bambuterol hydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
Oral selective beta-2 agonist bronchodilator prodrug.
Active form
Converted into terbutaline, which relaxes airway smooth muscle.
Role in asthma
Regular treatment used with appropriate anti-inflammatory treatment; not a rescue treatment for acute attacks.
What is bambuterol hydrochloride used for?
The selected product is licensed for:
Management of asthma.
Management of bronchospasm.
Management of reversible airways obstruction.
How does bambuterol hydrochloride work?
The body converts bambuterol into terbutaline. Terbutaline stimulates beta-2 receptors in airway smooth muscle, relaxing the airways and making breathing easier.
How to take bambuterol hydrochloride
Take bambuterol exactly as prescribed. It is regular treatment rather than an acute reliever. Continue prescribed anti-inflammatory asthma treatment.
Swallow the tablet whole with water.
Do not chew or crush it.
The tablet can be broken in half if necessary.
Do not start or increase bambuterol during an acute asthma exacerbation.
bambuterol hydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Tremor or shaking
- Headache
- Restlessness
- Palpitations
- Sleep disturbance
- Muscle cramps
Get urgent medical advice
- Facial or throat swelling, rash, breathing difficulty, faintness or collapse suggesting hypersensitivity
- Sudden wheezing or airway tightening after taking the tablet
- Chest pain, marked palpitations, or a fast or irregular heartbeat
- Muscle weakness, unusual thirst or pins and needles, which may indicate low blood potassium
bambuterol hydrochloride in pregnancy
Caution is advised during the first trimester and near the end of pregnancy because beta-2 agonists can relax the uterus. Transient low blood glucose has been reported in premature newborns after maternal beta-2-agonist treatment. Good asthma control remains important, so seek clinical review rather than stopping treatment without advice.
bambuterol hydrochloride while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether bambuterol or its intermediate metabolites enter human milk. Terbutaline enters milk, but effects in breastfed infants are not anticipated at therapeutic exposure. The prescriber should balance the benefits of breastfeeding and treatment against the limited medicine-specific evidence.
bambuterol hydrochloride interactions
Tell the prescriber, pharmacist and anaesthetist about all medicines being used, including eye drops and non-prescription products.
Non-selective beta-blockers, including some glaucoma eye drops
May partly or completely block the bronchodilator effect and should not normally be used concurrently.
Suxamethonium and other muscle relaxants metabolised by plasma cholinesterase
Bambuterol can prolong muscle relaxation and, in extreme cases, delay recovery of breathing after anaesthesia.
Halogenated general anaesthetics
May increase cardiac arrhythmia risk; the anaesthetist must know bambuterol is being taken.
Common questions about bambuterol hydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Can bambuterol hydrochloride stop an asthma attack that has already started?
No. It is regular bronchodilator treatment and does not replace the prescribed rapid-acting reliever or emergency asthma plan.
Why is it used with an inhaled corticosteroid?
Bambuterol opens the airways but does not adequately treat underlying airway inflammation. Appropriate anti-inflammatory treatment should continue.
Can children take bambuterol hydrochloride?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.