Asthma affects over 28 million people in the US, which is about 1 in 12 Americans. For many, it’s daily breathlessness, sudden flare-ups, and sleepless nights. If you’re dealing with moderate to severe symptoms, you need more than a quick fix.
That’s where Dulera for asthma steps in. It tackles both airway inflammation and muscle tightening. Unlike rescue inhalers that only bring short-term relief, Dulera for asthma works fast and lasts for hours, helping you breathe easier and feel more in control.
| 🔑Key takeaways ➤ Dulera for asthma helps reduce swelling in the lungs and keeps your airways open, making it easier to breathe. ➤ It combines mometasone to calm inflammation and formoterol to relax airway muscles. ➤ Formoterol works within 5 minutes and keeps helping for up to 12 hours. ➤ Dulera for asthma improves lung function quickly and keeps it steady throughout the day. ➤ It’s used when a steroid inhaler alone isn’t enough to control moderate to severe symptoms. ➤ This treatment fits SMART guidelines, so it can be used for both daily control and quick relief. |
How does Dulera work in the lungs?
Dulera works in your lungs by using two medicines that target different parts of your asthma symptoms. One is mometasone furoate, an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). The other is formoterol, a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA). Together, they help you breathe better, especially if you have moderate to severe asthma that isn’t controlled by a steroid inhaler alone.
Mometasone furoate
Mometasone furoate reduces the inflammation inside your lungs. This swelling is what makes your airways narrow, fill with mucus, and become overly sensitive to triggers.
By calming the inflammation, mometasone helps prevent those tight and swollen airways that make it hard for air to move in and out.
According to a review, mometasone furoate helped people with asthma breathe better, increasing lung function by up to 16.8% at certain doses compared with only 2.5% to 6% for placebo, and higher doses improved peak flow more.
Formoterol
Formoterol relaxes the muscles around your airways. When these muscles tighten, your airways narrow, making it hard to breathe. Formoterol keeps those muscles relaxed for about 12 hours. This helps prevent symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. So while mometasone targets the root cause, airway inflammation, formoterol keeps the air flowing by stopping your airways from tightening too much.
According to a study, the formoterol in Dulera begins working quickly, within 5 minutes of your first dose. In their 12-week clinical trial, people using Dulera (mometasone/formoterol 200/10 mcg twice daily) had an average FEV1 improvement of 200 mL just five minutes after inhaling the medicine, which means they had more air in their lungs after 5 minutes. That’s more than twice the improvement seen with fluticasone/salmeterol, which only produced a 90 mL increase at the same time point. This rapid effect can be key for people who want to feel their medication working fast.
Dulera doesn’t just work fast; it keeps helping your lungs for hours. Over a 12-hour period, people using Dulera were able to keep about 13% more air moving through their lungs. This means fewer flare-ups and better control of asthma throughout the day and night. Dulera worked just as well as fluticasone/salmeterol over time, but it kicked in faster.
| ✂️To sum it up Dulera works in your lungs by reducing inflammation and relaxing your airway muscles. It starts acting in just 5 minutes and helps maintain better lung function over time. With mometasone controlling the swelling and formoterol keeping your airways open. Together, they make it easier for you to breathe day by day. |
Why is Dulera used for moderate to severe asthma?
Dulera is used for moderate to severe asthma because, according to its mechanism of action as stated above, it targets two key problems at once: airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction.
Addressing more than symptom relief
According to a study, moderate to severe asthma needs more than just symptom relief. These patients often rely on short-acting β2-agonists (SABAs), but that doesn’t control the inflammation. Instead, Dulera addresses both inflammation and bronchospasm in a single inhaler.
Dual action for control and relief
Formoterol acts fast and lasts long. That makes it effective both for daily control and sudden symptoms. This dual effect allows patients to use one inhaler for both maintenance and quick relief.
Alignment with SMART therapy
According to a study, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) now recommends using a single inhaler that combines an ICS and the LABA formoterol for both daily maintenance and quick symptom relief under the SMART therapy. This is based on findings that low to medium dose ICS-formoterol used in SMART significantly reduces asthma exacerbations in patients as young as four years old.
Dulera’s combination aligns well with the SMART strategy, helping reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Instead of increasing the dose of ICS or switching to other combinations, patients can get improved control using the same inhaler as both a controller and a reliever. It simplifies the treatment and improves adherence, which is often a struggle in moderate to severe asthma cases.
Role of Mometasone Furoate
One study found that mometasone furoate showed better patient adherence when taken once daily. Although Dulera is usually prescribed twice daily, the better tolerability and lower side-effect risk with mometasone support its long-term use in managing moderate to severe cases.
