Asthma is a pretty unpleasant and even dangerous disease that requires strict monitoring by patient, suffering from it. Asthma is considered to be infectious and allergic disease, it is characterized by bronchospasm. Bronchoconstriction is a sudden contraction of bronchial walls muscles, accompanied by bronchi narrowing, which in its turn leads to deterioration in ventilation. As a consequence, there is an asthma attack, panic.
Ventolin Inhaler, instructions and reviews about which are described below, can help to facilitate patient’s condition and prevent bronchospasm attack.
Ventolin is anti-asthmatic drug used in treatment and prevention of various bronchial and pulmonary diseases, which lead to bronchial smooth muscles spasm. Ventolin for inhalation is a transparent liquid, rarely – of light-yellow color.
Active drug ingredient is salbutamol, which suppresses bronchial reactivity and contributes to prevention or elimination of bronchospasm phenomenon. Auxiliary components, that re included in Ventolin Inhaler drug composition, are described in instruction as substances that contribute to the most convenient introduction and uniform distribution of salbutamol in patient’s body.
Salbutamol when administered in airways affects bronchial smooth muscles, ensuring their complete relaxation, reducing airway resistance, as well as increasing inhaled air volume. In addition, Ventolin drug active substance stimulates bronchial glands secretion, and also activates bronchial ciliated epithelium, so that when you cough mucus is discharged. In therapeutic doses salbutamol – Ventolin drug active component – can cause decrease in blood pressure and heart palpitations.
Salbutamol decomposition products are excreted from the body with urine and partially with feces.
The drug is produced in the following forms:
- Ventolin Nebula. For inhalation special device is used – nebulizer. The solution is placed in opaque capsules of 2,5 ml. Carton package contains 10, 20 and 40 nebulas.
- Ventolin Evohaler. Aerosol spray with mouthpiece, which contains 100 g / 200 doses. Carton package contains one bottle.
As noted by instructions to Ventolin drug (for inhalation), the drug is indicated at:
- bronchial asthma – for relief and prevention of attacks, asthma treatment during exacerbations;
- chronic bronchitis;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with reversible obstruction;
- acute chronic bronchitis – https://medlineplus.gov/chronicbronchitis.html.
Regarding contraindications to Ventolin Inhaler, they can include increased sensitivity to one or more drug components. The medicine is contraindicated to pregnant women with threatened preterm labor or miscarriage, as well as to children under 2 years old.
Besides, special caution should be taken in case of:
- ischemic heart disease;
- cardiac abnormalities;
- aortic stenosis;
- diabetes in decompensation stage;
- hepatic and renal insufficiency;
- pregnancy and lactation.
Ventolin Inhaler instruction allows rarely to use this means for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. In this case expected benefit to the mother should significantly overweigh risk of abnormalities to the child or fetus. This warning is explained by the fact that in a number of studies there were cases of negative influence on the fetus, resulting in such pathologies as «cleft palate» and congenital limb deformities. On the other hand, causal relationship between medicine intake and fetus pathologies were not established because mothers undergoing tests were also taking other medical preparations. There is also no data about salbutamol influence on newborn babies, which is active ingredient of Ventolin drug. Doctors reviews therefore do not recommend taking the drug by lactating and pregnant women.
Side effects Ventolin medication can be divided into frequent, infrequent, rare and very rare. Frequent side effects include: headaches, dizziness, tachycardia and skeletal muscles tremor. Infrequent include: muscle spasms, heart palpations, throat and oral mucosa irritation. In rare cases there appear: hypokalemia and peripheral blood vessels expansion. Very rare, as reviews about Ventolin Inhaler from doctors and patients show, the drug causes: arrhythmia, hyperactivity, extrasystole, lactic acidosis, supraventricular tachycardia, as well as some allergic reactions, such as collapse or blood pressure reduction, urticaria fever, swelling or bronchospasm.
Instructions for Use
Solution for Inhalation
Instructions describes drug application using special device – nebulizer. Solution for inhalation should be prepared, supplementing it with sterile saline (total volume is 2 – 2,5 ml). A patient inhales the resulting solution through nebulizer until complete cessation of aerosol formation. At average, one inhalation procedure takes about 10 minutes.
Sometimes, in order to speed up effect, undiluted Ventolin drug solution is allowed to use, which dosage is appointed by doctor. In this case, inhalation procedure takes no more than 5 minutes.
It is important to carry out procedure in a well ventilated area and under direct physician supervision.
Using Ventolin aerosol for the first time or if the means has not been used for some time, you should remove safety cap from the container, squeezing its edges on the sides. Before use, it is necessary to shake the container and press on valve to make sure that aerosol mechanism is in working condition.
