Can i take pulmicort while pregnant

These medications can be given by mouth or as injections. But current guidelines recommend that nebulized budesonide for example, Pulmicort Respules could be used instead of oral or injected corticosteroids when managing COPD flare-ups in some people. But sometimes this drug is used off-label to treat cough caused by croup in infants and children. Croup is an infection in the throat and upper airways that causes a barking cough. With croup, you have swelling around your windpipe main airway that can also cause trouble breathing.

Severe cases of croup require treatment in a hospital. At the hospital, corticosteroids for example, Pulmicort Respules may be used to reduce airway inflammation and ease croup symptoms. Pulmicort is commonly used to treat asthma in kids. But the two different forms of Pulmicort are approved for use in children of different ages. The approved usage of Pulmicort in children is as follows:. Pulmicort is an inhaled corticosteroid that reduces inflammation in your lungs.

Depending on how severe your asthma is, many other medications can be prescribed for your treatment. However, everyone taking Pulmicort for asthma treatment will also be prescribed a rescue inhaler. Rescue inhalers contain a bronchodilator that works to quickly open up your airways and make it easier for you to breath. These inhalers should be used if you have any sudden breathing problems. Rescue inhalers belong to a class of drugs called short-acting beta2-agonists SABAs.

Examples of SABAs include:. Make sure to keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times in case you need to use it to treat sudden breathing problems. Most people using Pulmicort for asthma treatment will take Pulmicort consistently each day.

You could. This is because taking high doses of corticosteroids, such as Pulmicort, can sometimes stop your adrenal glands from producing enough of a natural steroid hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol is necessary for helping your body respond to stress. Examples of stressors on your body can include serious illness, infections, injury, or surgery. If your doctor recommends that you stop treatment with Pulmicort, your dosage will usually be tapered off gradually lowered. But this would depend on the dosage of your new steroid. In fact, long-acting beta2-agonist LABA inhalers must be used with a corticosteroid inhaler, such as Pulmicort.

Otherwise LABAs can increase the risk of asthma -related death. Examples of LABA inhalers that must be used with a corticosteroid inhaler, such as Pulmicort, include:. Pulmicort is only available by prescription. Sudden breathing problems need to be treated with a rescue medication that quickly opens up your airways. When used consistently over time, it controls asthma symptoms and helps to prevent symptom flare-ups.

Pulmicort works by reducing inflammation in your lungs, which helps prevent breathing problems. But be sure to keep your rescue medication with you at all times, in case you need to treat sudden breathing problems.

An expiration date will be printed on the box that your Pulmicort Flexhaler or Pulmicort Respules come in. The expiration date will also be printed on the inhaler and the respules themselves. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time.

If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it. How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. Always store the inhaler with the cover placed on tightly. Keep Pulmicort Flexhaler dry. Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as in bathrooms. Store the respules upright. And keep them in the aluminum foil envelope they come in.

This will protect them from light. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident. It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment. The FDA website provides several useful tips on medication disposal. You can also ask your pharmacist for information on how to dispose of your medication. Inhaled corticosteroids , such as budesonide the active drug in Pulmicort , have been studied in pregnancy. According to the Global Initiative for Asthma GINA , poorly managed asthma and asthma attacks during pregnancy increase certain risks to a developing fetus more than asthma medications do.

In fact, current asthma treatment guidelines from GINA recommend that inhaled corticosteroids such as Pulmicort not be stopped during pregnancy. This is because stopping the medication can worsen your asthma. And you can also discuss the risks and benefits of asthma treatment with your doctor. However, using more than the recommended dosage of Pulmicort over long periods of time can lead to serious side effects. Symptoms of using more than the recommended dosage of Pulmicort for long periods of time can include:.

You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. However, some people find that drinking alcohol can trigger their asthma symptoms. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much alcohol is safe for you to drink when using Pulmicort.

Pulmicort can interact with several other medications. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe.

Below are lists of medications that can interact with Pulmicort. Before taking Pulmicort, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.

Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Drugs that are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses including HIV are called antimicrobials. Certain antimicrobials are strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. CYP3A4 is a protein that helps your body break down certain medications.

The drugs are called inhibitors because they stop inhibit the action of CYP3A4. CYP3A4 also helps keep Pulmicort at the right level in your body. This can slow the breakdown of Pulmicort. This could increase your risk of side effects from Pulmicort.

Examples of antimicrobial drugs that can increase the risk of side effects with Pulmicort include:. If you need to take an antimicrobial drug with Pulmicort, talk with your doctor about possible drug interactions. However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these products while taking Pulmicort. Your insurance plan may require you to get prior authorization before approving coverage for Pulmicort. This means that your doctor will need to send a request to your insurance company asking them to cover the drug.

The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Pulmicort. If you need financial support to pay for Pulmicort, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. Pulmicort is used as a maintenance treatment for asthma in adults and children. When used consistently over time, Pulmicort helps to control asthma symptoms and prevent flare-ups. With asthma, the lining of your airways is inflamed.