How should Dulera be dosed?
| Age group | Moderate persistent asthma | Severe persistent asthma |
| 5 to <12 years | 50 mcg/5 mcg – 2 inhalations twice daily (Max: 200 mcg/20 mcg per day) | 50 mcg/5 mcg – 2 inhalations twice daily (Max: 200 mcg/20 mcg per day) may require additional controller medications if control is still poor |
| ≥12 years (adolescents & adults) | 100 mcg/5 mcg – 2 inhalations twice daily (Max: 400 mcg/10 mcg per day) | 200 mcg/5 mcg – 2 inhalations twice daily (Max: 800 mcg/20 mcg per day) |
For children 5 to under 12 years, the approved strength is 50 mcg mometasone with 5 mcg formoterol. They take two inhalations twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The maximum daily dose is 200 mcg of mometasone and 20 mcg of formoterol. This dose applies to both moderate and severe asthma in this age group, but children with severe symptoms may need other controller medicines in addition to Dulera to keep their asthma under control.
For adolescents and adults aged 12 years and older, treatment usually starts with 100 mcg mometasone and 5 mcg formoterol per inhalation, two inhalations twice a day. This dose, with a maximum daily limit of 400 mcg mometasone and 10 mcg formoterol, is generally used for moderate asthma. If symptoms remain uncontrolled after two weeks, the dose is increased to 200 mcg mometasone and 5 mcg formoterol per inhalation, two inhalations twice a day. This higher dose is intended for severe asthma, with a maximum daily limit of 800 mcg mometasone and 20 mcg formoterol.
How should Dulera be used?
Dulera should be used every day. Here are the ways to properly use Dulera:
Before using the inhaler
Before the first use, or if you haven’t used it in 5 days, you must prime the inhaler. Priming involves shaking the inhaler and releasing 4 sprays into the air. Each spray must be done after shaking the device well. This ensures that the medication is properly mixed and delivered in the correct dose. If you skip this step, you might not get the right amount of medicine.
Step-by-step usage instructions
Use Dulera exactly as prescribed:
- Remove the cap and check the mouthpiece for any objects.
- Shake the inhaler well for 5–10 seconds.
- Exhale fully. Push out as much air as you can.
- Place the mouthpiece in your mouth, seal your lips around it, and keep your tongue away.
- Press down on the canister while you breathe in slowly and deeply. If you’re using a spacer, first release the medication into it, then breathe in through the spacer.
- Hold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds, then exhale.
- Wait 30 seconds if you need a second puff, then repeat the process.
- Rinse your mouth and spit out the water to reduce the risk of developing thrush.
- When to Clean and Replace the Inhaler
- You should clean the mouthpiece once a week using a dry cloth or tissue. Don’t use water. Do not attempt to unblock it with pins or objects.
- As for replacement, watch the dose counter. When it hits 20, refill your prescription. Do not use the inhaler after the counter reads 0, even if it still sprays.
| 💊Storage tips Store your Dulera inhaler between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). Keep it away from heat or open flames. For the 60-puff version, always store it mouthpiece down or sideways after priming. |
Wrap up
Dulera for asthma gives you steady control when symptoms are moderate to severe. It works by calming inflammation and keeping the airway muscles relaxed. This makes it easier to breathe, day and night. It helps stop flare-ups before they start.
However, Dulera for asthma is not a one-time fix. You need to use it every day to get the full benefit. It starts working fast and keeps your lungs open longer. That’s why doctors choose it for long-term asthma management. Dulera for asthma addresses both the root cause and the symptoms, so you can breathe easier and live better.
FAQs on Dulera for asthma
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Skip it. Just take your next dose at the regular time. Don’t double up.
What are common side effects?
You might get headaches, sinus or throat irritation, flu, or a stuffy nose.
Can I use Dulera with a spacer?
Yes. If your doctor recommends it, use a spacer to help inhale the full dose.
When should I stop using Dulera?
Only if your doctor says so. Don’t stop suddenly, especially if you were on oral steroids
Sources
- Bernstein, D. I., Hébert, J., Cheema, A., Murphy, K. R., Chérrez-Ojeda, I., Matiz-Bueno, C. E., Kuo, W. L., & Nolte, H. (2011). Efficacy and onset of action of mometasone furoate/formoterol and fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination treatment in subjects with persistent asthma. Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 7(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-7-21
- Nguyen, T. H., Elios, M., Fitzpatrick, A. M., Nyenhuis, S. M., & Phipatanakul, W. (2025). Optimizing pediatric asthma management: Implementation and evaluation of anti-inflammatory reliever and single maintenance and reliever therapies. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 13(7), 1507–1515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2025.05.004
- Hendeles, L., Blake, K. V., & Galbreath, A. (2021). A Single Inhaler Combining a Corticosteroid and Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist for Maintenance with Additional Doses for Reliever Therapy (SMART): Obstacles for Asthma Patients in the USA. Pediatric allergy, immunology, and pulmonology, 34(2), 73–75. https://doi.org/10.1089/ped.2021.0052
- Price, D., Robertson, A., Bullen, K., Rand, C., Horne, R., & Staudinger, H. (2010). Improved adherence with once-daily versus twice-daily dosing of mometasone furoate administered via a dry powder inhaler: a randomized open-label study. BMC pulmonary medicine, 10, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2466-10-1