Spiriva Respimat (tiotropium bromide) is an anticholinergic inhalation spray, used for long term to open the airways of people with breathing difficulties (due to lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and to prevent worsening of condition in COPD. It is also used in asthma as an add-on therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid and beta-blocker when these medications are not enough to control asthma. This medication (tiotropium bromide) belongs to a class of medicines known as bronchodilators. It acts by relaxing the muscles around the airways in your lungs, making it easier for the air to get in and out of the lungs. In COPD patients, it also prevents flare-up (worsening of condition) symptoms such as wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Manufacturer Information
Spiriva Respimat is available from Canada manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd and is available in a carton containing one Spiriva Respimat cartridge and one Spiriva Respimat inhaler. The dose of tiotropium bromide is 2.5 mcg per actuation.
Stop taking Spiriva Respimat and call your doctor at once if you have one of these serious side effects:
• Absence of bowel movements.
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Eye disorders such as eye pain
• Frequent urination
• Fungal infection of mouth and throat
• Irregular or fast heartbeat
• Pain while passing urine
• Paradoxical bronchospasm with symptoms such as chest tightness, associated with coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, immediately after inhalation
• Serious allergic reaction
• Swelling of joints
• Urinary retention with symptoms of difficulty
Less serious side effects include cough, dry mouth or throat, bad taste, hoarse voice, dizziness, rashes, itching, heartburn, constipation, trouble in sleeping, sinus infection, sore throat, inflammation of mouth or gums or tongue, infections or ulcerations in skin, nose bleeding, dryness of skin. Please call your doctor if you have any further concerns or questions.
Always use Spiriva Respimat exactly as prescribed by your doctor. It is important to read and understand the usage instructions before starting therapy with Spiriva Respimat. Take the medication regularly every day and do not stop the therapy suddenly when you feel better. The usual dose for adults to treat COPD is 2 puffs once a day, if possible, at the same time, every day. For asthma, the dosage is 2 puffs once a day. Do not use the medication if you are allergic to ipratropium bromide or other anticholinergic drugs or any other ingredients of Spiriva Respimat, are not using an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist for treatment of asthma, are under 18 years of age Spiriva Respimat can lead to dizziness and blurred vision. In case you experience these symptoms, you not drive or operate heavy machinery. It is important to tell your health care professional about all other medicines that you have taken recently including any kind of supplements and non-prescription drugs. Spiriva Respimat should not be used with short or long acting muscarinic blockers such as include ipratropium, tiotropium, glycopyrronium, aclidinium, umeclidinium as there is a risk of overdosage. Before using Spiriva Respimat inhaler, inform your doctor if are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, breast-feeding, are using any medications such as eye drops, other bronchodilators or other non-prescription medications, have any medical problems such as difficulty in urination or enlarged prostate, eye problems such as glaucoma or eye pain, have allergies to food or drugs, have kidney problems, have unstable heart diseases. Do not use this medicine to treat a sudden attack of wheezing or breathlessness.