IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT VENTOLIN HFA

If your symptoms become significantly worse when you use VENTOLIN HFA, call your doctor immediately as this reaction can be life threatening. This worsening of symptoms frequently occurs with the first use of a new canister. Tell your doctor if you have a heart, blood, or seizure disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, or an overactive thyroid. Some medicines can interfere with how well asthma medications work. Continued below.



Prescribing Information

Since 2008, all rescue inhalers have switched to a propellant called HFA (hydrofluoroalkane). HFA is more environmentally friendly than the CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) propellant used for many years.

Why rescue inhalers have changed

Some albuterol inhalers originally contained CFC, which propels medicine out of the device and into the mouth. Because CFC damages the earth’s ozone layer, more than 100 countries, including the U.S., have agreed to stop making products that contain this substance.

HFA, or hydrofluoroalkane, has replaced CFC in rescue inhalers. HFA inhalers are more environment-friendly than their CFC counterparts.

What to expect with HFA inhalers

Only the substance that helps deliver the rescue medication from the inhaler changed—the medicine stayed the same. However, there are some minor differences between the two types of inhalers.

Some HFA inhalers tend to have a softer spray than the CFC inhalers did; you also may find that the medicine doesn’t taste the same. These differences in spray characteristics do not affect the way the medicine works to treat your asthma. In studies done in 2008, VENTOLIN HFA was found to have spray characteristics most consistent with the then-leading albuterol CFC inhaler.

How to care for HFA inhalers

  • An HFA inhaler must be primed before your first use, and again if you haven’t used it in more than two weeks, or if you have dropped it.
  • HFA inhalers must be cleaned regularly according to the instructions that come with the medicine.

See the Prescribing Information for more information on how to use and care for the VENTOLIN HFA inhaler.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT VENTOLIN HFA

If your symptoms become significantly worse when you use VENTOLIN HFA, call your doctor immediately as this reaction can be life threatening. This worsening of symptoms frequently occurs with the first use of a new canister. Tell your doctor if you have a heart, blood, or seizure disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, or an overactive thyroid. Some medicines can interfere with how well asthma medications work. Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking, especially heart medicines and drugs that treat depression.

In clinical studies, the most common side effects (occurring in at least 3% of patients) were throat irritation (10%), viral respiratory infection (7%), upper respiratory inflammation (5%), cough (5%), and musculoskeletal pain (5%). The side effect profile in children was generally similar to that of adults.

Prescription VENTOLIN HFA is indicated for the prevention and relief of bronchospasm in patients 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease.

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