Rescue Medications
People living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be treated with a combination of quick relief medications, also called rescue medications, along with long-acting controller medications.
Rescue medications work fast to relax your airways, control symptoms and help you breathe easier during times when you are trying to relieve sudden (acute) symptoms. Unlike controller medications that work slowly over time and are taken every day, rescue medications are taken on an as-needed basis and are designed to work quickly to help you feel better.
Your primary care physician or pulmonologist (lung specialist) will assess your need for rescue medications. Contact an RWJBarnabas Health doctor today.
Rescue Medications for Lung Health
Short-acting beta-agonists are the most common rescue medications and are considered bronchodilators because they open (dilate) and help relax the muscles of the airways (bronchi). They are usually in an inhaler form, which helps to:
- Relax the muscles around the airways to ease symptoms
- Open the airways
- Work quickly to provide immediate relief
Rescue medications provide quick relief when asthma or COPD symptoms flare. You take them when you are coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing or having an asthma attack.
A Medication Treatment Plan
To best manage asthma or COPD it is important to take the right medicine at the right time. Treating asthma or COPD intermittently is usually not enough to cope well in the long term, which is why a treatment plan usually combines short-acting and long-acting medications.
Your primary care provider or pulmonologist will work with you to create a plan for the quick-relief medicines that work for you based on your individual situation. This plan will include when and how much medication you should take.
You should always have a quick-relief medication on hand and bring enough if you are planning to travel. Short-acting rescue medications may also be recommended for use just before exercising to help prevent exercise-induced asthma symptoms.
What to Expect When Taking Rescue Medications
Rescue medications are usually inhaled. Inhalers are small hand-held devices that deliver medicines in the form of a spray that you breathe in. The inhaler has a metered dose of medicine to ensure you take the right amount. For an inhaler to be effective it is important to learn how to use it correctly so the medication can reach the lungs.
In addition to inhalers, rescue medications may also be delivered using a nebulizer, a machine that turns medication into a mist that can be inhaled.
The goal of rescue medications, delivered either with inhalers or nebulizers, is to quickly address symptoms of asthma and COPD when you are in a sudden or acute situation. Rescue medications should help to bring you immediate relief to help you breathe better. The medication lasts for about 4 hours.
Short-acting beta-agonists should not be used more than twice a week. Taking them more frequently is a sign that your lung condition is poorly controlled and may require your medications to be adjusted.
Rescue medications will not provide long-term control of respiratory symptoms caused by asthma or COPD. It is important to work with your doctor to figure out the right dosage of medications at the right time to most effectively manage your disease.
Side Effects of Rescue Medications
Rescue medications, or short-acting beta agonists, may cause side effects including:
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations) needing immediate attention
- Anxiety
- Jitteriness
- Headache
Contact your health care provider right away if you have a fast or irregular heartbeat or if you experience any side effects while taking rescue medications.
Make an Appointment
RWJBarnabas Health doctors can help diagnose and treat lung conditions like asthma and COPD. Make an appointment to see a doctor today.