Steroid nasal spray for allergies - stunted growth, can this be reversed?

[WeeMadArthur1]

DD (12) has been using a prescribed Beconase nasal spray for various allergies for the last few years. We have medication reviews and nobody has ever mentioned any side effects and said it is safe to continue with it long term. Only at the last medication review did they mention that it can cause stunted growth in children and that she shouldn't be using it long term, and they advised her to stop. They haven't measured her - this has all been over the phone.

She has always been one of the tallest amongst her friends, and we're a tall family - but we had actually been joking about how all her friends seem to have overtaken her in height, and she's not needed any new clothes for ages, and maybe she's going to have a later growth spurt. But now I'm worried that it is the nasal spray that has caused this and she's not going to grow any more.

I've got an appointment with the doctor to ask but I just wondered if anyone had come across this before - and now she has stopped using the spray, will her growth go back to normal, or has the damage been done? She's 5'1" so not the smallest person in the world even if she stopped there, but will stunted growth cause any other issues?

I feel awful - I wish I'd read up more on the side effects, although I also wish someone had told me each time it was prescribed.

My DD has restricted growth thought to be due to the amount of steroids she needed in childhood, hers was due to oral and very high doses of inhaled steroids (for asthma). It was a double edged sword though as poorly controlled asthma can cause restricted growth too. She is now 31 and 5'1.

Sorry to hear that bloodywhitecat. I wish we'd known of the side effects before she started using it, she could have had a reduced dose.

Hi @WeeMadArthur1 I know this thread is old bit hoping you can help me. Did your son ever grow anymore or did u ever get more medical opinion on the steroid nasal spray?
My 6 Yr old is on nasocort spray twice daily. For over the past 2 years on and off, maybe 6 weeks on, 6/8 off. It just varied Om symptoms etc. Anyway freaking out now about his height. He seems small in his class. Would love to hear how your boy has got on since.

Hi @Nell23 its actually my daughter, and unfortunately she hasn’t grown any more since then. A couple of years ago I spoke to the person at the doctor’s surgery who deals with prescriptions and they weren’t especially helpful. They said there hasn’t been enough research into whether she would grow once she stopped taking it and were more concerned about whether her allergy symptoms were being managed than her growth.

However, she did have two sprays twice a day for a few years, without breaks, so much more than your son is using. If you’re worried it might be worth checking with your doctor, they might be more knowledgeable than mine!

Thanks @WeeMadArthur1 sorry your son, I misread.
Yea absolutely something I'm going to being up with GP again. I've brought it up before but he dismissed me and said it was nothing to worry about. However mu pharmacist raised an eyebrow and some concern of it being prescribed. Different opinions it seem.
Thanks again for reply

I don't think it's a very common/ properly researched side effect. I took it every day for years (started around 9 and into teens) and am around same height as my mum and sister who did not (now in my 40s). However no one can be sure what the exact side effects would be for your daughter. Is there an alternative spray available/ could she manage symptoms with antihistamine tablets alone?