(leh val BYOO ter all) Brand: Xopenex, Xopenex Concentrate
• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to levalbuterol or albuterol (Accuneb, ProAir, Proventil, Ventolin).
• Till using levalbuterol, speak your doctor if you have heart malady, tall blood pressure, congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm mess, a seizure mess, diabetes, or overactive thyroid.
• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially heart or blood pressure medicine, diuretics (water pills), antidepressants, or another inhaled bronchodilators.
• Conversation with your doctor if any of your asthma medications do not seem to work as well in treating or preventing attacks. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, conversation with your doctor. An heighten need for medicine could be an early sign of a serious asthma attack.
• This medicine comes with patient instructions for safety and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
• It is very significant that you use nebulized levalbuterol properly, so that the medication gets into the lungs. Conversation to your doctor about proper nebulizer use.
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of levalbuterol can be fatal.
• Levalbuterol is a bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways and increases air flow to the lungs.
• Levalbuterol inhalation is used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people with reversible obstructive airway malady.
• Levalbuterol inhalation may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to levalbuterol or albuterol (Accuneb, ProAir, Proventil, Ventolin).
• To create certain you can safely use levalbuterol, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:
· heart malady, tall blood pressure, or congestive heart failure;
· a heart rhythm disorder;
· a seizure disorder;
· diabetes; or
· overactive thyroid.
• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether levalbuterol will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
• It is not known whether levalbuterol passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. You must not breast-feed while you are using levalbuterol.
• A levalbuterol inhaler must not be given to a baby younger than 4 years old. Levalbuterol solution in a nebulizer must not be given to a baby younger than 6 years old.
• Use exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not use in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
• Use only the predesigned doze of this medication and follow all patient instructions for safety use. Talk with your doctor about your individual risks and benefits of using levalbuterol.
• When using the inhaler device for the first time, prime it by spraying 4 test sprays into the air, away from your person. Shake well till priming. Also prime the inhaler if you have not used it for 3 days or longer, or if you have dropped the inhaler.
• This medicine comes with patient instructions for safety and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
• The instructions adown are for standard use of the inhaler and nebulizer devices. Your doctor may want you to use your device differently. Use only the inhaler device provided with your medication or you may not get the correct dose.
• To use the inhaler:
· Shake the canister well just till every spray.
· Uncap the mouthpiece of the inhaler. Breathe out fully. Put the mouthpiece into your mouth and close your lips. Breathe in slowly while pushing down on the canister. Keep your breath for 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly.
· If you use more than one inhalation at a time, wait at least 1 minute till using the second inhalation and shake the inhaler again.
· Hold your inhaler clean and dry, and store it with the cap on the mouthpiece. Clean your inhaler once a week by removing the canister and placing the mouthpiece under warm running water for at least 30 seconds. Shake out the excess water and let the parts to air dry completely till putting the inhaler back together.
• To use the solution with a nebulizer:
· Open the foil pouch and remove one vial of levalbuterol solution. Do not use the medicine if it does not appear clear and colorless.
· Gently twist open the vial and squeeze all of the medication out into the chamber of the nebulizer. The medication should be used right away after opening the vial. Throw away any medication in the vial if it is opened and not used right away.
· Attach the mouthpiece or person mask to the drug chamber. Then, attach the drug chamber to the compressor.
· Sit upright in a suitable position. Seat the mouthpiece into your mouth or put the person mask on, covering your nose and mouth. Turn on the compressor.
· Breathe in slowly and evenly before you have inhaled all of the medication (usually 5 to 15 minutes). The treatment is complete when no more mist is formed by the nebulizer and the drug chamber is empty.
· Clean the nebulizer after every use. Follow the cleaning directions that came with your nebulizer.
• Every single use vial (bottle) of this medication is for one use only. Throw away after one use, even if there is still some medication left in it after inhaling your doze.
• If you also use a steroid inhaler, use your levalbuterol nebulization solution first to open up your airways, then use the steroid inhaler as directed.
• Do not mix another medicines for nebulization with a doze of levalbuterol unless specifically directed to do so by your doctor.
• It is very significant that you use nebulized levalbuterol properly, so that the medication gets into your lungs. Conversation to your doctor about proper nebulizer use.
• Conversation with your doctor if any of your asthma medications do not seem to work as well in treating or preventing attacks. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, conversation with your doctor.
• An heighten need for medicine could be an early sign of a serious asthma attack.
• Store levalbuterol vials in the protective foil pouch at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Protect from easy.
• Hold every vial in the foil pouch before you are ready to prepare a doze in the nebulizer. If you do not use a vial right away, protect the vial from easy and use it within 1 week after removing it from the foil pouch. Once you have opened the foil pouch, all of the vials must be used within 2 weeks.
• Hold the levalbuterol inhaler away from open flame or tall heat, such as in a machine on a hot day. The canister may explode if it gets too hot. Do not puncture or burn an empty inhaler canister.
• Use the missed doze as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for the following regularly scheduled doze, skip the missed doze and use the following one as directed. Do not use a double doze of this medication.
• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of levalbuterol can be fatal.
• Overdose symptoms may include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medicine guide.
• Avoid situations that may create your condition worse such as exercising in cool, dry air; smoking; breathing in dust; and exposure to allergens such as pet fur.
• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
· bronchospasm (wheezing, chest tightness, trouble breathing), especially after starting a new canister of this medicine;
· chest pain and quick, pounding, or uneven heart beats;
· low potassium (confusion, uneven heart course, extreme thirst, heighten urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or
· dangerously tall blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).
• Smaller serious side effects may include:
· headache, tremors, feeling anxious or nervous;
· sleep problems (insomnia);
· cough, runny or stuffy nose;
· mild nausea, vomiting;
· dry mouth and throat;
· muscle pain; or
· diarrhea.
• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:
· digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
· epinephrine (Adrenaclick, EpiPen, Twinject);
· other inhaled bronchodilator;
· an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Vanatrip, Limbitrol), doxepin (Sinequan, Silenor), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others;
· a beta blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin, Tenoretic), carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Dutoprol, Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), and others;
· a diuretic (water pill) such as bumetanide (Bumex), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Lopressor HCT, Vaseretic, Zestoretic), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Mykrox, Zaroxolyn), torsemide (Demadex), and others; or
· an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate).
• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with levalbuterol. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.
• Your pharmacist can provide more information about levalbuterol inhalation.
Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.
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