ELOCON OINTMENT :Alternate Name:Mometasone Furuoate If you require a prescription, please visit our online doctor
Elocon Ointment
Therapeutic indications
Elocon Cream and Ointment are indicated for the treatment of inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of psoriasis (excluding widespread plaque psoriasis) and atopic dermatitis.
Posology and method of administration
Adults, including elderly patients and Children : A thin film of Elocon Cream or Ointment should be applied to the affected areas of skin once daily.
Use of topical corticosteroids in children or on the face should be limited to the least amount compatible with an effective therapeutic regimen and duration of treatment should be no more than 5 days
Contraindications
Elocon is contraindicated in facial rosacea, acne vulgaris, perioral dermatitis, perianal and genital pruritis, napkin eruptions, bacterial (e.g. impetigo), viral (e.g. herpes simplex, herpes zoster and chickenpox) and fungal (e.g. candida or dermatophyte) infections, varicella, tuberculosis, syphilis or post-vaccine reactions. Elocon should not be used in patients who are sensitive to mometasone furoate or to other corticosteroids.
Special warnings and precautions for use
If irritation or sensitisation develop with the use of Elocon, treatment should be withdrawn and appropriate therapy instituted.
Should an infection develop, use of an appropriate antifungal or antibacterial agent should be instituted. If a favourable response does not occur promptly, the corticosteroid should be discontinued until the infection is adequately controlled.
Local and systemic toxicity is common especially following long continued use on large areas of damaged skin, in flexures and with polythene occlusion. If used in childhood, or on the face, courses should be limited to 5 days and occlusion should not be used. Long term continuous therapy should be avoided in all patients irrespective of age.
Topical steroids may be hazardous in psoriasis for a number of reasons including rebound relapses following development of tolerance, risk of centralised pustular psoriasis and development of local or systemic toxicity due to impaired barrier function of the skin. If used in psoriasis careful patient supervision is important.
Elocon Cream and Ointment contain propylene glycol which may cause skin irritation.
Elocon Cream contains stearyl alcohol which may cause local skin reactions (e,g contact dermatitis.
Elocon topical preparations are not for ophthalmic use.
Pregnancy and lactation
There is inadequate evidence of safety in human pregnancy. Topical administration of corticosteroids to pregnant animals can cause abnormalities of foetal development including cleft palate and intra-uterine growth retardation. There may therefore be a very small risk of such effects in the human foetus.
It is not known whether topical administration of corticosteroids could result in sufficient systemic absorption to produce detectable quantities in breast milk. Elocon should be administered to nursing mothers only after careful consideration of the benefit/risk relationship.
Undesirable effects
Local side effects reported with Elocon include pruritis, tingling, stinging, application site reactions, bacterial infection, folliculitis, furanculosis, acneiform reactions and signs of skin atrophy.
Additional local side effects reported infrequently with other topical corticosteroids include: burning, irritation, dryness, hypertrichosis, hypopigmentiation, perioral dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, maceration of the skin, secondary infection, striae and miliaria.
Paediatric patients may demonstrate greater susceptibility to topical corticosteroid-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression and Cushing's syndrome than mature patients because of a larger skin surface area to body weight ratio.
Chronic corticosteroids therapy may interfere with the growth and development of children
