Foradil

Foradil is a prescription medication used to treat breathing difficulties caused by asthma, exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Foradil belongs to a group of medications called long acting beta agonists. It works by helping the muscles in your lungs to stay relaxed. This opens up the airways and makes it easier to breathe.

Foradil comes in the form of a powder filled capsule that is inhaled by mouth (never swallowed) using an Foradil Aerolizer inhaler. For asthma and COPD the usual dose is one capsule inhaled twice daily.

Common side effects include headache, chest pain, and trouble sleeping. 

Foradil is a prescription medicine used to treat breathing difficulties caused by asthma, exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

• For asthma and COPD, the usual dose is 1 capsule inhaled through the inhaler 2 times each day (morning and evening). The 2 doses should be about 12 hours apart. 
• For preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm, the usual dose is 1 capsule inhaled through the inhaler at least 15 minutes before exercise, as needed. Do not use Foradil more often than every 12 hours. Do not use extra Foradil before exercise if you already use it 2 times each day.

WARNING: ASTHMA-RELATED DEATH

Long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA), such as Foradil, increase the risk of asthma-related death. Data from a large placebo controlled US study that compared the safety of another LABA (salmeterol) or placebo added to usual asthma therapy showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol. This finding with salmeterol is considered a class effect of LABA, including Foradil.

Currently available data are inadequate to determine whether concurrent use of inhaled corticosteroids or other long-term asthma control drugs mitigates the increased risk of asthma-related death from LABA.

Because of this risk, use of Foradil for the treatment of asthma without a concomitant long-term asthma control medication, such as an inhaled corticosteroid, is contraindicated. Use Foradil only as additional therapy for patients with asthma who are currently taking but are inadequately controlled on a long-term asthma control medication, such as an inhaled corticosteroid. Once asthma control is achieved and maintained, assess the patient at regular intervals and step down therapy if possible without loss of asthma control, and maintain the patient on a long-term asthma control medication, such as an inhaled corticosteroid. Do not use Foradil for patients whose asthma is adequately controlled on low or medium dose inhaled corticosteroids.

Pediatric and Adolescent Patients

Available data from controlled clinical trials suggest that LABA increase the risk of asthma-related hospitalization in pediatric and adolescent patients. For pediatric and adolescent patients with asthma who require addition of a LABA to an inhaled corticosteroid, a fixed-dose combination product containing both an inhaled corticosteroid and LABA should ordinarily be considered to ensure adherence with both drugs. In cases where use of a separate long-term asthma control medication (e.g. inhaled corticosteroid) and LABA is clinically indicated, appropriate steps must be taken to ensure adherence with both treatment components. If adherence cannot be assured, a fixed-dose combination product containing both an inhaled corticosteroid and LABA is recommended.

Foradil can cause serious side effects, including:

1. People with asthma who take long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA) medicines, such as Foradil, have an increased risk of death from asthma problems.

• Call your healthcare provider if breathing problems worsen over time while using Foradil. You may need a different treatment.
• Get emergency medical care if:
  • breathing problems worsen quickly, and
  • you use your rescue inhaler medicine, but it does not relieve your breathing problems.

2. Do not use Foradil as your only asthma medicine. Foradil must only be used with a long-term asthma control medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid.

3. When your asthma is well controlled, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking Foradil. Your healthcare provider will decide if you can stop Foradil without loss of asthma control. You will continue taking your long-term asthma control medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid.

4. Children and adolescents who take LABA medicines may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems.

Do not take Foradil:

• to treat your asthma without a long-term asthma control medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid 
• to treat sudden symptoms of asthma or COPD
• if you are allergic to Foradil or any of the ingredients in it. Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure. 

Foradil may cause serious side effects, including:

• See "Foradil Precautions"
• Sudden breathing problems immediately after inhaling your medicine (wheezing or coughing and difficulty breathing)
• Fast or irregular heart beat (palpitations)
• Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction. 
• Low blood potassium (which may cause symptoms of muscle spasm, muscle weakness or abnormal heart rhythm)
• Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
• Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause:
  • chest pain
  • increased blood pressure
  • a fast or irregular heart beat
  • headache
  • tremor
  • nervousness
  • dizziness
  • weakness 
  • trouble sleeping
  • electrocardiogram (ECG) changes
  • seizures

Common side effects with Foradil include:

Asthma in Adults and Adolescents:

• headache
• tremor
• chest infection
• chest pain
• trouble sleeping

Asthma in Children 5-12 Years of Age:

• viral infections
• runny nose
• tonsillitis
• gastroenteritis
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• dyspepsia

COPD:

• respiratory infection
• throat infection
• chest pain
• sinus infection 
• fever
• leg cramps
• muscle cramps

Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the side effects with Foradil. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• aminophylline (Truphylline)
• amiodarone (Cordarone)
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), and sotalol (Betapace, Betapace AF)
• clonidine (Catapres)
• diet pills
• digoxin (Lanoxin, Digitek)
• disopyramide (Norpace)
• diuretics ('water pills') such as bumetanide (Bumex), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, Microzide, Oretic), metolazone (Zaroxolyn), torsemide (Demadex).
• dofetilide (Tikosyn)
• dyphylline (Dilor, Lufyllin)
• erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin)
• guanabenz
• medications for colds
• monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• midodrine (Orvaten)
• moxifloxacin (Avelox)
• oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone); pimozide (Orap)
• procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl)
• quinidine (Quinidex)
• salmeterol (Serevent) or salmeterol and fluticasone (Advair)
• sparfloxacin (Zagam)
• theophylline (Theo-Chron, Theolair)
• thioridazine (Mellaril)

This is not a complete list of Foradil drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Foradil falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans, though. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

It is not known if Foradil crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Foradil.

Formoterol helps to prevent asthma or COPD attacks but will not stop an attack that has already started. Do not use formoterol during an attack of asthma or COPD. Your doctor will prescribe a short-acting inhaler to use during attacks.

Formoterol capsules should only be used with the special inhaler and should not be taken by mouth. Store capsules in the package and remove them immediately before use. Avoid exposing the capsules to moisture, and handle them with dry hands.