Budesonide Oral Inhalation
Conditions Treated
Budesonide is used to prevent wheezing, shortness of breath, and troubled breathing caused by severe asthma and other lung diseases. It belongs to a class of drugs called corticosteroids. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Possible Side Effects
What Side Effects Can This Cause?
Budesonide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- dry or irritated mouth or throat
- cough
- difficult or painful speech
- dizziness
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- neck pain
- stomach pain
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- vision problems
- white spots or sores in your mouth
- swollen face, lower legs, or ankles
- cold or infection that lasts a long time
- muscle weakness
- increased difficulty in breathing
- skin rash
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- fever
- sore throat
- pain during urination
- muscle aches
If you have been switched from oral corticosteroids to budesonide and are slowly tapering off your dose of the oral medication and you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- joint or muscle pain
- increased difficulty in breathing
- tiredness
Usage Instructions
How Should This Medication Be Used
Budesonide comes as a powder to inhale by mouth. Budesonide is usually inhaled once or twice a day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use budesonide exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Budesonide controls symptoms of asthma and other lung diseases but does not cure them. Improvement in your asthma may occur as soon as 24 hours after taking the medication, but full effects may not be seen for 1 to 2 weeks after taking it regularly. Continue to use budesonide even if you feel well. Do not stop using budesonide without talking to your doctor. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve during the first 2 weeks or if they get worse. Do not use budesonide for rapid relief of asthma attacks. If you do not have another inhaler for prompt relief of breathing difficulties, ask your doctor to prescribe one. If your doctor has prescribed a bronchodilator (a drug to be inhaled for rapid relief of difficult breathing such as albuterol [Proventil, Ventolin]), use it several minutes before you use your budesonide. This helps the budesonide get into the deeper parts of your lungs. Call your doctor immediately if your asthma is not responding to usual treatment. Before you use budesonide the first time, read the written directions that come with it. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory therapist to show you the right way to use the inhaler. Practice using the inhaler in front of him or her, so you are sure you are doing it the right way. To use the inhaler, follow these steps:
What Dietary Instructions Should I Follow
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
Are There Any Special Instructions
Before using budesonide inhalation powder, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to budesonide or any other drugs. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially arthritis medications; aspirin; cimetidine (Tagamet); digoxin (Lanoxin); diuretics ('water pills'); estrogen (Premarin); ketoconazole (Nizoral); oral contraceptives (birth control pills); oral corticosteroids; phenobarbital (Donnatal, others); phenytoin (Dilantin); rifampin (Rifadin); theophylline (Theo-Dur); and vitamins or herbal products. if you have a fungal infection (other than on your skin), or any other type of infection, do not use budesonide without talking to your doctor. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had diabetes; thyroid problems; high blood pressure; mental illness; myasthenia gravis; osteoporosis; herpes eye infection; seizures; tuberculosis; ulcers; or liver, kidney, intestinal, or heart disease. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking budesonide. avoid exposure to chicken pox and measles. If you are exposed to them while using budesonide, call your doctor. Do not have a vaccination or other immunization unless directed to by your doctor.
Brand Names
Common Brand Names for This Medication
- Pulmicort®
- Symbicort® (as a combination product containing Budesonide, Formoterol)
Forgotten Doses
What Should I Do If I Forget A Dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Additional Information
What Are the Storage Conditions for this Medication?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
What Other Information Should I Know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. If your sputum (the stuff that you cough up during an asthma attack) thickens or changes color from clear white to yellow, green, or gray, call your doctor; these may be signs of an infection. Only a small amount of the budesonide powder is released into your lungs when you inhale. Therefore, you may not taste or sense the presence of any medication, but the medication will be working in your lungs. When there are 20 doses left in the budesonide inhaler, a red mark will appear in the indicator window. This is the time to get your budesonide inhaler refilled. When the red mark reaches the bottom of the window, your inhaler is empty. Discard it. (You may still hear a sound if you shake it; this sound is not the medication. It is the drying agent inside the inhaler.) Breathing or inhalation devices require regular cleaning. Follow the written directions for care and cleaning that comes with the inhaler. Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription. It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.