is it alright to stop taking theo-dur without tapering off
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Q: is it alright to discontinue theo-dur anytime
Answers (2)
9/25/08 2:53pm
Hi Dolores,
Thank you for your question! You should definitely not stop taking the medication abruptly unless directed to do so by your doctor. The medication is used to treat asthma or COPD, which are both lung diseases. If you suddenly stop taking this medication, it could have a drastic effect on your ability to breathe, which could lead to serious complications. If you want to stop taking this medication, it's important to first discuss your desires with your doctor and he or she should be able to help you get off the medication properly. I hope this helps!
Best of luck,
Casey
9/28/08 12:02am
This is a good question for me to answer, because I was on Theo-dur for 25 years, and every time I'd skip a dose I'd have an asthma attack. So I thought I'd be on it for life. The idea here was that once you have a certain theophylin level in your system, your body expects it to be there always. So, if you suddenly stop taking it, your body may punish you the way it punished me.
That is why a slow wean is important with theodur. Ideally, you should work with your doctor on a good plan for weaning yourself off this once popular and now essentially out-dated medicine because of all the aweful side effects.
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By Dolores Rowe— Last Modified: 12/08/10, First Published: 09/25/08
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