Tiotropium inhaler

What is this medicine?

TITROPIUM is an anticholinergic agent. It works by enlarging the airways to allow easier breathing.

Tiotropium is used to prevent bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways in the lungs) in people with bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

You should not use Tiotropium if you are allergic to tiotropium or ipratropium (Atrovent, Combivent, DuoNeb).

To make sure you can safely take Tiotropium, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• narrow-angle glaucoma;
• kidney disease;
• enlarged prostate or urination problems; or
• if you are allergic to milk.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Tiotropium is harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known if tiotropium passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Tiotropium without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take this medicine?

Use Tiotropium exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Tiotropium is used to prevent bronchospasm attacks. Do not use this medication to treat a bronchospasm attack that has already begun. It will not work fast enough to reverse your symptoms. Use only a fast-acting inhalation medication to treat an attack.

Use Tiotropium regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Talk with your doctor if any of your medications do not seem to work as well in treating or preventing attacks.

To be sure Tiotropium is helping your condition, your lung function will need to be tested on a regular basis. Visit your doctor regularly.

What if I miss a dose?

Use the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Do not use the Tiotropium inhaler more than 1 time in a 24-hour period.

What should I watch for while taking this medicine?

Avoid getting this medication in your eyes. If this does happen, rinse with water.

What side effects may I notice from this medicine?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Tiotropium: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• wheezing, chest pain or tightness, trouble breathing;
• pain or burning when you urinate;
• blurred vision, eye pain or redness, seeing halos around lights;
• rapid heart rate;
• sores or white patches of your mouth, lips, or tongue; or
• urinating less than usual or not at all.

Less serious Tiotropium side effects may include:

• dry mouth;
• constipation, upset stomach, vomiting;
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat;
• nosebleed; or
• muscle pain.

What may interact with this medicine?

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

• atropine (Atreza, Sal-Tropine);
• belladonna (Donnatal, and others)
• benztropine (Cogentin);
• dimenhydrinate (Dramamine);
• methscopolamine (Pamine);
• scopolamine (Transderm-Scop);
• theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Theochron, Uniphyl), and others;
• bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or solifenacin (Vesicare);
• cough, cold, or allergy medicine;
• irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Hyomax), or propantheline (Pro Banthine);
• steroid medication such as prednisone (Deltasone, Sterapred), methylprednisolone (Medrol), fluticasone (Advair , Flonase, Flovent, Veramyst), beclomethasone (Qvar), budesonide (Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Symbicort), dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dexasone, Solurex, DexPak), mometasone (Asmanex, Nasonex), triamcinolone (Nasacort), and others; or
• ulcer medications such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul) or mepenzolate (Cantil).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Tiotropium. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I keep my medicine?

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.