Asthma Medication

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• QHow do medications help control asthma?

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  A RealAge answered

  Doctors prescribe long-term-control medications to help prevent asthma symptoms. Regularly using these medications also helps preserve lung function. Several classes of long-term-control medications are available.

  • Corticosteroids decrease inflammation in the airways, reducing the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. Most people with asthma take inhaled corticosteroids, which are delivered with a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). Inhaled corticosteroids are considered much safer than oral steroids because they go directly into the lungs.
  • Long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) are used to relax muscles in your airways, which helps keep them open. LABAs should only be prescribed along with other long-term-control medications because using them alone could potentially make your symptoms worse.
  • Leukotriene modifiers interfere with reactions in the body that cause asthma symptoms. These medications reduce swelling in the lungs and reduce airway tightening. They also help prevent mucus buildup. Generally, these medications are very safe, but rarely they can cause mood and behavior changes in some people.
  • Other medications that are used less frequently for asthma include cromolyn, an inhaled medication that helps prevent inflammation and theophylline, an oral medication that relaxes and opens airways.

  Even with long-term-control medication, asthma flare-ups may occur from time to time. So, it's important to have a quick-relief medication on hand as well. Short-acting beta agonists (SABAs) are quick-relief medications that treat active symptoms. These inhaled medications help relax and open airways.

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• QWhat should I know before taking a bronchodilator?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine

  Before taking a bronchodilator, you should know the following:

  • Bronchodilators are medications that are used to relax the bronchial airways when there is constriction that inhibits breathing. 
  • These medications will typically only improve breathing if narrowed or inflammed airways are the cause of the shortness of breath. 
  • Bronchodilators can have activating effects, meaning you may experience an elevated heart rate or increased "jitters" when you use a bronchodilator.
• QWhat long-term controller medications are used to treat asthma?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Most long-term controller medications for asthma need to be taken every day for asthma prevention.
  
  Inhaled corticosteroids, including fluticasone (Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA), mometasone (Asmanex), beclomethasone (Qvar), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), ciclesonide (Alvesco) and others, are the most commonly prescribed long-term asthma remedy. Compared to oral corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids have a relatively low risk of side effects and are usually safe for long-term use in normal doses. It usually takes several days or weeks for these medications to start working.
  
  Salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) and formoterol (Foradil Aerolizer) are two bronchodilators in a class of medications known as long-acting beta agonists (LABAs). When used with an inhaled corticosteroid, these drugs help control asthma symptoms. There are also devices available that contain both a LABA and an inhaled (anti-inflammatory) corticosteroid (Advair, Symbicort, Dulera).
  
  Theophylline (Uniphyl), another type of slow-acting bronchodilator, is prepared in a slow-release form taken by mouth. Although not used as frequently as it used to be in the past, theophylline is sometimes used for persistent asthma symptoms, particularly nighttime asthma.

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• QDo women need to stop taking asthma medication during pregnancy?

  2 Answers

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  A Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine

  Women may not need to stop taking asthma medication during pregnancy. Most medications that are used for mild to moderate asthma are safe in pregnancy. Inhaled medications are almost always safe, and should be continued. If a woman has severe asthma and uses medications by mouth, she should talk with her doctor before becoming pregnant or as soon as pregnancy is discovered.

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• QHow do quick-relief medications control asthma?

  3 Answers

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  A Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Quick-relief medications can relieve severe asthma symptoms or symptoms that come on fast (sudden onset symptoms). They work immediately -- usually within 5 to 10 minutes -- to help open airways during an asthma flare-up.

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• QWhen should I use quick-relief asthma medications?

  1 Answer

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  A Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  • Use when you first notice asthma symptoms. Quick-relief medication can stop an asthma flare-up from getting worse.
  
  • Use before you encounter one of your asthma triggers. For example, if exercise is a trigger for you, your doctor may recommend taking quick-relief  medication before you play or work out.
• QWhat medications interact with short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Darria Gillespie, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  If you are taking bromocriptine, digoxin, or theophylline, a short-acting beta-agonist may not be a good option for you.
  
  If you are taking a beta blocker, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, a drug that prolongs the QTc interval, or a tricyclic antidepressant, short-acting inhaled beta-agonists can lead to serious side effects.
  
  If you are taking an MAO inhibitor or have taken an MAO inhibitor within the past 2 weeks, short-acting beta-agonists can lead to serious side effects. 
  
  This answer was adapted from Sharecare's award-winning AskMD app. Start a consultation now to find out what's causing your symptoms, learn how to manage a condition, or find a doctor. 
• QDo short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators have any side effects?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Darria Gillespie, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  Side effects may include tremor, nervousness, nausea, heart palpitations or a rapid heartbeat, chest pain, and dizziness. Other side effects may include headache, coughing, bronchospasm (constriction of small airways), allergic reactions, insomnia, and changes in blood pressure.
  
  This answer was adapted from Sharecare's award-winning AskMD app. Start a consultation now to find out what's causing your symptoms, learn how to manage a condition, or find a doctor. 
• QHow effective are short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Darria Gillespie, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  Short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators do not affect the underlying inflammation that is part of persistent asthma. They are used on an as-needed basis, rather than on a regular schedule. Using these drugs daily probably means that long-term control therapy is needed. Both metered-dose and nebulizer forms of these drugs are available.
  
  Metered-dose inhalers with a spacer are as effective as nebulizers in delivering short-acting beta-agonists during asthma attacks in children. It is not clear if they are equally effective in adults. 
  
  ​​​​​​This answer was adapted from Sharecare's award-winning AskMD app. Start a consultation now to find out what's causing your symptoms, learn how to manage a condition, or find a doctor. 
• QWhat are short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Darria Gillespie, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  Short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators can quickly relieve the symptoms of an asthma attack. They open up the breathing passages and relieve asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Most people with asthma use an inhaler or nebulizer to relieve an attack. Oral medications are available for those who cannot use inhaled medications.
  
  Several inhaled short-acting beta-agonists are available in the US. These include albuterol (Accuneb, Proair, Proventil, Ventolin, Vospire), levalbuterol (Xopenex), metaproterenol, and pirbuterol (Maxair). Some other products combine albuterol with ipratropium, a different kind of bronchodilator drug, in a single inhaler (Combivent, DuoNeb). 
  
  This answer was adapted from Sharecare's award-winning AskMD app. Start a consultation now to find out what's causing your symptoms, learn how to manage a condition, or find a doctor.