Pirbuterol

If you suffer from bronchospasms due to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), your healthcare provider may prescribe pirbuterol. This prescription medication can be used regularly to help prevent asthma attacks or only during an attack to control asthma symptoms. Some common side effects of pirbuterol include nausea, headaches, and nervousness. Among the factors that can affect the pirbuterol dosage your healthcare provider prescribes are the severity of your asthma or other respiratory problems and other medications you may be taking.

 

What Is Pirbuterol?

Pirbuterol acetate (Maxair®) is a prescription medication that is used to prevent or treat bronchospasms. Bronchospasms are most common in people with asthma. However, they can also occur in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
 
(Click What Is Pirbuterol Used For? for more information on specific pirbuterol uses, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes Pirbuterol?

Pirbuterol is made by the Graceway Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does Pirbuterol Work?

Normally, air moves easily into and out of the lungs through a network of airways. During an asthma attack, however, the muscles around these airways tighten. This narrows the airways and makes it harder to breathe. This is called bronchospasm.
 
Pirbuterol is part of a class of drugs called beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, or beta agonists for short. Beta agonists stimulate beta receptors in the body, including those on the muscles around airways. This stimulation causes the muscles to relax, which opens up the airways and allows more air to get into and through the lungs.
 
Pirbuterol also has some effects on decreasing the activity of mast cells in the lungs, which play an important role in inflammation and allergic reactions.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;