What is Mometasone Cream & Ointment?

Both the Mometasone cream and ointment contain the same active ingredient, mometasone furoate 0.1%, which is classified as a “potent'' or high strength corticosteroid that is effective in the treatment of itchy, red and inflamed skin caused by conditions such as psoriasis or dermatitis.

Mometasone is manufactured by a range of generic companies and is suitable for short-term use, a maximum of 5 days, by children and adults over the age of 2 years. The ointment is a more greasy formula ideal for very dry, scaly patches of the skin whereas the cream is much lighter making it more comfortable for use in the day time or on skin that is moist.

What is Mometasone Cream & Ointment used for?

Both Mometasone cream and ointment are steroid treatments used to reduce inflammation, redness and itching caused by skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema.

Mometasone is most commonly prescribed to people who suffer from these skin conditions severely and where non-prescription treatments such as emollients or milder steroid creams such as hydrocortisone have not been effective.

How do Mometasone Cream & Ointment work?

The active ingredient in Mometasone is a powerful or “potent” steroid called mometasone furoate. Metasone works similarly to other steroids that are applied to the skin to reduce inflammation, redness and itching. It helps to reverse the body's inflammatory reaction by restricting blood flow to the affected areas and preventing the release of certain chemicals.

Mometasone Ointment Vs Cream?

The choice between an ointment and cream is largely dictated by personal preference. Ointments have fever ingredients and are greasier, though can be cosmetically less suitable. Creams are easier to apply but can cause transient stinging, especially if the skin is broken. If you need help deciding please talk to one of our trained medical professionals.

How quickly does Mometasone work?

Once Mometasone cream or ointment is applied to the skin it will start reducing irritation immediately. It should be used once a day for a maximum of 5 consecutive days. If you do not see a significant improvement to the condition of your skin within 5 days you should speak to a doctor or pharmacist for advice about your treatment options.

Mometasone vs Betnovate

Mometasone Cream, Ointment and Scalp Lotion are all prescribed for similar conditions as Betnovate (beclomethasone) Cream, Ointment and Scalp Application, including eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. There is very little difference between the two, they both contain potent steroids that are effective at treating severe conditions. So it is usually down to personal preference on which treatment is most suitable.

Mometasone is applied only once daily

Mometasone’s unique formulation means that it only needs to be applied once daily which provides superior convenience to topical betamethasone. Patients also found that mometasone was significantly more effective than betamethasone.

Elocon vs Mometasone

Mometasone is the active ingredient found in Mometasone. Now that Organon’s patent on Elocon Cream & Ointment has expired it is possible for any regulated drug company to produce this medication. There may be minor differences in the inactive ingredients though these are not clinically significant.

The choice of the branded version or generic is down to personal preference and typically the generic version costs less. Though the generic version enables more choice when there are shortages in a patient’s preferred version of the treatment.

Mometasone alternatives

Mometasone is an effective treatment against the symptoms of eczema and other skin conditions, but there are a number of alternative eczema treatments available.

Currently, there is a shortage of many of the most commonly used topical steroid preparations including eumovate and betnovate. Mometasone has the same potency as betnovate and as it only needs to be applied once daily it offers an excellent alternative during the period of stock shortages.

Prescription-only eczema treatments are available via an online consultation. These include:

• Betamethasone Cream & Ointment
• Eumovate Cream & Ointment
• Fucibet Cream
• Fucidin Cream
• Hydrocortisone Cream & Ointment

Effective non-prescription eczema treatments include:

• Adex Gel
• Aveeno Cream
• Cetraben Oatmeal Cream
• Dermalex Cream
• Dermol Cream
• Doublebase Gel
• Eurax Cream

If your eczema is affecting the scalp, effective scalp treatments for eczema include:

• Alphosyl Shampoo
• Betacap Solution
• Betnovate Scalp Application
• Elocon Scalp Lotion

While not specifically used to treat eczema or psoriasis, the following products can be used to alleviate the symptoms of these skin conditions:

• Moisturisers and emollients
• Cotton gloves (to keep from scratching)
• Antihistamines such as Chlorphenamine or Piriton (to ease the itching)

As Mometasone Cream and Ointment are designed to heal inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis, it can also be used for inflammation caused by insect bites.

Sources

• https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/8168/pil
• NICE, 2021, Eczema - atopic - management
• BNF/NICE, 2017, Corticosteroids, general use,
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/...