Long-Acting Beta-Agonists
Long-acting beta-agonists open the airways in the lungs by relaxing smooth muscle around the airways. They do not decrease swelling in the lungs and are used with inhaled steroids as a long-term control medication to open the airways in people with moderate to severe asthma, or other chronic lung disease.
Read about important points when using a long-acting beta-agonist.
Common long-acting beta-agonists include:
- Foradil® (formoterol)
- Serevent® (salmeterol)
- Brovana® (arformoterol)
- PerforomistTM (formoterol)
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- Opens the airways in the lungs by relaxing smooth muscle around the airways
- Does not reduce inflammation in the airways
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- Available as dry powder inhaler and nebulized solution
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Usually prescribed to take 2 times a day with an inhaled steroid
- Do not take it more often than prescribed
- Serevent is not a quick relief medicine and should not be taken to relieve asthma symptoms
- Talk with your doctor about side effects
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This information has been approved by Ronina Covar, MD
(May 2009).
