Side effects of salmeterol

Salmeterol-overview

It is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist drug that is currently prescribed for the treatment of asthma (a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways portrayed by bronchospasm, recurring symptoms, coughing, chest tightness, airflow obstruction, wheezing, and shortness of breath), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is extremely helpful while it widens the lungs’ airways, which means that is enables the person to breathe without difficulty.

Indications and precautions

Pregnant women, or those still nursing; people taking other medicine, or have allergies to some medicine or milk protein should consult a doctor before taking this medicine, while it may have some unwanted side-effects. Also, people with liver problems, high blood pressure, or those that may experience seizures should not take this medicine without consulting a specialist.

People allergic to any ingredient of this medicine, or those having a severe asthma attack should not, by any case, take this drug. Also, when one is using another remedy that has a long-acting beta agonist, the taking of salmeterol is strictly forbidden in such cases.

There are some medicine that may interact with this drug, therefore, if one is taking one of them, they need to consult a doctor before proceeding with the treatment, because the potential complications are numerous and can be very harmful to the person's health.

Beta-blockers can worsen one’s condition; Diuretics increase the risk of an abnormal heartbeat; Azole antifungals, nefazodone, or macrolide antibiotics also may raise the risk of arrhythmia. Long-acting beta-agonists or tricyclic antidepressants amplify significantly the risk of side-effects appearing.

Side-effects

The most common and relatively harmless side-effects include headaches, nervousness, stuffy nose, tremor, nasal or sinus congestion, throat irritation.

However, there are more serious side-effects, and, in case they appear, one should go to a doctor for further advice. These include: swelling (of the mouth, face, etc.), persistent headaches, irregular heartbeat, worsening asthma symptoms, chest pain, and severe muscle pain.

However, side-effects may appear depending on which part of the body they affect the most. For instance, if they affect the respiratory system, the side-effects will be cough and oropharyngeal irritation. For the nervous system, side-effects are nervousness or, sometimes, vertigo. Side-effects that appear affecting the cardiovascular system are angina, arrhythmia, and, at times, myocardial ischemia. A main gastrointestinal side-effect when using the medication is diarrhea, which will be accompanied with other problems that related to the digestion process and the stomach and intestines in general.