This inflammation makes your airways narrower than usual, which makes it hard for air to flow in and out of your lungs. The inflammation also makes your airways more sensitive to irritants. Having swollen, narrow, and sensitive airways causes symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness.

Pulmicort contains the active drug budesonide, which is a corticosteroid. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation in your body. These drugs stop certain cells from producing substances that trigger inflammation. When you take Pulmicort by breathing it into your lungs , the drug helps the cells lining your airways to stop making substances that inflame your airways.

This reduces the inflammation in your airways, which makes it easier for air to flow in and out of your lungs. The drug also makes your airways less sensitive to irritants that might otherwise trigger asthma attacks. Pulmicort is called a maintenance medication because it works to control asthma symptoms by reducing inflammation in your airways.

Pulmicort will start to reduce inflammation in your airways as soon as you start taking it. And your asthma symptoms should start to improve within a few days after starting treatment. But it can take a few weeks of regular Pulmicort use before the effect of the drug builds up.

Maximum improvement in asthma symptoms is seen about 1 to 2 weeks after starting Pulmicort Flexhaler and about 4 to 6 weeks after starting Pulmicort Respules. They can advise whether you should continue using this medication.

Before taking Pulmicort, talk with your doctor about your health history. Pulmicort may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. These include:. Pulmicort is approved for the maintenance treatment of asthma to prevent asthma symptoms. It comes in two forms, which can be prescribed as follows:. Pulmicort is not a bronchodilator and must not be used to treat acute asthma attacks or status asthmaticus. In some pediatric patients, a starting dose of mcg twice daily may be appropriate.

If you take too much this medication, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Pulmicort Flexhaler treats asthma. To avoid getting a fungal infection of the mouth, rinse your mouth with water and spit the water out after each dose. Pulmicort Overview Updated: March 20, How was your experience with Pulmicort? First, a little about yourself Male Female. What tips would you provide a friend before taking Pulmicort? Choose one. Back Next. How well did Pulmicort work for you? Did you experience many side effects while taking this drug? How likely would you be to recommend Pulmicort to a friend?

Back Submit. Pulmicort Cautionary Labels Back to Top. Uses of Pulmicort Back to Top. Manufacturer Back to Top. Generic Back to Top. Budesonide For more information on this medication choose from the list of selections below. Pulmicort Drug Class Back to Top. Pulmicort is part of the drug class: Corticosteroids acting locally. Side Effects of Pulmicort Back to Top. Common side effects reported by patients using Pulmicort Flexhaler include: sore nose and throat stuffy nose runny nose nausea hay fever viral infections of the upper respiratory tract viral irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestine gastroenteritis.

Symptoms may include stomach area pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, headaches, and weakness. Pulmicort Interactions Back to Top. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take: a corticosteroid medicine anti-seizure medicine anticonvulsants medicines that suppress your immune system immunosuppressant ketoconazale Nizoral ritonavir Norvir, Kaletra atazanavir Reyataz clarithromycin Biaxin indinavir Crixivan itraconazole Sporanox, Onmel nefazodone nelfinavir Viracept saquinavir Invirase telithromycin Ketek This is not a complete list of Pulmicort Flexhaler drug interactions.

Pulmicort Precautions Back to Top. Serious side effects of Pulmicort Flexhaler have been reported and include the following: Thrush candida , a fungal infection in your mouth and throat. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any redness or white colored patches in your mouth or throat.

Worsening of asthma or sudden asthma attacks. Allergic reactions. You are more likely to get infections if you take medicines that weaken your immune system. Avoid contact with people who have contagious diseases such as chicken pox or measles while using Pulmicort Flexhaler. Symptoms of infection may include: fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea and vomiting.

Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection while you are using Pulmicort Flexhaler. Adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough steroid hormones. Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency include: tiredness, weakness, nausea and vomiting and low blood pressure. Decrease in bone mineral density. Your healthcare provider should check you for this during treatment with Pulmicort Flexhaler.

Slowed or delayed growth problems in children. This sheet is about exposure to inhaled corticosteroids in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.

Inhaled corticosteroids ICSs are medications to prevent and control the symptoms of asthma. ICSs are taken using an inhaler, pump, or nebulizer.

ICSs can have fewer side effects than corticosteroids pills since most of the inhaled medication goes directly to the lungs instead of traveling throughout the body. ICSs help control the swelling of the airways in the lungs and reduce mucus production so that asthma attacks are less likely. ICSs are not effective in stopping immediate symptoms when you are having an asthma attack. This fact sheet will focus on corticosteroids that are inhaled breathed into lungs , and not corticosteroids taken in other ways such as pills.

Sometimes when people find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take this medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.

ICSs are considered preferred asthma treatments during pregnancy because they usually control asthma well. It is unknown how much, if any, of the medication reaches the developing baby.