Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler, generically called Ipratropium, is a bronchodilator (anticholinergic/antimuscarinic) that is breathed in to help open the airways in the lungs. It is used to control symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD. It works by blocking a chemical that tightens airway muscles, allowing the airways to relax and open up.

What is Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler

Ipratropium is a medicine you breathe in that helps open up the airways in your lungs. It is used to control symptoms of lung diseases like asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, and to help with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler uses

• Helps control symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema
• Treats airflow blockage and helps prevent COPD from getting worse
• Used for severe asthma flare-ups (not as a first choice treatment)
• Nasal spray form can relieve a runny nose from allergies or non-allergic rhinitis
• Used in intensive care units to help clear mucus from the airways of patients on breathing machines

Benefits of Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler

• Opens up narrowed airways so breathing is easier
• Helps reduce mucus and tightness in the airways caused by muscle contraction

How Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler works

When you breathe it in, ipratropium blocks a chemical in your body called acetylcholine, which normally causes the muscles around your airways to tighten. By blocking this chemical, the medicine relaxes those muscles, so your airways open up and breathing gets easier.

Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler dosage

Use this medicine only the way your doctor tells you to — do not use more or use it more often than ordered. Do not stop using it without talking to your doctor first, as this can make your lung condition worse. Keep the spray away from your eyes; closing your eyes while inhaling can help avoid this, since contact with the eyes can cause pain, blurred vision, or discomfort. If you take this medicine every day, use it at evenly spaced times as your doctor directs.

Before first use, or if you haven't used the inhaler for a few days, you need to prime or test it first. Shake the inhaler gently a few times before each use. Breathe out slowly before using the inhaler, then breathe in slowly and deeply while pressing the canister. Hold your breath for a few seconds after inhaling to let the medicine settle into your lungs. If using more than one puff, shake the inhaler again and repeat the same steps for each puff.

Clean the inhaler mouthpiece and any spacer device regularly, as instructed. If using a nebulizer, follow your doctor's instructions on preparing and using the solution, and use only the type of nebulizer recommended for you. Do not use this medicine for a sudden breathing attack — use a fast-acting rescue inhaler instead for sudden symptoms. Rinse your mouth after inhaling to help prevent mouth infections. This medicine is usually used at the same time each day regardless of meals.

Available forms and strengths

• Inhalation aerosol (inhaler) — 20 mcg per puff
• Inhalation solution (for nebulizer)
• Nasal spray

Side effects of Ipratropium Bromide Inhaler

Common

• Dry mouth
• Unpleasant taste
• Back pain
• Headache
• Cough, sometimes with mucus
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Trouble sleeping
• Upset stomach or heartburn

Serious

• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or wheezing that gets worse after use
• Bladder pain, difficulty or painful urination, frequent urge to urinate, or blood/cloudiness in urine
• Allergic reaction: rash, itching, hives, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing/swallowing
• Sudden eye pain, blurred vision, seeing halos around lights, or vision loss
• Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
• Fainting or dizziness when standing up suddenly

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause serious allergic reactions, including a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. Stop using it and call your doctor right away if you get a rash, itching, hives, hoarseness, trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat.
• This medicine can sometimes cause your breathing or wheezing to suddenly get worse instead of better, which can be life-threatening. Stop using it and check with your doctor right away if you cough, have difficulty breathing, or wheeze after using it.
• This medicine is not for treating a sudden asthma or COPD attack. Use a fast-acting rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms instead.
• Do not take other medicines, including over-the-counter products for allergies, colds, or appetite control, or herbal/vitamin supplements, without discussing them with your doctor first.
• Use this medicine carefully if you have glaucoma, an enlarged prostate, or trouble urinating, as it may make these conditions worse.
• This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy unless your doctor decides it is necessary. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant before using it.
• There isn't enough research on how this medicine affects breastfeeding infants. Your doctor will weigh the benefits against possible risks before you use it while breastfeeding.
• Use this medicine carefully if you have kidney problems, since there isn't much research on its effects in this group.
• Use this medicine carefully if you have liver problems, since there isn't much research on its effects in this group.
• It isn't known exactly how this medicine interacts with alcohol. Check with your doctor before drinking alcohol while using it.
• This medicine can cause dizziness or blurred vision. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store the canister at room temperature, away from heat and direct light
• Do not freeze
• Do not keep this medicine inside a car where it could be exposed to extreme heat or cold
• Do not poke holes in the canister or throw it into a fire, even if the canister is empty
• Keep out of the reach of children
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed
• Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use
• Store nebulizer solution bottles in the refrigerator between treatments
• Throw away the inhaler when the dose counter reads zero or after the expiration date, whichever comes first

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing.
• Get medical help right away if your breathing or wheezing suddenly gets worse after using this medicine.
• Check with your doctor right away if your symptoms don't improve within 30 minutes of a dose, or if your condition gets worse.
• Get medical help right away for sudden eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurry vision, seeing halos around lights, or loss of vision.
• Get medical help right away if you have trouble passing urine.
• If you think you've taken too much of this medicine, get emergency help right away.

Alternatives

• Atrovent
• Combivent
• Glycopyrrolate