Acute and Chronic Effects of Inhaled Steroids on Pulmonary Function in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 65 years old; and
• Stable, tetraplegia C3-C8 levels (duration of injury >1 year).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking, active or history of smoking during the last six months
• Active respiratory disease(s), such as COPD, inflammatory lung disease, obstructive lung diseases, or acute respiratory infections
• No known history of asthma during lifetime or recent (within 3 months) respiratory infections;
• Ventilator dependence;
• Use of medications known to affect the respiratory system, such as nizoral;
• aldesleukin
• oral corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone, dexamethasone)
• natalizumab
• drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove mometasone from your body (such as azole antifungals including itraconazole, macrolide antibiotics including erythromycin, cimetidine, rifamycins including rifabutin, St. John's wort, certain anti-seizure medicines including carbamazepine)
• Use of medications known to alter airway caliber;
• Coronary heart and/or artery disease, as indicated in the patient medical record;
• Hypertension, baseline blood pressure ≥ 140/90mHg;
• Adrenal insufficiency, as indicated in the patient medical record;
• Pregnancy;
• Lack of mental capacity to give informed consent;
• History of glaucoma;
• History of cataracts; and
• Persisting pressure ulcer, or a recently healed wound (e.g., ≤3 months since wound closure).