What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of the following conditions:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar (diabetes)
- Irregular heartbeat or rhythm
- Liver disease
- Pheochromocytoma
- Seizures
- Thyroid disease
- An unusual or allergic reaction to salmeterol, other medications, milk, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Breast-feeding
What may interact with this medication?
Do not take this medication with any of the following:
- MAOIs, such as Carbex, Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
- Other medications that contain a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA)
- Procarbazine
This medication may also interact with the following:
- Antiviral medications for HIV or AIDS
- Caffeine
- Certain medications for infection, such as chloroquine and pentamidine
- Cisapride
- Diuretics
- Medications for colds
- Medications for fungal infections, such as ketoconazole and itraconazole
- Medications for mental health conditions
- Medications for weight loss including some herbal products
- Methadone
- Some antibiotics, such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, linezolid, and telithromycin
- Some heart medications
- Steroid hormones, such as dexamethasone, cortisone, hydrocortisone
- Theophylline
- Thyroid hormones
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse.
NEVER use this medication for an acute asthma attack. You should use your short-acting rescue inhaler for an acute attack. If your symptoms get worse or if you need your short-acting inhalers more often, call your care team right away.
This medication can worsen breathing or cause wheezing right after you use it. Be sure you have a short-acting inhaler for acute attacks (wheezing) nearby. If this happens, stop using this medication right away and call your care team.
This medication may increase your risk of dying from asthma-related problems. Talk to your care team if you have questions.
Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds or allergies without asking your care team for advice. Some nonprescription medications can affect this one.
You and your care team should develop an Asthma Action Plan that is just for you. Be sure to know what to do if you are in the yellow (asthma is getting worse) or red (medical alert) zones.
If you are going to need surgery or other procedure, tell your care team that you are using this medication.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medicine MUST be used with a long term asthma control medicine, like a steroid inhaler. This medicine should only be used when long term asthma control medicines are not working as well as needed. This medicine increases the risk of death from asthma problems. Those younger than 18 may have a high risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. Get emergency medical help right away for breathing problems that get worse quickly or if the rescue inhaler does not seem to work.