Having set mouthpiece, inhaler should again be shaken and the container should be positioned so that its bottom was directed upward, the pointer should hold inhaler in bottom region and the thumb must be positioned on the base and under mouthpiece.
Before direct drug application the patient should take a slow, deep breath and cover mouthpiece end with lips. Next you need to click on inhaler bottom with the pointer and simultaneously take a deep breath through your mouth. Having taken a dose of medication, you need to hold your breath for a few seconds and then slowly exhale. Next dose is taken in half a minute. Then mouthpiece is covered with the cap.
When administrating Ventolin, the patient in any case should not hurry. Using aerosol for the first time, you can practice standing in front of the mirror. If on inhaler top or in the corners of your mouth during procedure there will be traces of aerosol, administration procedure should be started again.
Mouthpiece cleaning should be carried out once a week, at the same time:
- before you wash the mouthpiece with running warm water, it is necessary to remove container from the plastic case and remove the cup;
- mouthpiece and the body are washed with running water, without overheating them at the same time;
- after all items are dry, insert container back into the case and close mouthpiece cup;
- container must not be put in the water.
Solution for Inhalation
Ventolin drug (nebulas for inhalation) instruction allows to take it diluted and undiluted. Method of administration and dosage are determined by attending physician, depending on patient’s age and health condition.
Children over 12 and adults:
- Diluted – 0,5 – 1,0 ml of Ventolin mixed with saline. Total amount is supposed to be 2,0 – 2,5 ml. Then the resulting solution should be placed into nebulizer and inhalation hold until cessation of aerosol formation.
- Undiluted – 2,0 ml of the drug are placed into nebulizer and inhalation is performed. At average, the procedure takes no more than 5 minutes.
Children from 2 to 12 years are assigned the drug in diluted form. 0,5 ml of Ventolin are diluted with saline to total volume 2,0 – 2,5 ml. Inhalation procedure is performed using nebulizer. Sometimes, physician in severe cases can increase drug dosage to 1,0 ml.
The number of procedures is appointed by doctor. Repeated inhalation is performed after 20 minutes, but not more than 4 times a day.
Children over 12 and adults:
- 100 – 200 g (1 – 2 injections) – at acute bronchospasm.
- 200 mg (2 injections) – prevention of acute bronchospasm episodes when exposed to allergens or physical exercise.
- 200 mg (2 injections) – maintenance therapy, which is assigned for a long time.
Children from 2 to 12 years:
- 100 mg (1 injection) – at acute bronchospasm attacks.
- 100 mg (1 injection) – prevention of bronchospasm attacks, 15 minutes before exposure to triggering factor.
- 100 mg (1 injection) – long-term maintenance therapy. Taken no more than 4 times a day.
Ventolin Inhaler: Inhalations for Children
The medicament may be administered for prevention and treatment of bronchospasm at children under 2 years. In rare cases, the drug is given to children from 18 months. Even more rarely, the preparation is applied at earlier age as there is no data on Ventolin impact on children under 18 months.
As Ventolin reviews show, it is prescribed most often for a small period of time, taking into account disease severity, child’s age, concomitant diseases, as well as other drugs reception.
If not possible to use aerosol or to enhance drug effectiveness, salbutamol introduction can be recommended via nebulizer. Dosage and frequency of salbutamol administration are appoint by doctor for each child individually.
Ventolin should not be taken with non-selective beta-blockers. Ventolin Inhaler can increase tachycardia at thyrotoxicosis. It can also increase effects of drugs that stimulate central nervous system. At patients receiving cardiac glycosides, the drug increases risk of arrhythmia. Probability of tachyarrhythmia occurrence increases when receiving Ventolin together with theophylline. After Ventolin and anticholinergics co-administration intraocular pressure may increase. During pregnancy, the drug should be used with great caution, as there may occur hyperglycemia and tachycardia at fetus and mother. This drug reception can also cause blood pressure decrease, poor uterine contraction strength and even pulmonary edema.
The medication should be kept in original packaging at a temperature no higher than 30 degrees, protected from direct sunlight. The means must not be frozen. Shelf life period is 2 years. Nebulas after opening should be stored no longer than three months. Solution in nebulizer, which was not fully used, can not be stored.
Reviews about Medicine
It is important to understand that for a positive effect you should carefully read the instructions to Ventolin drug, how to dilute this means and in what quantity.
In general, reviews about the drug are positive, many patients point out its good tolerability and sufficient efficacy in bronchospasm treatment. Very rare, there are some side effects such as headaches and dizziness, tachycardia and skeletal muscles tremor. To minimize them, the question about how to perform inhalation with Ventolin should be taken with extreme caution.