Following are some warnings and precautions to be aware of with pirbuterol:
Tell your healthcare provider immediately if you are using pirbuterol more frequently than usual. Asthma symptoms can worsen very quickly and become a medical emergency.
Using pirbuterol alone is rarely the best asthma treatment. Your healthcare provider should consider adding additional asthma medications.
Rarely, pirbuterol can cause a worsening of bronchospasms (spasms of the airways) which is exactly the opposite of what should happen. Tell your healthcare provider immediately if pirbuterol makes your asthma worse.
Pirbuterol can have a stimulatory effect on the heart and blood pressure. A fast heart rate (tachycardia), high blood pressure (hypertension), and irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) may occur -- though low blood pressure (hypotension) is also possible. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, make sure your healthcare provider is aware of it. He or she may wish to use particular caution if he or she recommends pirbuterol in your case.
People with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), diabetes, or epilepsy should use caution when taking pirbuterol, as the medication may worsen these conditions or increase the risk of side effects.
Pirbuterol is considered a pregnancy Category C medication. This means that it may not be safe to use during pregnancy. Talk with your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of using pirbuterol during pregnancy (see Maxair and Pregnancy for more information).
It is not known if pirbuterol passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about using pirbuterol (see Maxair and Breastfeeding for more information).
Previous
Add this article to your Favorites
Email this article
Print