The medication albuterol, used primarily to treat acute attacks of asthma, acts to open up breathing passages. In the United States, albuterol comes in an inhalable form, used in a nebulizer or inhaler device, and in an oral form, available as tablets or syrup. Albuterol also comes in an injectable form, but it is not available in the United States. As with any medication, albuterol can cause some bothersome side effects.
Uses
Albuterol is approved for use as a bronchodilator, to open up constricted breathing passages--the bronchi--in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and to prevent exercise-induced spasms of the bronchi. Some doctors use albuterol to treat patients with hyperkalemia, an elevated level of potassium in the blood.
Actions
Albuterol acts as an agonist, or mimic, of the natural substances that bind the beta 2 adrenergic receptors in the lungs. When activated, these receptors cause the smooth muscle in the bronchi to relax, widening the tubes and allowing more oxygen to flow to the lungs. Other parts of the body use beta adrenergic receptors to control smooth muscle, so side effects can occur.
Common Side Effects
One of the most common side effects of inhaled albuterol as a pounding, racing heartbeat and pulse. Patients taking oral albuterol can also experience these cardiac side effects, but MayoClinic.com classifies their occurrence as "less common." Cardiac effects of albuterol occur because the smooth muscle of the heart also has beta 2 adrenergic receptors that can bind to albuterol, although less avidly than receptors in the lungs. Patients commonly experience shakiness or trembling in the hands, arms, legs and feet after using inhaled albuterol or oral albuterol. Patients should seek advice from their doctors if they persistently experience one or more of these more common side effects: voice changes, difficulty swallowing, body aches and fever, or congestion and runny nose.
Incidence
According to the Merck Manual, the precise incidence of side effects from albuterol varies with the age of the user, the dosage administered and the route of administration. In general, chilldren and the elderly tend to be more sensitive to albuterol and use lower doses in an attempt to avoid side effects. While oral preparations of albuterol cause fewer cardiac side effects than inhaled albuterol, the incidence of other side effects is similar.
Warning
In September 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to consumers concerning a shipment of albuterol stolen earlier that month. The notice warns consumers not to use particular lot numbers of albuterol (3 ml vials of Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution, 0.083 percent) manufactured by Dey L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan, Inc. and purchased after September 8, 2009, the date of the theft. The concern is that the vials of medication might endanger users because of the possibility they were not stored and handled properly. Albuterol should be stored at room temperature, avoiding extreme heat or cold as well as moisture or direct light.
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