Pronunciation: i-pra-TROE-pee-um
Generic Name: Ipratropium
Brand Name: Atrovent HFA
Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension is used for:
Treating and preventing bronchospasm (wheezing or difficulty breathing) associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It can be used alone or in combination with other medicines. It may also be used to treat certain conditions as determined by your doctor.
Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension is an anticholinergic. It works by relaxing and opening bronchial tubes (air passages in the lungs), making it easier to breathe.
Do NOT use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension
- you are allergic to atropine or similar medicines
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Before using Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension:
Some medical conditions may interact with Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
- if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
- if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
- if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
- if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, enlargement of the prostrate, or urinary blockage or retention
Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
- Anticholinergic medicines (eg, benztropine, diphenhydramine) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
How to use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension:
Use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
- An extra patient leaflet is available with Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension. Talk to your pharmacist if you have questions about this information.
- Prime the inhaler before the first use and if it has not been used for more than 3 days. To prime the inhaler, point it away from yourself and others and spray 2 test sprays.
- You do not have to shake Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension before you use it.
- Before using Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension, be sure that the canister is properly placed in the inhaler unit. Breathe out slowly and completely. Place the mouthpiece between your lips and try to rest your tongue flat, unless your doctor has told you otherwise. As you start to take a slow deep breath, press the canister and mouthpiece together at exactly the same time. This will release a dose of Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension. Continue breathing in slowly and deeply. Hold for 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly through pursed lips or your nose.
- If more than 1 inhalation is to be used, wait a few minutes and repeat the above steps.
- If your doctor has told you to use your inhaler differently or to use a special spacing device, be sure you understand how to use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension properly. Ask your doctor any questions that you may have about how to use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension.
- Avoid contact with eyes. Flush with water immediately if eye contact occurs. Temporary blurring of vision, worsening of narrow-angle glaucoma, or eye pain or discomfort may result if Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension comes into direct contact with the eyes. Contact your doctor if you notice these symptoms.
- Clean the mouthpiece at least 1 time per week according to the mouthpiece cleaning instructions in the extra patient leaflet.
- This inhaler contains 200 sprays. Throw away this inhaler after 200 sprays have been used (when the counter on the inhaler says "0"). After 200 sprays, the inhaler may not deliver the correct amount of medicine with each spray.
- If you miss a dose of Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension, use it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not use 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension.
Important safety information:
- Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension may cause dizziness, blurred vision, or other vision changes. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
- Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension may cause dizziness; alcohol, hot weather, exercise, or fever may increase this effect. To prevent it, sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning. Sit or lie down at the first sign of this effect.
- It may take up to 1 hour for Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension to start working. Do not use it to treat sudden wheezing attacks.
- Do not take more than the recommended dose or use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension more often than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
- If your usual dose does not work well, your symptoms become worse, or you need to use it more often than normal, contact your doctor right away.
- Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension may sometimes cause severe breathing problems right after you use a dose. If this happens, use your short-acting bronchodilator. Contact your doctor or seek other medical care at once.
- When your medicine supply begins to run low (eg, the counter reaches "40" and the counter background changes from green to red), call your doctor or pharmacy as soon as possible for a refill.
- Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
- PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: It is not known if Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension can cause harm to the fetus. If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension while you are pregnant. It is not known if Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension, check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.
Possible side effects of Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension:
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Back pain; bitter taste; cough; dizziness; dry mouth; dry nose or nose irritation; flu-like symptoms; headache; indigestion; nausea; nervousness; runny nose; sinus infection; sore throat; upper respiratory tract infection.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); eye pain; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; new or worsening trouble breathing; nosebleeds; severe or persistent dizziness; trouble urinating; vision changes (eg, blurred vision, visual halos, colored rings); wheezing.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the appropriate agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.
See also: Atrovent HFA side effects (in more detail)
If OVERDOSE is suspected:
Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control center, or emergency room immediately.
Proper storage of Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension:
Store Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store away from heat and direct sunlight. Do not expose Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension to temperatures above 120 degrees F (49 degrees C). Do not puncture, break, or burn the canister even if it appears to be empty. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension out of the reach of children and pets.
General information:
- If you have any questions about Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension, please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
- Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
- If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
- Check with your pharmacist about how to dispose of unused medicine.
This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Atrovent HFA Aerosol Suspension. If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
More Atrovent HFA resources
- Atrovent HFA Side Effects (in more detail)
- Atrovent HFA Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- Atrovent HFA Drug Interactions
- Atrovent HFA Support Group
- 0 Reviews for Atrovent HFA - Add your own review/rating
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