Formoterol Oral Inhalation

Formoterol oral inhalation is used to control wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema). Formoterol is in a class of medications called long-acting beta agonists (LABAs). It works by relaxing and opening air passages in the lungs, making it easier to breathe.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Formoterol oral inhalation comes as a solution (liquid) to inhale by mouth using a nebulizer (machine that turns medication into a mist that can be inhaled). It is usually inhaled twice a day in the morning and the evening about 12 hours after you inhaled your last dose. Inhale formoterol at about the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use formoterol exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not use formoterol to treat sudden attacks of COPD. Your doctor will prescribe a short-acting beta agonist medication such as albuterol (Accuneb, Proair, Proventil, Ventolin) to use during attacks. If you were using this type of medication on a regular basis before you began treatment with formoterol, your doctor will probably tell you to stop using it regularly, but to continue to use it to treat attacks.

Formoterol inhalation should not be used to treat COPD that is quickly getting worse. Call your doctor or get emergency medical help if your breathing problems worsen, if you have to use your short-acting inhaler to treat attacks of COPD more often, or if your short-acting inhaler does not relieve your symptoms.

Formoterol inhalation may help control your symptoms but will not cure your condition. Do not stop using formoterol without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop using formoterol, your symptoms may worsen.

To inhale the solution using a nebulizer, follow these steps:

1. Remove one vial of formoterol inhalation solution from the foil pouch.
2. Look at the liquid in the vial. It should be clear and colorless. Do not use the vial if the liquid is cloudy or discolored.
3. Twist off the top of the vial and squeeze all of the liquid into the nebulizer reservoir. Do not mix other medications with formoterol in the reservoir.
4. Connect the nebulizer reservoir to the mouthpiece or face mask.
5. Connect the nebulizer to the compressor.
6. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth or put on the face mask. Sit in an upright, comfortable position and turn on the compressor.
7. Breathe in calmly, deeply, and evenly for about 9 minutes until mist stops forming in the nebulizer chamber.
8. Dispose of the empty vial and its top safely, so that they are out of the reach of children.

Clean your nebulizer regularly. Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about cleaning your nebulizer.

Part of the reason for these long wait times and short appointments is due to a nationwide shortage of physicians that is only getting worse. A report by the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that, due to population growth and specifically growth of the elderly population, the physician shortfall in the U.S. could reach 121,300 by the year 2030.

Do not mix the formoterol solution with other inhalation solutions in your nebulizer.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.