Question about albuteral?

Question

Whenever I use my inhaler i always get severe jitters/shakes immediately and its harder to breathe for the first few minutes. sometimes i'm so jittery that i have to sit down and they have lasted up to an hour. i'll often feel lightheaded at first and for a while after i've taken it i feel incredibly spooked out, often like someone is watching me or that something bad is just destined to happen. is this normal or should i talk to my doctor and see if there is anything else i can use for my asthma? thanks.

Answer 1

The shakes are normal the paranoia is not, nor is the shortness of breath. Talk to your doctor.

Answer 2

Your symptoms are a bit more than average but normal. That's why a treatment program attempts to get you to the point at which you need the rescue inhaler only once every couple of weeks, or less. If you're using it more often, then you certainly do need to talk to your doctor about the rest of your treatment program.

Answer 3

I had the same symptoms (except for the paranoia) anytime I had to use albuteral.  This went on for years.  When one of my asthma attacks landed me in the ER, they naturally hooked me up to a nebulizer full of Albuteral and I went into anaphalaytic shock.  I was told never to use Albuteral again.  

I just spent 4 days in the hospital with pneumonia and the Albuteral Allergic warning was noted on my bright orange-red wrist band and I was given Seravent instead.  

Your reaction mightn't be as deadly as mine, but it definitely warrants talking to your doctor about!

Answer 4

Its a beta 2 adrenergic receptor agonist, basically it releases adrenaline in the body but not the brain. It causes smooth muscle relaxation which results in dilation of the bronchial passage, vein dilation in muscle and the liver, relaxation of uterine muscle and release of insulin. It causes insomnia and jittery feelings because of the adrenaline stimulation in the body.