Salbutamol Syrup: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Salbutamol Syrup is a fast-acting bronchodilator that relaxes and opens the airways in the lungs. It is used to relieve wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathlessness caused by asthma and other breathing conditions like COPD. It belongs to a class of medicines called short-acting beta-2 adrenergic agonists (SABAs). It works within minutes and its effects can last several hours.

What is Salbutamol Syrup

Salbutamol Syrup is a fast-acting bronchodilator medicine that relaxes and opens up the airways in the lungs. It is used to relieve wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathlessness caused by asthma and other breathing conditions like COPD. Its generic name is Salbutamol, and it belongs to the drug class known as short-acting beta-2 adrenergic agonists (SABA), a type of bronchodilator.

Salbutamol Syrup uses

• Acute severe asthma
• Severe bronchospasm (sudden tightening of the airway muscles)
• Relief of asthma or bronchospasm symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• Preventing asthma symptoms triggered by exercise or exposure to allergens like pollen, dust or animal fur

Benefits of Salbutamol Syrup

• Relieves wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathlessness quickly
• Starts working within minutes and effects can last several hours
• Helps prevent breathing symptoms triggered by exercise or allergens when taken beforehand

How Salbutamol Syrup works

Salbutamol works by stimulating specific receptors (beta-2 adrenoceptors) in the muscles lining your airways, causing them to relax and widen. This makes it easier to breathe for a few hours.

Salbutamol Syrup dosage

Shake the bottle before use. Use the oral syringe or measuring device that comes with your medication to measure your dose accurately. It can be swallowed with or without food, though tablets and syrup should ideally be taken on an empty stomach, about 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals, according to some sources. It is usually taken 3 to 4 times a day, with doses spaced evenly throughout the day. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is nearly time for your next dose — do not double up.

Available forms and strengths

• Oral syrup
• Oral tablet
• Metered-dose aerosol inhaler
• Inhalation powder (dry powder inhaler)
• Solution for inhalation (nebulizer)
• Intravenous injection
• Intramuscular injection
• Subcutaneous injection

Side effects of Salbutamol Syrup

Common

• Feeling shaky or trembling
• Faster or stronger heartbeat (palpitations) that usually improves with time
• Headache
• Muscle cramps
• Nervousness
• Dizziness

Serious

• Allergic reaction, including swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, itchy rash, feeling faint or light-headed, and collapse
• Irregular or fast heartbeat that does not get better
• Low potassium levels in the blood, which can cause muscle weakness, cramps or a noticeable heartbeat
• Chest pain due to heart problems such as angina
• New or worsening breathlessness
• Lactic acidosis (reported rarely with intravenous and nebulized use)
• Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs, reported uncommonly with injections and infusions)
• Paradoxical bronchospasm (sudden worsening of breathing directly after use)

Warnings and precautions

• If your breathing suddenly gets worse after using salbutamol, contact your doctor right away. Needing to use this medicine more often than usual can mean your breathing condition is getting worse — follow your asthma action plan or contact your doctor for advice rather than using more on your own. 
• Do not stop using this medicine unless your doctor tells you to, even if you notice your heart beating faster or stronger than usual, as this is usually harmless but should be discussed with your doctor. 
• Taking too much salbutamol can be dangerous and can be fatal, so never take more than the recommended dose.
• Talk to your doctor before using salbutamol if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, as your doctor will decide whether it is appropriate for you. 
• Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, as salbutamol is not usually recommended while breastfeeding unless your doctor decides the benefits outweigh the risks, since it isn't known if it can affect a nursing baby.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems before using this medicine, as it may need to be used with caution. Tell your doctor if you have liver problems before using this medicine, as it may need to be used with caution. It is not clearly known how salbutamol interacts with alcohol, so it's best to ask your doctor before drinking alcohol while taking this medicine.

Storage

• Store below 77-86°F (25-30°C) or as recommended
• Keep out of sight and reach of children
• Store at room temperature (below 30°C), away from light and moisture
• Do not refrigerate or freeze

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you take too much salbutamol, even if you feel fine — an overdose can be serious
• Seek emergency care immediately for signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue, severe difficulty breathing, tightness in the throat, skin turning blue, grey or pale, sudden confusion or drowsiness, or fainting
• Get emergency help immediately if you have new or worsening breathlessness or chest pain
• Contact a doctor right away if you have muscle pain, weakness, cramps, or a noticeable irregular heartbeat, as this can signal low potassium levels, or if you have a fast irregular heartbeat that doesn't improve, or very bad dizziness or light-headedness

Alternatives

• Salbutamol Inhaler
• Theophylline Tablet
• Montelukast Tablet