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Qvar
- A daily preventer inhaler for asthma. It calms your airways over time, so it will not help during an attack - keep your reliever inhaler with you
- For people already using Qvar for asthma - repeat supply only
- Three devices: the press-and-breathe Aerosol, the Autohaler and the Easi-Breathe. Order the one you already use
- Qvar's dose is not the same as other beclometasone inhalers, such as Clenil Modulite. Never swap one for the other without your prescriber
- Use it twice a day, every day, even when you feel well, and rinse your mouth with water afterwards
What it is for
Qvar is a preventer inhaler for asthma. You use it every day to stop symptoms like wheezing, coughing and a tight chest from building up. It can be prescribed for mild, moderate or severe asthma.
It contains beclometasone dipropionate, a corticosteroid. That is a type of steroid medicine that brings down swelling and irritation inside your airways. Teva makes it.
Next step: for people already using Qvar for asthma - repeat supply only. Start our health questions when you order. Your inhaler is only sent once a prescriber has checked your answers.
- Qvar will not help during a sudden asthma attack. Use your quick-acting reliever inhaler for that, and carry it with you at all times. Keep using Qvar every day as well.
Not the same dose as other beclometasone inhalers
- The dose of Qvar is not the same as the dose of other beclometasone inhalers, such as Clenil Modulite. Only your prescriber can switch you, and they will set a new dose. Never change inhalers, or the number of puffs, on your own.
Qvar sprays the medicine as very fine (extrafine) droplets. Because of this, your prescriber may give you a lower dose than you had from your old inhaler.
You may still take the same number of puffs as before. That can happen when each puff of Qvar holds less medicine than each puff of your old one. Follow the label on your Qvar, not the one from your last inhaler.
UK prescribers are advised to prescribe beclometasone inhalers like this by brand name. That way you get the same one each time.
Switching from a budesonide or fluticasone inhaler? Your prescriber will work out your Qvar dose from the one you use now.
Which Qvar inhaler is this?
Qvar comes in three devices. Each comes in 50 and 100 microgram strengths, and the medicine inside is the same. What differs is how you take a puff, and who each one is licensed for.
| Device | How you take a puff | Spacer |
|---|---|---|
| Qvar Aerosol | Press the canister as you breathe in | You can use an AeroChamber Plus spacer if pressing and breathing in at the same time is hard |
| Qvar Autohaler | Push a lever up, then breathe in. It puffs by itself | Not needed - it puffs as you breathe in |
| Qvar Easi-Breathe | Open the cap, then breathe in. It puffs by itself | Not needed - it puffs as you breathe in |
The Aerosol and Autohaler are licensed from age 5, and the Easi-Breathe for over-12s.
Order the device and strength you already use. If your prescription names one, order that one.
Is it right for you?
Do not use Qvar if you:
- are allergic to beclometasone dipropionate, or to the other ingredients (norflurane, ethanol)
- are allergic to other similar inhalers
- need help with a sudden attack of breathlessness. It will not help - use your reliever
Talk to our prescriber before you use it if you:
- have tuberculosis (TB) now, or have had it in the past
- must avoid alcohol for any reason - each puff has a small amount
- use another steroid inhaler now, especially another beclometasone inhaler
- take steroid tablets, or have taken high doses of a steroid inhaler for a long time
- take disulfiram, metronidazole, or the HIV medicines ritonavir or cobicistat
- are pregnant, might be, are planning a baby, or are breastfeeding
Your asthma may be getting worse if you are more wheezy or short of breath than usual. Other signs: your reliever does not work as well, you need more puffs of it, or your peak flow falls. Tell your doctor. You may need a higher dose, a course of steroid tablets, or a different treatment.
How it works
Qvar works deep in your lungs. Over time it brings down the swelling and irritation in your airways, which makes breathing easier.
That is why it is called a preventer. It only works if you use it regularly, every day, even when you have no symptoms.
How much to use
Use it twice a day. Your prescriber picks the strength and the number of puffs, and the dose is on your pharmacy label. Do not take more puffs than you have been told to.
