Alternatives to the Ventolin Inhaler

There are alternatives available to the Ventolin inhaler. These consist of other ways in which to take Ventolin as well as other methods for treating breathing problems, the main symptom that Ventolin is used to relieve or treat. This article looks into what some of the alternative are and why they may be used. This will be of interest to anyone who has been told that they are unable to use Ventolin.

Different Ventolin delivery systems

Ventolin can be delivered via an inhaler, pill or injection. The injected form is usually used in the prevention of early onset labour while the other methods are normally used for breathing problems. The most preferred method is usually the inhaler as this is easy to use and provides rapid relief from breathing difficulty, usually within half a minute of taking a dose.


Alternative Salbutamol treatments to Ventolin

Ventolin is GlaxoSmithKline's version of the drug Salbutamol. This drug is also manufactured by other companies under different names (the most common alternative is Albuterol). It may also be available simply as Salbutamol. This again may come in the three varieties of pill, injection and inhaler as stated in the passage above.

Alternative treatments to Ventolin

There are alternative medications that work in a similar way to Ventolin, activating the same receptors. These may last for similar durations of time (e.g. Maxair) or may have longer lasting effects on the receptors (e.g. Advair or Bambec). These alternatives may be used for a variety of reasons as identified by your GP. This can involve avoidance of side effects, allergic reactions or improved compatibility with other medications you may be on.

In some cases you may be unable to take medication that acts on your beta-5 cell receptors. If this is the case then a drug that works in a completely different way may be recommended. A popularly recommended drug that some GPs could use in this instance be something like Atrovent.

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