Bronchodilator Medication for COPD

Bronchodilators help open the airways in the lungs by relaxing smooth muscle around the airways. Bronchodinator medication can be short or long acting.

Short-Acting Bronchodilators 

• These work quickly (within 15-20 minutes) to help decrease shortness of breath. They are sometimes described as "rescue" or "quick-reliever" medications. Your doctor may prescribe a short-acting beta-agonist to use as-needed to decrease shortness of breath or every day. Common short-acting inhaled beta-agonists include:
  • Proventil HFA®, ProAir®, Ventolin HFA® (albuterol)
  • Xopenex® (levalbuterol)
  • Maxair® (pirbuterol)
  • Atrovent® (ipatropium)
• Combivent® (albuterol and ipatropium) is a common combination short-acting inhaled bronchodilator.  Some people feel less shortness of breath with a combination of medications.

Long-Acting Bronchodilators

• These medications are long-acting and their effects last for a long time.  Therefore these medications should not be used for acute shortness of breath in in an emergency.  Long-acting bronchodilators are used regularly to open the airways and keep them open.
• Spiriva® (tiotropium) is a long-acting bronchodilator (anticholinergic).  Spiriva is inhaled once every 24 hours.
• Other common long-acting inhaled bronchodilators are often inhaled every 12 hours.  They include:
  • Serevent® (salmeterol)
  • Foradil® (formoterol)   

Combination Long-Acting Bronchodilator and Anti-Inflammatory Medications

These combination medications combine two medications that are used to manage COPD in one device, a long-acting bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory medication.  They are taken every 12 hours.

• Common combination long-acting bronchodilator and anit-inflammatory medications include:
  • Advair® (Flovent® and Serevent®)
  • Symbicort® (Pulmicort® and Foradil®)

This information has been approved by Russ Bowler, MD, PhD (June 2009).