Adults (including older adults) - all three devices:
| 50 microgram inhaler | 100 microgram inhaler | |
|---|---|---|
| Mild asthma | Start with 1 puff twice a day. This may go up to 2 puffs twice a day | Not used to start. Can be used for a higher dose of 1 puff twice a day |
| Moderate asthma | Start with 2 puffs twice a day. This may go up to 4 puffs twice a day | Start with 1 puff twice a day. This may go up to 2 puffs twice a day |
| Severe asthma | Start with 4 puffs twice a day. This may go up to 8 puffs twice a day | Start with 2 puffs twice a day. This may go up to 4 puffs twice a day |
| Most in a day | 16 puffs | 8 puffs |
Once your asthma is under control, your prescriber will bring the dose down to the lowest one that still keeps it that way.
Missed a dose? Take it as soon as you remember, unless your next one is nearly due. Never take a double dose to make up.
Taken too many puffs by mistake? Tell your doctor.
Do not stop using it suddenly, even when you feel well, unless your doctor tells you to. Order your next inhaler before this one runs out.
How to use your inhaler
Some steps are the same for every device:
- Qvar may feel softer and taste different from other inhalers you have used. That is expected.
- Test it first. If it is new, or you have not used it for two weeks or more, release two puffs into the air, away from you. How you do this depends on the device - see below.
- Rinse your mouth with water after each use. This makes a sore mouth, thrush and a hoarse voice less likely.
- Clean the mouthpiece once a week with a clean, dry tissue or cloth. Never wash it or put any part of it in water.
- It is empty when you can no longer feel or hear any spray when you take a puff.
Qvar Aerosol
There is no need to shake it, because the medicine is a solution.
- Take the cover off the mouthpiece. Check it is clean and there is nothing inside.
- Breathe out as far as is comfortable. Then put the mouthpiece in your mouth and close your lips around it.
- Start to breathe in slowly and deeply through your mouth. As you do, press down on the canister to release one puff. Keep breathing in after the puff comes out.
- Take the inhaler out of your mouth. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly. Do not breathe out into the inhaler.
- For a second puff, repeat steps 2 to 4. Put the cover back on afterwards.
To test it: take the cover off and press the canister twice, into the air.
Finding it hard to press and breathe in at the same time? A spacer helps. The spacer that fits the Qvar Aerosol is the AeroChamber Plus. Follow the instructions that come with the spacer. Your prescriber may suggest the Autohaler instead, which puffs as you breathe in.
Qvar Autohaler
The Autohaler releases a puff by itself when you breathe in. You do not press anything as you breathe.
- Take the cover off the mouthpiece by pulling down the lip at the back.
- Hold it upright. Push the lever up so that it stays up. Keep your hand clear of the air vent at the bottom.
- Breathe out as far as is comfortable. Then put the mouthpiece in your mouth and close your lips around it.
- Breathe in slowly and deeply. You will hear a slight click and feel the puff in your mouth. Do not stop - keep breathing in.
- Hold your breath for 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly.
- Push the lever back down after each puff. For a second puff, repeat steps 2 to 6. Put the cover back on afterwards.
To test it: take the cover off and point the mouthpiece away from you. Push the lever up. Then push the dose release slide on the bottom of the device, in the direction of its arrow. Put the lever down and do it once more. After the second puff, put the lever back down.
Only use the dose release slide for test puffs, never to take your medicine. Do not push a cloth or anything else into the Autohaler, and do not take it apart.
Qvar Easi-Breathe
The Easi-Breathe releases a puff only when you breathe in.
- Hold it upright and fold down the cap over the mouthpiece.
- Breathe out as far as you comfortably can. Hold the mouthpiece firmly between your lips, and keep your hand clear of the air holes.
- Breathe in slowly and deeply. Do not stop when it puffs into your mouth - carry on until you have taken a deep breath.
- Take it out of your mouth. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, or as long as is comfortable, then breathe out slowly.
- Hold it upright and close the cap straight away.
- Need a second puff? Wait about one minute with the cap closed, then start again from step 1.
