Prevents asthma attacks and treats other lung problems such as chronic bronchitis
Brand Names:
Serevent Diskus
Contraindications:
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to salmeterol. This medicine is not to be used during an asthma attack
Uses:
Liquid Under Pressure, Powder Under Pressure
Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to.
Serevent® is a liquid that is inhaled with a device called a metered-dose inhaler. The inhaler fits on the medicine canister and turns the medicine into a fine spray that you breathe in through your mouth and to your lungs. You may be told to use a spacer, which is a tube that is placed between the inhaler and your mouth. Your caregiver will show you how to use your inhaler and the spacer (if needed).
Serevent Diskus® is a powder that is used with its own special inhaler device. Individually measured doses of the powder are held in a foil blister package that is placed into the Diskus®. The Diskus® pierces each blister one at a time to load the correct dose into the chamber when you are ready to use the medicine.
This medicine comes with patient instructions about how to use the inhaler devices. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about how to use the inhaler.
If a dose is missed:
If you miss a dose or forget to use your medicine, use it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to use the medicine and skip the missed dose.
Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.
Storage:
Store this medicine at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, 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.
Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and never share your medicine with anyone.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
Make sure your doctor knows if you are also using any blood pressure medicines or diuretics (water pills) or if you have used medicine for depression such as amitriptyline or an MAO inhibitor (Eldepryl®, Marplan®, Nardil®, Parnate®) within the past 2 weeks.
This medicine should not be used together with similar inhaled medicines such as salmeterol/fluticasone (Advair®), formoterol (Floradil®).
Warnings:
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid disease.
This medicine will not stop an asthma attack that has already started. Your doctor may prescribe another medicine for you to use in case of an acute asthma attack. If the other medicine does not work as well, or if you have used more than 4 puffs daily for 2 days in a row, tell your doctor right away.
If you use any type of corticosteroid medicine to control your asthma, keep using it as ordered by your doctor. This includes corticosteroid medicines that are taken by mouth or inhaled (such as prednisone, Azmacort®, Deltasone®, Flovent®).
If any of your asthma medicines do not seem to be working as well as usual, call your doctor right away. Do not change your doses or stop using your medicines without asking your doctor.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in face or hands, swelling or tingling in the mouth or throat, tightness in chest, trouble breathing
Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
Increased asthma or other breathing problems
Lightheadedness or fainting
Seizures
Cough, fever, chills, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose
