Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects.

Tell your doctor if you are also using any other medicine for your COPD. Your doctor may want you to use it only during a severe COPD attack. Follow your doctor's instructions on how you should take your medicine.

This medicine should not be used if you are having a sudden COPD attack, or if symptoms of COPD attack has already started. Your doctor will give you a short-acting inhaler to use for this condition. If the short-acting inhaler is not working, tell your doctor right away.

Talk to your doctor or get medical care right away if:

  • Your symptoms do not improve after using this medicine for a few days or if they become worse.
  • Your short-acting inhaler does not seem to be working as well as usual and you need to use it more often.

Do not use this medicine together with other inhaled medicines for COPD, including arformoterol (Brovana®), formoterol (Foradil®, Perforomist®), indacaterol (Arcapta® Neohaler®), olodaterol, salmeterol (Serevent®), or vilanterol.

This medicine may increase the risk of worsening asthma, which may lead to hospitalization, intubation, and death, especially in patients with asthma who take bronchodilators without an inhaled steroid medicine. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this.

You may get infections more easily while using this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you have been exposed to someone with chickenpox or measles.

This medicine may cause fungus infection of the mouth or throat (thrush). Tell your doctor right away if you have white patches in the mouth or throat, or pain when eating or swallowing.

Patients with COPD may be more likely to have pneumonia when using this medicine. Check with your doctor if you start having increased sputum (spit) production, change in sputum color, fever, chills, increased cough, or an increase in breathing problems.

Using too much of this medicine or using it for a long time may increase your risk of having adrenal gland problems. Talk to your doctor if you have darkening of the skin, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, loss of appetite, mental depression, nausea, skin rash, unusual tiredness or weakness, or vomiting.

This medicine may cause paradoxical bronchospasm, which may be life-threatening. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child are having a cough, difficulty with breathing, or wheezing.

If you develop a skin rash, hives, swelling of the tongue, lips, or face, or any allergic reaction to this medicine, check with your doctor right away.

This medicine may decrease bone mineral density when used for a long time. A low bone mineral density can cause weak bones or osteoporosis. If you have any questions about this, ask your doctor.

This medicine may cause heart or blood vessel problems, including heart rhythm problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have chest pain or tightness, decreased urine output, dilated neck veins, extreme fatigue, irregular heartbeat, swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs, trouble breathing, or weight gain.

Call your doctor right away if blurred vision, difficulty in reading, seeing halos around lights, or any other change in vision occurs during or after treatment. Your doctor may want you to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

This medicine may affect blood sugar and potassium levels. If you notice a change in the results of your blood or urine sugar or potassium tests or if you have any questions, check with your doctor.

Check with your doctor right away if you have a decrease in urine volume, decrease in the frequency of urination, difficulty in passing urine, or painful urination.

Your doctor may want you to carry a medical identification (ID) card stating that you are using this medicine and that you may need additional medicine during times of emergency, a severe COPD attack or other illness, or unusual stress.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024

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