Physicians prescribe Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol for many reasons. Two common reasons are
- It's more convenient for patients already regularly using two different inhalers.
- It may be better therapy for patients using either ipratropium bromide or albuterol sulfate alone. Many patients benefit more when they use both.
Both of the medications in Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol, ipratropium bromide and albuterol sulfate, may help open up the airways in the lungs to help air move more easily in and out. Each of the the two medications works differently.
Physicians have conducted studies with Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol in large numbers of patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). They found that it helps lungs work better than either of the two medications given alone.
Side Effects Associated With Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol Therapy
Most people who have used Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol have few or no problems. Serious side effects are very infrequent.
The most common side effect in medical testing was bronchitis (12.3% of patients).
Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol should be used with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma, prostatic hypertrophy, or bladder-neck obstruction. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any of those conditions.
Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol contains the beta agonist albuterol and the anticholinergic ipratropium bromide. It is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to soya lecithin or like foods, such as soybeans and peanuts. Extreme caution is advised in patients being treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants. Caution should be taken in patients with convulsive disorders, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, those sensitive to sympathomimetic agents, narrow-angle glaucoma, prostatic hypertrophy or bladder-neck obstruction. Albuterol sulfate can have significant cardiovascular effects, and the potential for life-threatening paradoxical bronchospasm and significant hypokalemia.
Also, be sure to tell your doctor if:
- You have a heart condition or high blood pressure
- You have a convulsive disorder, hyperthyroidism, or diabetes
- You are allergic or hypersensitive to soya lecithin or foods such as soybeans and peanuts
- You are being treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or tricyclic antidepressants
- You are pregnant
- If you should notice any unusual side effects while using Combivent® Inhalation Aerosol, tell your doctor about them
| 
