Common use

Serevent is used to prevent asthma attacks or exercise-induced bronchospasm. It is also used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Serevent is a long-acting beta2-adrenoceptor agonist (LABA) bronchodilator. It works by helping the muscles around the airways in your lungs stay relaxed to improve breathing.
Serevent is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace a rescue inhaler.

Dosage and direction

Use Serevent exactly as it was prescribed for you. Serevent inhalations should not be used more often than prescribed (twice per day) and proper techniques of inhalation closely followed. Use Serevent regularly to get the most benefit.

Precautions

To make sure Serevent is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had: a food or drug allergy; heart disease or high blood pressure; epilepsy or other seizure disorder; diabetes; a thyroid disorder; or liver disease.
It is not known whether salmeterol will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It may not be safe to breastfeed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk.

Contraindications

You should not use Serevent if you are allergic to salmeterol or to milk proteins.
Do not use Serevent to treat an asthma attack that has already begun.
Do not use a second form of salmeterol (such as Advair) or similar inhaled bronchodilator unless your doctor tells you to. This includes formoterol (Perforomist, Symbicort, Bevespi, Dulera), arformoterol (Brovana), indacaterol (Arcapta), olodaterol (Striverdi, Stiolto Respimat), or vilanterol (Anoro Ellipta, Breo Ellipta, Trelegy Ellipta).

Possible side effect

Common Serevent side effects may include: headache; flu symptoms; joint or muscle pain; throat irritation, cough; or stuffy or runny nose.

Drug interaction

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can interact with salmeterol, especially: nefazodone; an antibiotic - clarithromycin, telithromycin; antifungal medicine - itraconazole, ketoconazole; antiviral medicine to treat HIV/AIDS - indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir; heart or blood pressure medicine - such as a diuretic ("water pill"), or a beta-blocker (atenolol, carvedilol, labetalol, metoprolol, propranolol, sotalol, timolol, and others); or a MAO inhibitor - isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.

Missed dose

Skip the missed dose and use your next dose at the regular time. Do not use two doses at one time.

Overdose

Seek emergency medical attention.

Storage

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and sunlight. Keep away from children.