How Often Can You Take Albuterol Sulfate Inhaler?

Adults and children 4 years of age and older—

Two puffs every 4 to 6 hours as needed

.

Can you take too much albuterol?

An overdose of albuterol can be fatal

.

Overdose symptoms may include dry mouth, tremors, chest pain, fast heartbeats, nausea, general ill feeling, seizure, feeling light-headed or fainting. Rinse with water if this medicine gets in your eyes.

How long should you wait between puffs of albuterol?

For inhaled quick-relief medicine (like albuterol), wait

about 1 minute

between puffs. There is no need to wait between puffs for other medicines.

What happens if I use my inhaler too much?

What if I use too much? If you use your inhaler too much, you may notice that

your heart beats more quickly than normal and that you feel shaky

. These side effects are not dangerous, as long as you do not also have chest pain. They usually go away within 30 minutes or a few hours at most.

Can you use albuterol more than every 4 hours?

Adults and kids over age 4 in need of albuterol to prevent or treat bronchospasms can take

two puffs every four to six hours

, Horovitz said. To prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm, the Mayo Clinic says adults and children over 4 can take two inhaler puffs about 15 to 30 minutes before exercise.

Can I give albuterol every 2 hours?

If you are having worsened asthma symptoms and need quick relief, you can safely use your

inhaler as often as every 30-60 minutes for 2-3 hours

without significant risk of harmful side effects.

When should you not take albuterol?

1. overactive thyroid gland.
2. diabetes.
3. a metabolic condition where the body cannot adequately use sugars called ketoacidosis.
4. excess body acid.
5. low amount of potassium in the blood.
6. high blood pressure.
7. diminished blood flow through arteries of the heart.
8. a low supply of oxygen rich blood to the heart.

Can albuterol damage your lungs?

This medicine

may cause paradoxical bronchospasm

, which means your breathing or wheezing will get worse. This may be life-threatening. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or wheezing after using this medicine.

Is it OK to use albuterol every day?

If you are using your inhaler more often or if it only lasts a few months, it might indicate your asthma is not well-controlled, and you might want to speak with your doctor about a

daily medication

. Overuse of albuterol can be dangerous and could have potential health consequences.

Can I drink water after using albuterol inhaler?

If you are using a corticosteroid inhaler, gargle and rinse out your mouth with water after use.

Do not swallow the water

. Swallowing the water will increase the chance that the medicine will get into your bloodstream.

What happens if you use an inhaler and don’t need it?

The bronchodilator inhaler, or “reliever medication”, is used to relieve

spasms

in the airway muscles. If you don’t have spasms, it will have no effect on the airways but potential side effects include a racing heart beat and feeling very shaky.

What happens if you take 3 puffs of inhaler?

In general, 1 – 2 puffs every 4 to 6 hours should provide adequate rescue control of your prescribed bronchodilator. Over use, either by way of more than 2 puffs or more frequently than every 6 hours can produce a rapid or irregular heartbeat, an elevation of blood pressure, shakiness, nervousness and vomiting.

How many puffs of an albuterol inhaler is too much?

FDA-approved labeling recommends to

not exceed 12 puffs/day

. For acute asthma exacerbations, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) Expert Panel recommends 4 to 8 puffs every 20 minutes for 3 doses, then 4 to 8 puffs every 1 to 4 hours as needed.

Does albuterol break up mucus?

It is a bronchodilator that makes breathing easier by relaxing and opening airways to the lungs. Albuterol may be recommended right before chest physical therapy so that

mucus from the lungs can be coughed up easier and eliminated

.

What happens if you take albuterol and you don’t need it?

Take as directed

Albuterol comes with risks if you don’t take it as prescribed. If you stop taking the drug or don’t take it at all: If you don’t take albuterol at all,

your asthma might get worse

. This can lead to irreversible scarring of your airway. You’ll likely have shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.

How many times a day can you use albuterol nebulizer?

Albuterol nebulizer (Accuneb) can be used

3 to 4 times a day

. Don’t use more or take extra doses without first talking to your doctor.