Adrenergic bronchodilators such as albuterol can help either prevent or treat a constriction of the bronchiole muscles in the lungs that can trigger an attack of asthma. Physicians may prescribe this medicine as a pill or inhaled drug. When inhaled, the person can take it through a rescue inhaler or nebulizer for an acute attack or as a preventive measure. People who suffer from COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also can benefit from albuterol use, the National Institutes of Health reports.
Shaking
Using albuterol can cause some common and serious side effects that require medical attention immediately, according to the Mayo Clinic indicates. For example, the medicine can induce shaking or trembling in the feet or hands. You may feel some shakiness in the legs and arms, as well. These side effects can indicate serious problems.
Arrhythmia
The other most common serious side effect of albuterol, according to the Mayo Clinic, affects the heart by changing the rhythm. You may feel the heart skipping beats because of new irregularities in the rhythm. You also may experience a racing heart rate, which doctors call tachycardia. Both of these arrhythmias may need medical aid immediately.
Swelling and Pain
Other less serious side effects also may occur when beginning to use albuterol, but these kinds of problems typically cease without intervention from a doctor, according to Drugs.com. The medicine may induce general feelings of pain and aches throughout the body. It also may cause the neck glands to swell, which can make them tender and painful. Headaches also may result from albuterol use. If such effects persist or feel as though they produce severe problems, seek a doctor's aid.
Vocal Alteration
At the first introduction of albuterol into the body, and potentially for a few days afterward, you may experience some changes in how your voice sounds, according to the Mayo Clinic. As you adjust to taking the medicine, this should rectify itself without attention from a medical professional.
Nervousness and Insomnia
Albuterol can make the person using it feel jittery and nervous upon first use. Nervousness associated with albuterol occurs without an external stimulus, but it may elevate if a reason for the feelings exists. This also can lead to another common, non-serious side effect of the drug--an inability to stay asleep or get to sleep.
Nausea and Vomiting
Most new medications disrupt the body system during initial use, often causing feelings of nausea and sometimes vomiting. These common and non-serious side effects can occur because of albuterol use.
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