Generic Name: albuterol

What is albuterol?
Albuterol works by relaxing muscles in the airways to improve breathing. Albuterol is used to treat bronchospasm (wheezing, shortness of breath) associated with reversible obstructive airway disease such as asthma. Albuterol may also be used for conditions other than those listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

Pricing information provided by drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of albuterol?

Stop taking albuterol and seek emergency medical attention if you experience any of the following serious side effects:

• an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives); or

• chest pain or irregular heartbeats.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take albuterol and talk to your doctor if you experience

• headache;

• dizziness or lightheadedness;

• insomnia;

• tremor or nervousness;

• sweating;

• nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; or

• dry mouth.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

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How should I take albuterol?
Take albuterol exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you. Take each dose with a full glass of water. To ensure that you get a correct dose, measure the liquid forms of albuterol with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist where you can get one. Do not break, crush, or chew the Volmax or Proventil Repetabs tablets. These are specially formulated to release the medication slowly in the body. The Volmax tablets have an outer shell that is not absorbed by the body. Occasionally, this shell may be seen in the stool. This is not a problem as the medication has been absorbed by the body.

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What is the most important information I should know about albuterol?
Seek medical attention if you notice that you require more than your usual or more than the maximum amount of any asthma medication in a 24-hour period. An increased need for medication could be an early sign of a serious asthma attack.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

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What other drugs will affect albuterol?
Before taking albuterol, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), propranolol (Inderal), acebutolol (Sectral), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carteolol (Cartrol), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), nadolol (Corgard), or pindolol (Visken); a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), or protriptyline (Vivactil);

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Albuterol has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have demonstrated a teratogenic effect. Albuterol is only recommended for use during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and benefit outweighs risk.

One study of 12 pregnant asthmatics between 33 and 39 weeks gestation showed no significant effect of inhaled albuterol on maternal or fetal circulations. For the two hours immediately following a dose of two deep inhalations of 0.5% solution, no significant effect was seen on maternal blood pressure or heart rate, umbilical artery systolic/diastolic ratio, fetal aortic velocities or heart rate.

There are no data on the excretion of albuterol into human milk.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to albuterol or any ingredients in the formulations.
• Known history of hypersensitivity to soya lecithin or related food products such as soybeans or peanuts; atropine and its derivatives; or any other ingredient in the specific formulation (albuterol sulfate in fixed combination with ipratropium bromide).

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What does my medication look like?
Albuterol is available with a prescription under the brand names Ventolin, Proventil, and Volmax. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you. Ventolin 2 mg-white, round, scored tablets Ventolin 4 mg-white, round, scored tablets Ventolin Syrup 2 mg/5 mL-clear orange-yellow strawberry-flavored liquid Proventil 2 mg-white, round, scored tablets Proventil 4 mg-white, round, scored tablets

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of an albuterol overdose may include angina or chest pain, irregular heartbeats or a fluttering heart, seizures, tremor, weakness, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking albuterol?
Before taking albuterol, tell your doctor if you have heart disease or high blood pressure; epilepsy or another seizure disorder; diabetes; an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism); difficulty swallowing; liver disease; or kidney disease. You may not be able to take albuterol or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Albuterol is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether it will harm an unborn baby. Do not take albuterol without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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