Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
Quick facts
- How it is given
- topical
- Type
- human prescription drug
- RxNorm ID
- 311753
We do not publish dosing. How much of this medicine to take, how often, and for how long depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other conditions and other medicines. That is a decision for the person who prescribes or dispenses it. Follow the directions on your own pack and ask your pharmacist if anything is unclear.
What it is used to treat
Mometasone furoate cream, 0.1% is a corticosteroid indicated for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses in patients 2 years of age or older. Mometasone furoate cream, 0.1% is a corticosteroid indicated for the relief of the inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of corticosteroid-responsive dermatoses in patients ≥ 2 years of age. ( 1 )
About this medicine
Mometasone Furoate Cream USP, 0.1% contains mometasone furoate, USP for topical use. Mometasone furoate, USP is a synthetic corticosteroid with anti-inflammatory activity. Chemically, mometasone furoate, USP is 9α,21-dichloro-11β,17-dihydroxy-16α-methylpregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione 17-(2-furoate), with the empirical formula C 27 H 30 Cl 2 O 6 , a molecular weight of 521.43 and the following structural formula: Mometasone furoate, USP is a white to off-white powder, soluble in acetone and methylene chloride. Each gram of Mometasone Furoate Cream USP, 0.1% contains: 1 mg mometasone furoate, USP in a cream base of aluminum starch octenyl succinate (Dry-Flo Plus (Pure)), hexylene glycol, phospholipon 90 H, phosphoric acid, purified water, titanium dioxide, white petrolatum, and white wax. mometasone-furoate-structure
How it works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Like other topical corticosteroids, mometasone furoate has anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and vasoconstrictive properties. The mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of the topical steroids, in general, is unclear. However, corticosteroids are thought to act by the induction of phospholipase A 2 inhibitory proteins, collectively called lipocortins. It is postulated that these proteins control the biosynthesis of potent mediators of inflammation such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes by inhibiting the release of their common precursor arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is released from membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A 2 .
Who should not take it
Mometasone furoate cream, 0.1% is contraindicated in those patients with a history of hypersensitivity to any of the components in the preparation. Mometasone furoate cream, 0.1% is contraindicated in those patients with a history of hypersensitivity to any of the components in the preparation. ( 4 )
Warnings and cautions
• Reversible HPA axis suppression with the potential for glucocorticosteroid insufficiency after withdrawal of treatment, Cushing’s syndrome, and hyperglycemia may occur due to systemic absorption. Patients applying a topical steroid to a large surface area or to areas under occlusion should be evaluated periodically for evidence of HPA axis suppression. Modify use should HPA axis suppression develop. ( 5.1 , 8.4 ) • Pediatric patients may be more susceptible to systemic toxicity. ( 5.1 , 8.4 ) • May increase the risk of cataracts and glaucoma. If visual symptoms occur, consider referral to an ophthalmologist. ( 5.2 ) 5.1 Effects on Endocrine System Systemic absorption of topical corticosteroids can produce reversible hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression with the potential for glucocorticosteroid insufficiency. This may occur during treatment or after withdrawal of treatment. Manifestations of Cushing’s syndrome, hyperglycemia, and glucosuria can also be produced in some patients by systemic absorption of topical corticosteroids while on treatment. Factors that predispose a patient using a topical corticosteroid to HPA axis suppression include the use of high-potency steroids, large treatment surface areas, prolonged use, use of occlusive dressings, altered skin barrier, liver failure and young age. Because of the potential for systemic absorption, use of topical corticosteroids may require that patients be periodically evaluated for HPA axis suppression. This may be done by using the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. In a study evaluating the effects of mometasone furoate cream on the HPA axis, 15 grams were applied twice daily for 7 days to six adult subjects with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. The results show that the drug caused a slight lowering of adrenal corticosteroid secretion. If HPA axis suppression is noted, an attempt should be made to gradually withdraw the drug, to reduce the frequency of application, or to substitute a less potent corticosteroid. Recovery of HPA axis function is generally prompt upon discontinuation of topical corticosteroids. […]
