Several medications can reduce inflammation and open your airways to help you breathe easier with COPD. You should consult a doctor to determine what may work best for you.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of progressive lung diseases that make it difficult to breathe. COPD can include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

If you have COPD, you may have symptoms such as:

  • trouble breathing
  • cough
  • wheezing
  • tightness in your chest

Approximately 9 out of 10 cases of COPD are caused by smoking, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).

There’s currently no cure for COPD, and the damage to the lungs and airways is permanent.

However, several medications can help reduce inflammation and open your airways to help you breathe easier with COPD.

Warnings for COPD medications

Whatever medication a doctor prescribes, be sure to take it according to their instructions.

If you have serious side effects, such as an allergic reaction with rash or swelling, call a doctor right away.

If you have difficulty breathing or swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat, call 911 or your local emergency medical services.

Because some COPD medications can affect your cardiovascular system, be sure to tell a doctor if you have an irregular heartbeat or cardiovascular problems.

Bronchodilators help open your airways to make breathing easier.

A doctor may prescribe short-acting bronchodilators for an emergency situation or for quick relief as needed. According to the NHS, these are the most common first-line treatments.

You take them using an inhaler or nebulizer.

The short-acting bronchodilators albuterol (Proair HFA, Ventolin HFA) and levalbuterol (Xopenex) are indicated for use in emergency situations as rescue inhalers.

Ipratropium (Atrovent HFA) and albuterol/ipratropium (Combivent Respimat) are taken on a daily basis.

Short-acting bronchodilators may cause side effects, such as:

These effects should go away over time.

If you have a heart condition, tell a doctor before taking a short-acting bronchodilator.

With COPD, your airways can be inflamed, causing them to become swollen and irritated. Inflammation makes it harder to breathe.

Corticosteroids are a type of medication that reduces inflammation in the body, making airflow easier in the lungs.

Several types of corticosteroids are available. Some are inhalable and should be used every day as directed. They’re usually prescribed in combination with a long-acting COPD drug for severe COPD.

Other corticosteroids are injected or taken by mouth. These forms are used temporarily when COPD suddenly gets worse.

Some common corticosteroids doctors often prescribe for COPD include:

Corticosteroids may have potential side effects, such as:

For some people with severe COPD, typical treatments like fast-acting bronchodilators and corticosteroids don’t seem to help when used on their own.

When this happens, a doctor may prescribe a methylxanthine drug called theophylline along with a bronchodilator. Theophylline is an anti-inflammatory drug that relaxes the muscles in the airways.

However, it’s important to note theophylline is no longer recommended for COPD due to its potential side effects, including:

Long-acting bronchodilators are medications used to treat COPD over a longer period of time. They’re usually taken once or twice per day via inhalers or nebulizers.

A doctor may recommend a long-acting bronchodilator if you experience frequent COPD symptoms or exacerbations.

These drugs work gradually to help ease breathing, so they don’t act as quickly as rescue medication. They’re not meant to be used in an emergency situation.

There are two types of long-acting bronchodilators:

  • long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABA), which include salmeterol (Serevent), formoterol (Foradil, Perforomist), and indacaterol (Arcapta)
  • long-acting muscarinic agonists (LAMA), which include tiotropium (Spiriva), aclidinium (Tudorza), and glycopyrrolate (Seebri Neohaler, Lonhala Magnair)

Side effects of long-acting bronchodilators may include:

Several COPD drugs are combination medications. These are mainly combinations of two long-acting bronchodilators or an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting bronchodilator.

If you experience shortness of breath or trouble breathing during exercise, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) strongly recommends a LABA combined with a LAMA.

Recommended LABA/LAMA combination bronchodilator therapies include:

Combinations of an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting bronchodilator include:

Triple therapy, a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and two long-acting bronchodilators, is recommended for those who continue to have shortness of breath or trouble breathing and are currently using LABA and LAMA combination therapy.

A 2018 research review found that triple therapy reduced flare-ups and improved lung function in people with advanced COPD.

However, it also indicated that pneumonia was more likely to develop with triple therapy than with a combination of two medications.

A common triple therapy combination includes fluticasone/vilanterol/umeclidinium (Trelegy Ellipta).

According to the ATS, your doctor may withdraw the inhaled corticosteroid from your treatment plan if you have not had a flare-up in the past year.

Roflumilast (Daliresp) is a type of drug called a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor. It comes as a pill you take once per day.

Roflumilast helps relieve inflammation, which can help improve airflow to your lungs if you have chronic bronchitis, severe COPD, or frequent exacerbations.

A doctor will likely prescribe this drug along with a long-acting bronchodilator.

Side effects of roflumilast may include:

Let a doctor know if you have liver problems or depression before taking this medication.

COPD flare-ups can cause increased levels of mucus in the lungs.

Mucoactive drugs help reduce mucus or thin it so you can more easily cough it up. They typically come in pill form and include:

  • carbocysteine
  • erdosteine
  • N-acetylcysteine

A 2019 study suggests that these medications may help reduce flare-ups and disability from COPD.

Potential side effects of these medications may include:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • stomach pain

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s important that people with COPD get a yearly flu vaccine.

A doctor may also recommend getting the following vaccines:

These vaccines reduce your risk of getting sick and can help you avoid infections and other COPD-related complications.

Learn more about vaccines for COPD.

Regular treatment with antibiotics may help manage COPD.

A 2018 research review indicated that consistent antibiotic treatment helped reduce COPD flare-ups.

However, the research showed that repeated antibiotic use can cause antibiotic resistance. It also found that azithromycin was associated with hearing loss as a side effect.

More studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of regular antibiotic use.

Several cancer drugs could possibly help reduce inflammation and limit damage from COPD.

A 2019 study found that the drug tyrphostin AG825 helped lower inflammation levels in zebrafish.

The medication also sped up the rate of death of neutrophils, which are cells that promote inflammation, in mice with inflamed lungs similar to COPD.

Research is still limited on using tyrphostin AG825 and similar drugs for COPD and other inflammatory conditions. Eventually, they may become a treatment option for COPD.

In some people, inflammation from COPD may be a result of eosinophilia.

A different 2019 study indicated that biologic drugs may be able to treat this form of COPD. Biologic drugs are created from living cells.

No biologics have been approved for the treatment of COPD. However, the following biologics that treat severe asthma are currently in clinical trials for COPD:

More research is needed on treating COPD with these biologic drugs.

What is the most common drug used for COPD?

Short-acting bronchodilators are the first-line treatment for COPD, according to the NHS.

What are the top 5 inhalers for COPD?

The best type of inhaler for COPD will vary from person to person. Inhalers may contain short-term bronchodilators, long-term bronchodilators, corticosteroids, or a combination of drugs.

What is the new drug for COPD?

Several biologics are currently in clinical trials for COPD.

Different types of medications treat different aspects and symptoms of COPD. A doctor will prescribe medications that will best treat your specific needs.

Questions you might ask a doctor about your treatment plan include:

  • How often should I use my COPD treatments?
  • Am I taking any other drugs that might interact with my COPD medications?
  • How long will I need to take my COPD medications?
  • What’s the proper way to use my inhaler?
  • What happens if I suddenly stop taking my COPD medications?
  • Besides taking medication, what lifestyle changes should I make to help relieve my COPD symptoms?
  • What should I do if I have a sudden worsening of symptoms?
  • How can I prevent side effects?

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