The mortality rate for asthma has risen because of the increase of allergen responses to such things as air pollution, the Patients Medical Center states. Asthma has gotten worse, too, perhaps because of the overuse of medication inhalers, the center reports. This has led to more emergency room visits where intravenous medications may be used to fight asthmatic attacks when standard inhaler or nebulizer treatments are not enough.
Nutrients
Intravenous or "IV" therapy can get nutrients such as magnesium and others into your body quickly to treat an acute asthma attack. Magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant that decreases the amount of swelling in the air passages throughout your lungs. This, in turn, helps you to breathe more easily.
Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate
Methylprednisolone sodium succinate, marketed as Solu-Medrol, is a corticosteriod, which is an anti-inflammatory. It may be used in an intravenous solution in the treatment of acute asthmatic symptoms, according to Drugs.com. It decreases the amount of inflammation in the airways as well as the lungs, which cause an increase in airflow in and out of the lungs. It also may be used for other inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and lupus. The affects from IV methylprednisolone can be felt typically about 45 minutes from the time that it is administered. It may be given as an IV push (a rapid infusion of the drug) or by a slow drip. It can cause some serious side effects such as high blood pressure, weakness in your muscles, a peptic ulcer, pancreatitis and others. Tell your physician about any effects you feel you may get from the IV use of the drug.
Dexamethasone
Decadron is a brand name of dexamethasone, another corticosteroid used in the treatment of acute asthmatic symptoms, which reacts faster for the person suffering from severe asthmatic symptoms. Shortness of breath and lung tension tends to rapidly decrease within minutes with dexamethasone, whereas methylprednisolone may take 45 minutes or longer for the effect to appear. Dexamethasone may cause some side effects, which include slowing down your heartbeat, cardiac arrest, hyperglycemia, hair thinning, headaches, euphoria and many others that can be serious, so tell your doctor if you experience any such effects.
