Asthma and Airway Centre

Medication

Asthma Medication

These medications help by reducing and preventing swollen and inflamed airways, thus decreasing asthma symptoms like cough, wheeze, chest tightness or shortness of breath.

Understanding Anti-inflammatory Medication

How to use and care for your inhaler
They are maintenance/controller therapy and must be taken everyday as prescribed by your doctor even when you are feeling well. Proper inhaler technique is essential to benefit from your medications. Here, we have provided information on how to use and care for your inhalers.

View the Inhaler Identification Poster

Inhaled steroids
	Flovent®		Qvar™
	Pulmicort®

Inhaled non-steroids
	Intal® and Tilade®

Long-acting bronchodilators
Foradil®	Oxeze®	Serevent® diskus

Combination medication
Advair®		Symbicort®

Steroids tablets — Prednisone®

Leukotrienes
Singulair® (Montelukast) oral	Singulair® (Montelukast) chewable	Accolate® (Zafirlukast)

Bronchodilators/relievers

These medications relax tight airway muscles that surround the airways, making it easier to breathe. They are to be used for quick relief when symptoms of cough, wheeze, chest tightness or shortness of breath. Common examples of this type of medication:

Ventolin®

Airomir®

Bricanyl®

Oxeze®

Atrovent®

Combivent®

(ipratropium
bromide and Salbutamol
sulfate)

For the uses and common side effects of the bronchodilators (relievers) your doctor may prescribe for the treatment of your asthma bronchodilators.

Images of inhalers adapted from pharmaceutical company, with permisstion

Other medication

Xolair® (omalizumab) is a medication that blocks a substance called IGE (Immunoglobulin E) which is produced by the body. If you have allergic asthma your body makes more IGE when you breathe in an allergen that triggers your asthma. This can cause a series of chemical reactions known as the “allergic inflammatory process in allergic asthma”.

Xolair® (omalizumab) (also known as an IGE blocker) acts in the early allergic-inflammatory process in people with allergic asthma blocking the reactions and preventing asthma attacks.

It is recommended for those age 12 and over with moderate to severe persistent allergic asthma when asthma is not controlled with asthma medication.
It is given by injections based on your IGE levels and body weight once every 2 or 4 weeks.
You will need to continue with your asthma medications. Dosage may be adjusted by your doctor

Common side effects reported are:

bruising, redness, warmth, burning, stinging or other discomfort around the injection site
headache, sore throat, viral or upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, and rash

For more information please talk to your doctor who will determine if Xolair® (omalizumab) may benefit you.

[back to top]