i take 'flovent hfa 125 mcg' inhaler two puffs twice daily.
flovent is fruticasoe propionate. i take it erractely, sometimes once
a day, i seem to be alwys off the proscribed times. . what danger is
there in using an antibiotic in this manner?

Hi rr3225,

As surgeon notes below, Flovent is a steroid, not an antibiotic.  The
drug works by preventing your lungs from releasing a chemical that can
trigger an asthma attack, so if you don't take your puffs on a regular
basis your lungs could have a chance to produce that chemical - and
you could have an asthma attack.  Basically, this means that the
inhaler will only work properly (it will only prevent asthma attacks)
if you take it properly.  Unlike with an antibiotic, you can always
start "being good" about taking your regular doses and there shouldn't
be any kind of resistance to the medicine.

I have found for you the description, with all kinds of relevant
information, for Flovent in both the USP DI and MedMaster drug
databases.  These databases are available for free via the US National
Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus consumer health resource website.

USP DI: Fluticasone (Inhalation-local)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/203649.html
Quotations of interest:
"In order for this medicine to help prevent asthma attacks, it must be
used every day in regularly spaced doses, as ordered by your doctor."
"If you miss a dose of this medicine, use it as soon as you remember.
Then use any remaining doses for that day at regularly spaced times.
Do not double doses."

MedMaster: Fluticasone Oral Inhalation
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601056.html
Quotations of interest:
"What should I do if I forget a dose?
Use the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is
almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your
regular dosing schedule. Do not use a double dose to make up for a
missed one."

To find these two entries I went to the Drug Information section of
MEDLINEplus (www.medlineplus.gov) and found "Flovent" from the index. 
If you would like further information on this drug and other
treatments for asthma, you could enter "flovent" into the search box
at the top left of the MEDLINEplus page.  MEDLINEplus will find
websites of (primarily US) governmental and independent groups
including the American Lung Association and the American Academy of
Family Physicians.

Good luck!

librariankt

fluticasone is not an antibiotic, so you don't need to worry about
causing drug-resistant infection. However, it is a steroid, and it
only works when used regularly as prescribed. It's not like some
asthma or allergy meds that have an immediate effect. It's not
necessarily dangerous to use it erratically, but it won't work nearly
as well. And taking any drug in an unprescirbed way has potential
danger: all drugs can have side effects. You risk side effects without
beneficial effects. Talk to your prescribing doctor; let her know your
problems with following the recommendations and see what she
recommends