To test it: unscrew the top so you can see the metal can inside. Open the cap and press the can with your finger or thumb to spray it into the air, twice. Then close the cap and put the top back on.
Steroid tablets and your steroid card
You may be moving from steroid tablets to this inhaler. If so, you may need to take both for a short time, as your doctor tells you. While the tablets are cut down, you may feel generally unwell even if your breathing is fine. Keep using the inhaler, and tell your doctor. Stopping the tablets can also make other allergies, like eczema or a runny nose, flare up.
If you have used high doses of a steroid inhaler for a long time, you may need steroid tablets, or an injection, at stressful times. Examples are a serious accident, an operation, a bad asthma attack or a chest infection. Your doctor will decide this.
Carry a steroid card with you at all times, until your doctor says you no longer need it. If you have to go into hospital, take all your inhalers and medicines with you.
Other medicines
Tell our prescriber about every medicine you take, including ones you buy without a prescription.
- Disulfiram or metronidazole: Qvar contains a small amount of alcohol, so tell your prescriber if you take either.
- Ritonavir or cobicistat, medicines for HIV, may increase the effects of Qvar. Your doctor may want to check on you more closely.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant, think you may be, are planning a baby or are breastfeeding, ask your doctor before you use it.
Driving
Qvar is not known to affect your ability to drive or use machines.
What it will not do
- It will not relieve a sudden asthma attack. That is what your reliever is for.
- It does not work straight away or when used now and then. It needs to be used every day.
- It is licensed for asthma only.
- It cannot be swapped puff for puff with another beclometasone inhaler.
- We do not start you on Qvar. If you have not used it before, talk to your GP or asthma nurse.
Looking for a different asthma treatment? See our asthma range.
Like all medicines, Qvar can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
- If you feel wheezy or tight-chested straight after a puff, do not take any more puffs. Use your reliever inhaler and contact your doctor at once. Signs of an allergic reaction are swelling of your lips, face, neck or throat that makes it hard to breathe, or a skin rash or hives. If you get one, stop using Qvar and tell your doctor at once, or go to A&E.
- wheezing or a tight chest straight after a puff (rare, may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- an allergic reaction, including swelling around your eyes, face, lips and throat (rare, may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- Qvar can affect how much natural steroid your body makes. Keep using your inhaler, but see your doctor as soon as you can if you feel unwell - especially with stomach pain, weakness or being sick. This matters most after another illness, an operation or an infection. Your doctor may take a blood test now and then to check.
Common - may affect up to 1 in 10 people:
- thrush (a fungal infection) in your mouth and throat - white spots and a sore mouth. Rinsing your mouth with water after each use makes this less likely
- a hoarse voice
- a sore throat (pharyngitis), sometimes with trouble swallowing, earache and swollen glands
- a change in taste
Uncommon - may affect up to 1 in 100 people:
- headache
- feeling dizzy, or a spinning feeling (vertigo)
- shaking (tremor)
- feeling sick
- blurred vision
- a cough, or your asthma symptoms getting worse
- hives, a rash, itching, red skin, or small purple spots on the skin (purpura)
Very rare - may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people:
- a rounded (moon) face and other signs of too much steroid (Cushing's syndrome)
- your body making less of its own steroid (adrenal suppression)
- children and teenagers growing more slowly
- thinning bones
- clouding of the lens of the eye (cataract), which blurs your vision
- high pressure in the eye (glaucoma), which can cause loss of sight
Not known - frequency cannot be estimated:
- sleeping problems, depression, feeling worried, restless, nervous, over-excited or irritable, aggression or other changes in behaviour. These are more likely in children
- blurred or distorted vision from fluid under the back of the eye (central serous retinopathy)
Side effects in the body, like slower growth, are more likely with high doses used for a long time. Contact your doctor if your vision blurs or changes.
You can report any side effect to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme. Or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
Can I start Qvar with you?
No. We only supply Qvar to people who are already using it. If you have not used it before, talk to your GP or asthma nurse about starting it.
Can I swap Qvar for Clenil Modulite or another beclometasone inhaler?