Reported side effects
Most common adverse reactions are: burning, pruritus, and skin atrophy. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA at 1 (888)721-7115 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. In controlled clinical trials involving 319 subjects, the incidence of adverse reactions associated with the use of mometasone furoate cream was 1.6%. Reported reactions included burning, pruritus, and skin atrophy. Reports of rosacea associated with the use of mometasone furoate cream have also been received. In controlled clinical trials (n=74) involving pediatric subjects 2 to 12 years of age, the incidence of adverse experiences associated with the use of mometasone furoate cream was approximately 7%. Reported reactions included stinging, pruritus, and furunculosis. The following adverse reactions were reported to be possibly or probably related to treatment with mometasone furoate cream during clinical trials in 4% of 182 pediatric subjects 6 months to 2 years of age: decreased glucocorticoid levels, 2; paresthesia, 2; folliculitis, 1; moniliasis, 1; bacterial infection, 1; skin depigmentation, 1. The following signs of skin atrophy were also observed among 97 subjects treated with mometasone furoate cream in a clinical trial: shininess, 4; telangiectasia, 1; loss of elasticity, 4; loss of normal skin markings, 4; thinness, 1; and bruising, 1. 6.2 Postmarketing Experience Because adverse reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. […]
Interactions with other medicines
No drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted with mometasone furoate cream.
Use in specific groups
8.1 Pregnancy Teratogenic Effects Pregnancy Category C: There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Therefore, mometasone furoate cream should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Corticosteroids have been shown to be teratogenic in laboratory animals when administered systemically at relatively low dosage levels. Some corticosteroids have been shown to be teratogenic after dermal application in laboratory animals. When administered to pregnant rats, rabbits, and mice, mometasone furoate increased fetal malformations. The doses that produced malformations also decreased fetal growth, as measured by lower fetal weights and/or delayed ossification. Mometasone furoate also caused dystocia and related complications when administered to rats during the end of pregnancy. In mice, mometasone furoate caused cleft palate at subcutaneous doses of 60 mcg/kg and above. Fetal survival was reduced at 180 mcg/kg. No toxicity was observed at 20 mcg/kg. (Doses of 20, 60, and 180 mcg/kg in the mouse are approximately 0.01, 0.02, and 0.05 times the estimated maximum clinical topical dose from mometasone furoate cream on a mcg/m 2 basis.) In rats, mometasone furoate produced umbilical hernias at topical doses of 600 mcg/kg and above. A dose of 300 mcg/kg produced delays in ossification, but no malformations. (Doses of 300 and 600 mcg/kg in the rat are approximately 0.2 and 0.4 times the estimated maximum clinical topical dose from mometasone furoate cream on a mcg/m 2 basis.) In rabbits, mometasone furoate caused multiple malformations (e.g., flexed front paws, gallbladder agenesis, umbilical hernia, hydrocephaly) at topical doses of 150 mcg/kg and above (approximately 0.2 times the estimated maximum clinical topical dose from mometasone furoate cream on a mcg/m 2 basis). In an oral study, mometasone furoate increased resorptions and caused cleft palate and/or head malformations (hydrocephaly and domed head) at 700 mcg/kg. At 2800 mcg/kg most litters were aborted or resorbed. No toxicity was observed at 140 mcg/kg. […]
If too much is taken
Topically applied mometasone furoate cream can be absorbed in sufficient amounts to produce systemic effects [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] .
Before you take anything new
Tell your pharmacist or doctor about every medicine you take — including ones bought without a prescription, herbal products and supplements. Interactions are one of the most common avoidable causes of harm from medicines, and a pharmacist can check your full list in a couple of minutes.
This page is built from the openFDA record of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approved labelling for this product, effective 9 July 2019. Label text has been shortened and reformatted for readability; safety wording has not been altered in meaning. FDA labelling describes products approved in the United States — brand names, strengths, formulations and approved uses may differ in your country. Always read the leaflet that comes with your own pack. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the FDA. Retrieved 2026-07-30.