Long-Term Relief Medications
These medications are taken on a regular basis to prevent asthma attacks and control chronic symptoms.
Corticosteroids, also called glucocorticoids or steroids, are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs. Steroids are not bronchodilators (they do not relax the airways) and have little immediate effect on symptoms. Instead, they work over time to reduce inflammation and prevent permanent injury in the lungs. They can also help prevent asthma attacks from occurring. The use of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma reduces the risk of rehospitalization and death from asthma.
Taking a corticosteroid drug through an inhaler makes it possible to provide effective local anti inflammatory activity in the lungs with very few side effects elsewhere in the body. (By contrast, oral steroids have considerable side effects throughout the body.) Inhaled corticosteroids are recommended as the primary therapy for any patient needing long-term control medications for persistent asthma.
Examples of inhaled corticosteroids:
- Inhaled steroids include fluticasone (Flovent), budesonide (Pulmicort), triamcinolone (Azmacort and others), mometasone furoate (Asmanex), flunisolide (AeroBid), and ciclesonide (Alvesco).
- The older corticosteroid inhalants are beclomethasone (Beclovent, Vanceril) and dexamethasone (Decadron Phosphate Respihaler and others).
- Budesonide (Pulmicort Respules) is available in a jet nebulizer for children ages 12 months - 8 years. It was the first such medication to be approved for children in this age group.
- Inhalers that combine both long-acting beta2-agonists and corticosteroids are also available. These include Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol), fluticasone-salmeterol (Advair), and mometasone-formoterol (Dulera).
Inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred first-line therapy for children with asthma. However, doctors caution against corticosteroids for infants and toddlers with mild asthma and urge close monitoring, especially for children under age 5 with severe asthma who are receiving high doses.
Review Date: 05/03/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.