Atrovent

Drug Name

Atrovent (Ipratropium)

Drug Uses

Atrovent inhaler is used to treat lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It relaxes the muscles around your airways so that they open up and you breathe more easily.

How Taken

Use Atrovent as directed by your doctor.

You should do some test sprays before using an inhaler for the first time or if it hasn't been used for more than a day.

Inhale this medication by mouth usually 4 times a day, or as directed by your doctor. Close your eyes and place your lips tightly around the mouthpiece to avoid spraying any of this medication into your eyes. This will minimize the risk of temporary blurred vision, other vision changes, and eye irritation.

If two inhalations/puffs are prescribed, wait at least one minute between them. If you are using other inhalers at the same time, wait several minutes between each medication.

Rinse your mouth after using this inhaler to prevent dry mouth and throat irritation.

If you are directed to take this medication regularly, it works best if used consistently at evenly spaced intervals. Remember to use it at the same times each day. Do not increase your dose, use it more frequently, or stop using this medication without first consulting your doctor. Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Atrovent is a type of bronchodilator. It relaxes the muscles around your airways so that they open up and you breathe more easily.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of Atrovent, 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.

Storage

Store Atrovent between 39 and 86 degrees F (4 and 30 degrees C). Keep Atrovent out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not use Atrovent if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Atrovent.
• you are allergic to atropine or similar medicines.

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important:

If this medicine does not seem to prevent wheezing or chest tightness as well as usual, or for as long as usual, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. It may be that your lung condition is getting worse and your doctor might need to give you another medicine.

Inhalers may cause an unexpected increase in wheezing (paradoxical bronchospasm) straight after using them. If this happens, stop using the inhaler immediately and consult your doctor. The medicine should be stopped and an alternative treatment found.

You should avoid accidentally getting this medicine into eyes, especially if you have, or are susceptible to, glaucoma. You should take particular care if you are using a nebuliser to avoid the mist getting in your eyes. It is recommended that you use a mouthpiece with a nebuliser, or if this is not available, then a properly fitting nebuliser mask. Seek medical advice if the medicine gets into your eyes.

Consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms while using this medicine: red and painful eye, possibly with headache, loss of vision or blurred vision, seeing haloes around lights.

This medicine should be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the expected benefit to the mother is greater than the possible risk to the foetus. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Possible Side Effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• headache;
• nausea and vomiting;
• dry mouth;
• cough;
• throat irritation;
• unexpected narrowing of the airways (paradoxical bronchospasm);
• increased heart rate (tachycardia);
• awareness of your heart beat (palpitations);
• constipation;
• blurred vision;
• difficulty in passing urine (urinary retention).

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

More Information

Atrovent 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.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).