exceed the recommended dose.

Avamys nasal sprays have almost no taste or smell whatsoever. It sprays into the nose as a fine mist.

Do not get the spray into your eyes. If you do get it in your eyes, rinse them immediately with water.

Adults and children aged 12 and over:

• The normal starting dose is two sprays in each nostril once a day.
• Once your symptoms are under control, this may be reduced to one spray in each nostril once a day.

Children aged 6 to 11 years old:

• The normal starting dose is one spray in each nostril once a day.
• If the symptoms are severe, a doctor may increase this to two sprays in each nostril once a day. Once the symptoms are under control, this dose may be lowered again.

How to use Avamys nasal spray

Read the patient information leaflet for comprehensive instructions.

1. Blow your nose gently to remove as much mucus as possible.
2. Shake the bottle well.
3. Tilt your head forward slightly and place the nozzle inside one of your nostrils.
4. Aiming away from the middle of your nostril, squeeze firmly while breathing in through your nose.
5. Repeat this process with your other nostril.

Avamys Side Effects

Common side effects

A very common side effect of using Avamys nasal spray is nosebleeds, particularly if you have been using Avamys continuously for longer than 6 weeks.

Other common side effects include:

• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Nasal ulceration, which may cause discomfort or irritation in your nasal passages. You may also have streaks of blood when you blow your nose.

Uncommon side effects 

Uncommon adverse effects may include pain, irritation, soreness or dryness of your nasal passages.

Very rare side effects of this medicine may affect up to 1 in every 10,000 people who use it and include:

• Small holes in the ridge inside your nose

Below is a list of side effects with unknown frequencies:

• Slowing of growth in children
• Blurred vision or temporary vision changes
• Chest tightness, causing breathing difficulties

Always read the patient information leaflet for full information on side effects.

Warnings and drug interactions

Before you use Avamys spray, inform your doctor or pharmacy if you are currently taking (or have recently taken) any other form of medicine. This includes both prescription and non-prescription medication, herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements as some medicines can interact with Avamys nasal spray.

In particular, it is very important that you inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any of the following:

• The HIV treatments ritonavir or cobicistat
• Any steroid creams
• Any steroid tablets or injected steroids
• Ketoconazole, used to treat fungal infections
• Any medicines to treat asthma

Your doctor will assess whether it is suitable for you to use this nasal spray alongside any of the above medicines. Your doctor may choose to monitor you more closely than usual if you are using Avamys alongside any of these medicines, as this may increase your risk of side effects.

Avamys contains benzalkonium chloride, which may cause irritation of the nasal passages, particularly if you use Avamys for a long period of time. If you feel any discomfort while using nasal sprays, you should inform your doctor or pharmacist.

When taken for a long time, Avamys may cause children to grow more slowly than usual. Your doctor will prescribe the lowest possible dose for your child; they will also check your child's height at regular intervals.

Avamys may also cause eye conditions, such as glaucoma or cataracts. Speak to your doctor before using Avamys if you have had either of these conditions in the past, or if you start to experience blurred vision or other visual problems while taking Avamys.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Inhaled corticosteroids are unlikely to harm an unborn baby when taken exactly as prescribed. However we recommend notifying your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.

We recommend BUMPS for additional information.

Avamys Ingredients

The main active ingredient within this medicine is: Fluticasone furoate.

For a full list of the inactive ingredients, please read the Summary of Product Characteristics.