Pulmicort Turbuhaler

Pulmicort Turbuhaler is a prescription medication used in maintaining asthma control and preventing asthma attacks. Pulmicort Turbuhaler belongs to a group of drugs called corticosteroids which help to decrease inflammation to relieve symptoms.

This medication comes as a dry powder inhaler, and it is typically used twice daily.

Common side effects of Pulmicort Turbuhaler include respiratory infection, pharyngitis, and headache. 

Pulmicort Turbuhaler is a prescription medication used in maintaining asthma control and preventing asthma attacks in adults and children over 6 years old. 

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

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

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the previous medication you were taking.

The recommended starting dose is based on previous therapy are as follows:

Adults

• Bronchodilators alone: 200-400 mcg twice daily
• Inhaled corticosteroids: 200-400 mcg twice daily 
• Oral corticosteroids: 400-800 mcg twice daily

Children

• Bronchodilators alone: 200 mcg twice daily
• Inhaled corticosteroids: 200 mcg twice daily 
• Oral corticosteroids: up to 400 mcg twice daily

Serious side effects of Pulmicort Turbuhaler include the following:

• thrush (candida), a fungal infection in your mouth and throat. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any redness or white colored patches in your mouth or throat. Rinse your mouth following inhalation.
• worsening of asthma or sudden asthma attacks.
• allergic reactions. Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have:
  • skin rash, redness or swelling
  • severe itching
  • swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue
  • trouble breathing or swallowing
  • chest pain
  • anxiety (feeling of doom)

• Immune system effects and a higher chance of infections. You are more likely to get infections if you take medicines that weaken your immune system. Avoid contact with people who have contagious diseases such as chicken pox or measles while using Pulmicort Turbuhaler. Symptoms of infection may include: fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea and vomiting. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection while you are using Pulmicort Turbuhaler.
• Adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough steroid hormones. Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency include: tiredness, weakness, nausea and vomiting and low blood pressure.
• Decrease in bone mineral density. Your healthcare provider should check you for this during treatment with Pulmicort Turbuhaler.
• Slowed or delayed growth problems in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using Pulmicort Turbuhaler.
• Eye problems, including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using Pulmicort Turbuhaler.
• Increased wheezing right after using Pulmicort Turbuhaler. Always have a short-acting beta2-agonist medicine (rescue inhaler) with you to treat sudden wheezing. 

Call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have symptoms of any of the serious side effects listed above.

• Pulmicort Turbuhaler does not treat the sudden symptoms (wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain or tightness) of an asthma attack. Always have a short-acting beta2-agonist medicine (rescue inhaler) with you to treat sudden symptoms. If you do not have an inhaled, short-acting bronchodilator, ask your healthcare provider to have one prescribed for you.

Serious side effects have been reported with Pulmicort Turbuhaler. See the “Drug Precautions” section.

Common side effects reported by patients using Pulmicort Turbuhaler include:

• Respiratory infection
• Inflammation of the throat and nose
• Changes in voice
• Headache
• Flu syndrome
• Pain
• Back pain
• Fever
• Fungal infection in the mouth
• Acid indigestion
• Stomach Flu
• Nausea

These are not all of the side effects of Pulmicort Turbuhaler. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

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

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

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

• a corticosteroid medicine
• anti-seizure medicine (anticonvulsants)
• medicines that suppress your immune system (immunosuppressant)
• ketoconazale (Nizoral)
• clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• erythromycin (Ery-C, Ery Gel, Ery-Tab, PCE)
• indinavir (Crixivan)
• itraconazole (Sporanox, Onmel)
• nefazodone
• nelfinavir (Viracept)
• ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra)
• telithromycin (Ketek)

This is not a complete list of Pulmicort Turbuhaler 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.

This medication falls into category B. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Pulmicort Turbuhaler will harm your unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. The active ingredient in Pulmicort Turbuhaler is excreted in human breast milk. It is not known if Pulmicort Turbuhaler will harm your nursing baby.

Budesonide oral inhalation is not intended for rapid relief of asthma attacks.

Albuterol, or a similar bronchodilator used for rapid relief of breathing difficulties, may be used several minutes before budesonide oral inhalation to help get budesonide into the deeper parts of your lungs.

Budesonide and other inhaled steroids can cause glaucoma or cataracts. 

Rinse your mouth with water and spit the water out after each dose of budesonide inhalation. Do not swallow the water. This will lessen the chance of getting a fungal infection (thrush) in the mouth.