Bronchodilators, Adrenergic (Inhalation)

Category

• Bronchodilator - Albuterol; Bitolterol; Epinephrine; Fenoterol; Formoterol; Isoetharine; Isoproterenol; Metaproterenol; Pirbuterol; Procaterol; Racepinephrine; Salmeterol; Terbutaline
• Croup therapy agent - Epinephrine

Description

Adrenergic bronchodilators are medicines that are breathed in through the mouth to open up the bronchial tubes (air passages) of the lungs. Some of these medicines are used to treat the symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases, while others are used to prevent the symptoms.

Salmeterol is a long-acting bronchodilator that is used with anti-inflammatory medication to prevent asthma attacks. Salmeterol is different from the other adrenergic bronchodilators because it does not act quickly enough to relieve an asthma attack that has already started .

Some of these medicines are also breathed in through the mouth to prevent bronchospasm (wheezing or difficulty in breathing) caused by exercise. Also, epinephrine may be used in the treatment of croup.

All of these medicines, except some epinephrine preparations, are available only with your doctor's prescription. Although some of the epinephrine preparations are available without a prescription, your doctor may have special instructions on the proper dose of epinephrine for your medical condition.

These medicines are available in the following dosage forms:

Inhalation
• Albuterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)
  • Inhalation solution (U.S. and Canada)
  • Powder for inhalation (U.S. and Canada)
• Bitolterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (Not commercially available)
  • Inhalation solution (Not commercially available)
• Epinephrine
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)
  • Inhalation solution (U.S. and Canada)
• Fenoterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (Canada)
  • Inhalation solution (Canada)
• Formoterol
  • for inhalation (U.S. and Canada)
• Isoetharine
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S.)
  • Inhalation solution (U.S.)
• Isoproterenol
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)
  • Inhalation solution (U.S. and Canada)
• Metaproterenol
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)
  • Inhalation solution (U.S. and Canada)
• Pirbuterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)
• Procaterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (Canada)
• Salmeterol
  • Inhalation aerosol (Canada)
  • Powder for inhalation (U.S.Canada)
• Terbutaline
  • Inhalation aerosol (U.S. and Canada)

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S. -

• Adrenalin Chloride ³
• Airet ¹
• Alupent ⁸
• Arm-a-Med Isoetharine ⁶
• Arm-a-Med Metaproterenol ⁸
• Asthmahaler Mist ³
• AsthmaNefrin ³
• Beta-2 ⁶
• Brethaire ¹²
• Bronkaid Mist ³
• Bronkaid Suspension Mist ³
• Bronkometer ⁶
• Bronkosol ⁶
• Dey-Lute Isoetharine ⁶
• Dey-Lute Metaproterenol ⁸
• Foradil ⁵
• Isuprel ⁷
• Isuprel Mistometer ⁷
• Maxair ⁹
• Maxair Autohaler ⁹
• Medihaler-Iso ⁷
• microNefrin ³
• Nephron ³
• Primatene Mist ³
• Proventil ¹
• Proventil HFA ¹
• S-2 ³
• Serevent Diskus ¹¹
• Vaponefrin ³
• Ventolin ¹
• Ventolin HFA ¹
• Ventolin Nebules ¹
• Ventolin Rotacaps ¹

# Salmeterol xinafoate with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as an inhalation aerosol was voluntarily withdrawn from the U.S. market by GlaxoSmithKline on 06/2003.

In Canada -

• Alupent ⁸
• Apo-Salvent ¹
• Berotec ⁴
• Bricanyl Turbuhaler ¹²
• Bronkaid Mistometer ³
• Foradil ⁵
• Gen-Salbutamol Sterinebs P.F. ¹
• Isuprel ⁷
• Isuprel Mistometer ⁷
• Maxair ⁹
• Novo-Salmol ¹
• Oxeze Turbuhaler ⁵
• Pro-Air ¹⁰
• Serevent ¹¹
• Serevent Diskhaler ¹¹
• Serevent Diskus ¹¹
• Vaponefrin ³
• Ventodisk ¹
• Ventolin ¹
• Ventolin Nebules P.F. ¹
• Ventolin Rotacaps ¹

Other commonly used names are:

• Adrenaline
• Orciprenaline
• Salbutamol

* Not commercially available in the U.S.