Arformoterol Oral Inhalation

Arformoterol inhalation is used to control wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema). Arformoterol 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?

Arformoterol 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. Inhale arformoterol at around the same times every day, and space your doses about 12 hours apart. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use arformoterol exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not swallow or inject arformoterol inhalation.

Do not use arformoterol inhalation 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 arformoterol, your doctor will probably tell you to stop using it regularly, but to continue to use it to treat attacks.

If your COPD symptoms become worse, if arformoterol inhalation becomes less effective, if you need more doses than usual of the medication you use to treat sudden attacks, or if the medication you use to treat attacks does not relieve your symptoms, your condition may be getting worse. Do not use extra doses of arformoterol. Call your doctor right away.

Arformoterol controls the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but does not cure the condition. Continue to use arformoterol even if you feel well. Do not stop using arformoterol without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop using arformoterol, your symptoms may worsen.

Americans see their primary care doctors less often than they did a decade ago. Adults under 65 made nearly 25% fewer visits to primary care providers in 2016 than they did in 2018, according to National Public Radio. In the same time period, the number of adults who went at least a year without visiting a primary care provider increased from 38% to 46%.

To use arformoterol inhalation, follow these steps:

1. Open the foil pouch by tearing through the rough edge along the edge of the pouch and remove the vial. Look at the solution in the vial to be sure it is colorless. If it is not colorless, call your doctor or pharmacist and do not use the solution.
2. Twist off the top of the vial and squeeze all of the liquid into the reservoir of your nebulizer. Do not add any other medications to the nebulizer because it may not be safe to mix them with arformoterol. Use all nebulized medications separately unless your doctor specifically tells you to mix them.
3. Connect the nebulizer reservoir to your mouthpiece or facemask.
4. Connect the nebulizer to the compressor.
5. Sit upright and place the mouthpiece in your mouth or put on the facemask.
6. Turn on the compressor.
7. Breathe calmly, deeply, and evenly until mist stops forming in the nebulizer. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.
8. Clean the nebulizer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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