Symbicort - What is it?
Symbicort, active ingredients budesonide and formoterol, is a medication that is available only by prescription. It is used for the treatment of COPD and asthma. COPD might include chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Who Manufactures Symbicort?
AstraZeneca is the maker Symbicort.
How It Works
Symbicort is made up of two types of medicines: formoterol and budesonide. Formoterol is part of the class of medications called "beta adrenergic receptor agonists," also often simply called beta agonists. This type of medication works to "wake up" the body's beta receptors, especially those found on the muscles around the airways. The stimulation can encourage muscles to loosen, which will open the airway and let more air get to the lungs.
Budesonide is the other active ingredient in Symbicort. It is a medication for asthma that belongs to the class of drugs known as "inhaled corticosteroids." These are also simply called steroids. Inhaled steroids flow directly to the lungs to decrease airway inflammation that can make it more likely to experience an asthma attack.
Since Symbicort is not fast acting, you should not take it for an asthma attack. It should be used to prevent the onset of asthma attacks two times daily.
Potential Side Effects
As is the case with all medications, it is possible to experience side effects while taking Symbicort. Not everyone that takes this medication will notice side effects as it is generally well tolerated. If you do notice side effects, they are most often minor and require little or no treatment. More serious side effects are less commonly reported.
Generic Forms of Symbicort
At this time, there is no generic form of Symbicort for sale.
