If you have asthma, your doctor may have recommended prescription inhalation aerosol drugs, such as Aerospan RX. While very effective in calming bronchospasms and facilitating an effective breathing pattern, these drugs may interact with certain diseases. Your doctor probably discussed side effects and possible interactions with other medications, but you may not be aware that your respiratory inhalation medication may lead to a flare-up of your current health conditions. Here are three medical conditions that may get worse when you take your asthma medication:
Hyperthyroidism
An overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, can cause a very rapid pulse, anxiety, insomnia, and fast breathing. If you have an overactive thyroid and take an inhaled aerosol medication to treat your respiratory condition, your symptoms of thyroid disease may worsen.
The medication in asthma inhalers can sometimes cause side effects similar to symptoms of hyperthyroidism. If you have thyroid disease and are unable to tolerate the side effects from your breathing medication, talk to your doctor. You may be a candidate for a cardiovascular drug known as a beta blocker, which is often prescribed to slow down the heart rate in people with certain health conditions such as overactive thyroid, anxiety, and palpitations.
Arrhythmia
If you have been diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, you may be intolerant of inhalation aerosols. This is especially true if you have a condition known as tachycardia, which refers to an abnormally fast heart rate.
Anti-arrhythmic drugs may help diminish the cardiac side effects from your inhaler, however, they also can produce unwanted adverse reactions such as bradycardia or chest pain. Cardiac arrhythmias related to inhalers are typically not permanent, and generally resolve once you stop using them.
If you have a preexisting heart problem and are unable to use inhalation aerosols to treat your asthma, your physician may recommend that you take an oral medication to improve your breathing instead.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is another medical condition that can act up during inhalation therapy. If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you may already be on medication, however, if your blood pressure is usually within normal limits but spikes when you use your inhaler, call your doctor. Prescription inhalation aerosol drugs can even raise blood pressure in individuals with normal readings, and in people with hypertension, a dangerous rise in blood pressure may develop when inhalers are used.
If you take inhalation aerosol drugs to manage your asthma and have one of the above medical conditions, call your doctor. The sooner your interactions between your medical conditions and your asthma medication are managed, the more likely you are to be compliant with your treatment.
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