Side effects of fluticasone skin creams - Brand name: Cutivate

Common side effects

Fluticasone skin cream and ointment are unlikely to cause any side effects if you follow the instructions.

Some people get a burning or stinging feeling for a few minutes when they put fluticasone on their skin. This stops happening after you've been using it for a few days.

Speak to a doctor if your condition gets worse while you're using fluticasone, or comes back within 2 weeks of stopping treatment. Do not start using fluticasone again without speaking to a doctor.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects are rare. They happen to less than 1 in 10,000 people who use fluticasone skin cream or ointment. You're more likely to have a serious side effect if you use fluticasone on a large area of skin for a long time.

Using fluticasone for a long time can make your skin thinner or cause stretch marks. Stretch marks are likely to be permanent, but they usually fade over time.

Fluticasone cream contains cetostearyl alcohol, which may cause a skin reaction in the area you're treating.

If you get lighter or darker patches on your skin (this may be more difficult to see on brown or black skin), these are a sign of changes to the pigment in your skin. Speak to your doctor if this happens.

Call your doctor or call 111 and stop using fluticasone immediately if:

• your skin becomes redder or swollen, or yellow fluid is weeping from your skin – these are signs of a new skin infection or an existing one getting worse
• you're using fluticasone for psoriasis and you get raised bumps filled with pus under your skin
• you have a very upset stomach or you're being sick (vomiting), feel very dizzy or start to faint, get muscle weakness, feel very tired, have mood changes, loss of appetite and weight loss – these can be signs of adrenal gland problems
• you feel confused, sleepy, more thirsty or hungry than usual, pee more often, start breathing quickly or your breath smells of fruit – these can be signs of high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia)
• you have any new problems with your eyesight after starting to use fluticasone

Serious allergic reaction

It happens rarely but it is possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to fluticasone.

Long-term side effects

Using fluticasone skin cream for a long time without stopping can cause some of the medicine to get into your bloodstream. If this happens, there's a very small risk of it causing serious effects, such as adrenal gland problems, high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia), thinning of your skin, or problems with your eyesight.

If you've been using fluticasone skin cream for a long time, your doctor may tell you to gradually reduce the amount you use before stopping completely.

If you've been using fluticasone cream for a long time, you may have a skin reaction within a few days or weeks after stopping treatment (topical steroid withdrawal reaction). You might have a burning feeling and redness, although this may be more difficult to see on brown or black skin. If this happens, ask your doctor for advice.

Children and teenagers

In very rare cases, using fluticasone for a long time can slow the normal growth of children and teenagers.

Your child's doctor will monitor their height and weight carefully if they need to use this medicine often. This will help them to notice if your child's growth is being affected and they can change the treatment if needed.

Talk to your doctor if you're worried. They'll be able to explain the benefits and risks of your child using fluticasone.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of fluticasone skin cream or ointment. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.