Asthma - quick-relief drugs

Asthma quick-relief medicines work fast to control asthma symptoms. You take them when you are coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing, or having an asthma attack. They are also called rescue medicines.

Many of these medicines are called "bronchodilators" because they open (dilate) and help relax the muscles of your airways (bronchi).

You and your health care provider can make a plan for the quick-relief medicines that work for you. This plan will include when you should take them and how much you should take.

Plan ahead. Make sure you do not run out. Bring enough medicine with you when you travel.

Short-acting Beta-agonists

Short-acting beta-agonists are the most common quick-relief medicines for treating asthma attacks and are considered to be bronchodilators.

They can be used just before exercising to help prevent asthma symptoms caused by exercise. They work by relaxing the muscles of your airways, and this lets you breathe better during an attack.

Tell your provider if you are using quick-relief medicines twice a week or more to control your asthma symptoms. Your asthma may not be under control, and your provider may need to change your dose of daily control medicines.

Some quick-relief asthma medicines include:

Albuterol (ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA)
Levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA)
Metaproterenol
Terbutaline

Short-acting beta-agonists may cause these side effects:

Anxiety.
Fast and irregular heartbeats. Call your provider right away if you have this side effect.
Headache.
Restlessness.
Tremor (your hand or another part of your body may shake).

Oral Steroids

Your provider might prescribe oral steroids when you have an asthma attack that is not going away. These are medicines that you take by mouth as pills, capsules, or liquids.

Oral steroids are not quick-relief medicines but are often given for 7 to 14 days when your symptoms flare-up.

Oral steroids include:

Methylprednisolone
Prednisone
Prednisolone

Alternative Names

Asthma - quick-relief drugs - short-acting beta-agonists; Asthma - quick-relief drugs - bronchodilators; Asthma - quick-relief drugs - oral steroids; Asthma - rescue drugs; Bronchial asthma - quick relief; Reactive airway disease - quick relief; Exercise-induced asthma - quick relief

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References

Drazen JM, Bel EH. Asthma. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 75.

Marcdante KJ, Kliegman RM, Schuh AM. Asthma. In: Marcdante KJ, Kliegman RM, Schuch AM, eds. Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 78.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Asthma Management Guidelines: Focused Updates 2020. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma-management-guidelines-2020-updates. Updated February 4, 2021. Accessed February 8, 2024.

O'Byrne PM, Satia I. Inhaled ß₂ - agonists. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 93.

Pollart SM, DeGeorge KC, Kolb A. Asthma in children. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee EM, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2024. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:1317-1324.

Vishwanathan RK, Busse WW. Management of asthma in adolescents and adults. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 52.

Patient Instructions

Review Date 2/3/2024

Updated by: Frank D. Brodkey, MD, FCCM, Associate Professor, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.