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Kinds of Asthma Medicines
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What is Asthma? | Triggers: Know Your Troublemakers SINCE EVERYONE'S ASTHMA IS DIFFERENT, asthma medicines come in different forms: liquids, pills, powders, vapors, and injections. Medicines are given in different ways to different people. Some take regular daily doses. Others take medicine only when they expect to encounter an asthma trigger or when they feel early warning signs of an asthma episode. Still others get regular doses plus special doses when triggers or symptoms appear. Although drug companies sell asthma medicines under many brand names, there are only a few major types of asthma medicines. Steroids (stee-roids) are a group of anti-inflammatory drugs related to cortisone. They help reduce or stop inflammatory reactions in the airways. Steroids are the most effective anti-inflammatory drugs used for asthma treatment. Steroids may be taken by mouth or breathed into the lungs using an inhaler. If your doctor prescribes an inhaled drug, follow these steps when you use the inhaler: 1. Shake the inhaler well.At least twice a week, take apart the mouthpiece and wash it with soap and water or alcohol. Always keep a full spare canister. If you use inhalers for both bronchodilators and steroids, use the bronchodilator first. Steroids can be extremely helpful in treating severe asthma, but when taken by mouth they can have many side effects. Inhaled steroids have far fewer side effects. Doctors try to use the smallest amounts necessary to do the job. Some side effects, like weight gain and fluid retention, disappear when steroids are reduced or stopped, so they cause no great concern. But if oral steroids are taken daily for months or years, they may have serious long-term effects. Your doctor may try to reduce the side effects by having you take steroids every other day rather than daily or by switching from oral steroids to inhaled steroids. Steroids should never be stopped suddenly, but should be gradually reduced according to your doctor's directions. Cromolyn (krow-mow-lin) sodium, nedocromil sodium and other types of anti-inflammatory drugs help to stop allergy-related narrowing of the airways. Cromolyn also helps stop the airway narrowing that occurs after exercise and after exposure to cold air and some air pollutants. It is used to prevent asthma episodes, but is of no use after an episode starts. It cannot be taken by mouth, but is breathed in using an inhaler. It rarely causes any unwanted side effects. Theophylline (thee-ahf-ah-lin) is a widely used drug for asthma. It relaxes and opens airways that tighten during an asthma episode, and so it is known as a "bronchodilator." It is usually taken by mouth, but in severe episodes a similar drug can be injected directly into the bloodstream. Theophylline enemas and suppositories are also available but are used less often. Theophylline can be used daily without losing its effectiveness or causing unwanted side effects. But side effects can occur if the dosage is too high for you. Tell your doctor if you have nausea, vomiting, stomachaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, headaches, or irritability. People differ in the amount of theophylline they need to take to control their asthma. Your doctor may want to check the drug level in your blood from time to time to be sure you are taking exactly the right amount for you. Inhaled bronchodilators are medicines that are breathed into the lungs, using an inhaler. They act to open the airways. A newer form of inhaled bronchodilator is ipratropium bromide. It may be helpful for some patients. These drugs are widely used in treating asthma. If your doctor prescribes one for you, be sure to follow his or her directions care fully. They are powerful drugs, and some people harm themselves by using too much. Others fail to get the benefit of the drugs by not using the inhaler properly. Your doctor may prescribe a metered dose dispenser-inhaler, which is designed to release a measured amount of medicine for each use. If you have trouble using the inhaler, your doctor also can prescribe a spacer or holding chamber device to help use the inhaler more easily. If you use an inhaler, follow the directions under "steroids." Oral Bronchodilators (or-ul-bron-ko-di-laters) are medications similar to the ones inhaled but made up in tablet form. They work more slowly drugs. Some doctors prefer them for patient convenience. Side effects such as tremor and nervousness may occur. Adrenaline (uh-dren-uh-lin) is one of the most powerful drugs for helping to open the airways. It's action is strong but brief, and it cannot be taken by mouth. It must be given by injection. For these reasons, it is used to treat severe asthma episodes only.
If you cannot tell from the labels which of these groups your medicines belong to, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Prescribing medicines is your doctor's job, but managing their use is yours. It is very important for you to know what you are taking and why, so that you use it the right way. In the space on the right or in your notebook, write down the name of each asthma medicine you take, when and how much you take, what you should expect it to do for you, and what side effects you should watch for. List all of the asthma medicines you take, when and how much you take, what you should expect your medicines to do for you, and what side effects you should watch for.
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