No, not on your own. Both contain beclometasone, but the dose of Qvar is not the same as the dose of other beclometasone inhalers. Your prescriber has to work out a new dose before you switch, in either direction. Order the brand on your prescription. For Clenil Modulite, see Clenil Modulite.
Which Qvar inhaler should I choose?
The one you already use, as named on your prescription. The Aerosol needs you to press the canister as you breathe in. The Autohaler and Easi-Breathe puff by themselves when you breathe in.
Do I need a spacer?
Only with the Qvar Aerosol. Use one if pressing and breathing in at the same time is hard for you. The spacer that fits is the AeroChamber Plus. The Autohaler and Easi-Breathe puff as you breathe in, so you do not need one.
Will Qvar help during an asthma attack?
No. It is a preventer, and it will not give quick relief. Use your reliever inhaler during an attack, and keep using Qvar every day.
Why does Qvar taste and feel different from my old inhaler?
Qvar has a softer feel and a different taste from many other inhalers. That is normal and does not mean it is faulty.
Does Qvar contain alcohol?
Yes, a small amount: 4.74 mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each puff. That is less than 1 ml of beer or wine, and it will not have any noticeable effects. Tell our prescriber if you must avoid alcohol, or take disulfiram or metronidazole.
Why do I need to rinse my mouth?
Some of the medicine lands in your mouth and throat. Rinsing with water after each use makes thrush and a hoarse voice less likely.
Why might I need a steroid card?
You may have come off steroid tablets, or used high doses of a steroid inhaler for a long time. If so, your body may not make enough of its own steroid during an illness, an injury or an operation. The card tells any doctor treating you that you may need extra steroid. Carry it with you until your doctor says you no longer need it.
How do I know when my inhaler is empty?
When you take a puff and can no longer feel or hear any spray. Order your next one before it runs out, so you do not miss a dose.
Ingredients
Active ingredient: beclometasone dipropionate - 50 micrograms or 100 micrograms in each puff.
Other ingredients: norflurane (propellant HFA-134a) and ethanol (alcohol). The propellant contains no CFCs. This medicine contains fluorinated greenhouse gases.
Each puff contains 4.74 mg of alcohol.
Storage
- Keep it out of the sight and reach of children.
- Do not store above 25°C. Keep it out of direct sunlight and heat, and protect it from frost. You can still use it at temperatures as low as -10°C.
- The canister is under pressure. Do not pierce it or burn it, even when it seems empty, and do not let it get hotter than 50°C.
- Do not use it after the expiry date on the pack.
- Do not throw medicines away in wastewater or household rubbish. Return an inhaler you no longer need to your doctor or pharmacist.
Leaflets
Read the leaflet in the pack before you use your inhaler for the first time. Each device has its own leaflet, which covers both strengths, and all three are linked below. The leaflet for your device is the one that applies.
Related
- Clenil Modulite - another beclometasone preventer inhaler, with a different dose
- Fostair - an inhaler that combines beclometasone with formoterol
- Ventolin and Salbutamol - reliever inhalers
- Asthma - our full range
Sources
The facts on this page come from these documents:
- Qvar Aerosol (Teva UK Limited), Summary of Product Characteristics on emc: 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms - revised 26 November 2025
- Qvar Aerosol patient information leaflet (emc) - both strengths, revised February 2026
- Qvar Autohaler (Teva UK Limited), Summary of Product Characteristics on emc: 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms - revised 24 October 2025
- Qvar Autohaler patient information leaflet (emc) - both strengths, revised February 2026
- Qvar Easi-Breathe (Teva UK Limited), Summary of Product Characteristics on emc: 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms - revised 27 October 2025
- Qvar Easi-Breathe patient information leaflet (emc) - both strengths, revised February 2026
- MHRA Drug Safety Update: inhaled medicines containing corticosteroid - July 2008, advice to prescribe beclometasone inhalers by brand name
- MHRA Yellow Card scheme - how to report a side effect
The leaflet inside your pack is the one that applies to your inhaler. Last checked against these sources: 14 October 2026.
