Pulmicort Respules

--If you miss a dose...

Give it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to the regular schedule. Do not give 2 doses at once.

--Storage instructions...

Store Pulmicort Respules upright at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or freeze. When you open the aluminum foil envelope containing the Respules, record the date on the back of the envelope. Keep unused Respules in the envelope protected from light. Use any individually opened Respules promptly. You should discard any unused Respules two weeks after opening the envelope.

What side effects may occur?

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Pulmicort.

• More common side effects may include:
  Abdominal pain, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), cough, diarrhea, ear infection or inflammation, fever, fungal infection in mouth, headache, nasal or sinus inflammation, nosebleed, pain, rash, respiratory infection, stomach or intestinal inflammation, throat inflammation, viral infection, vomiting, wheezing

Why should Pulmicort Respules not be prescribed?

If the child is allergic to budesonide, this drug cannot be used. In addition, Pulmicort cannot be used to treat severe asthma attacks.

Special warnings about Pulmicort Respules

If the youngster is switching to Pulmicort from an oral steroid medication, the doctor will be careful to reduce the oral dosage very gradually. Taking oral steroids suppresses the natural production of steroids by the adrenal gland, and it takes months for production to return to normal after the oral steroids are stopped. In the meantime, the body will be unusually vulnerable to stress.

There have been reports of death during and immediately after transfer from oral steroids to inhaled steroids, so your doctor will monitor the child carefully during this period. People who have been taking high doses of oral steroids for an extended period of time are especially prone to problems, particularly when the oral steroids have been almost completely stopped. At that point, any stress from trauma, surgery, or infection (especially stomach or intestinal inflammation) is more likely to trigger adverse events.