Types of Asthma Medications

Several medications are available to treat asthma, including quick-relief and long-term relief medications. Discover which medicine is right for you.

Featured Asthma Drugs

Do you know what your asthma medicine does?
There are several kinds of asthma medication and they do different things. Take this quiz and get the facts about asthma medicine.

Alupent Inhaler
Alupent (metaproterenol) is a bronchodilator that opens breathing passages to make breathing easier.
Brethine Oral
Brethine (tertbutaline) is a bronchodilator in a pill form used to treat symptoms of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and emphysema.
Maxair Inhaler
Maxair (pirbuterol) is an inhaler that relaxes the smooth muscle in the lungs and dilates airways.
Proventil Oral
Proventil Oral is a pill-version of albuterol. It is used to treat wheezing and shortness of breath.
Xopenex HFA Inhaler
Xopenex HFA (levalbuterol) is a new, environmentally friendly asthma inhaler. It may have fewer side effects than the old albuterol.

Aerobid Inhaler
Aerobid (flunisolide) is a corticosteroid that reduces swelling of the airways and decreases phlegm and other asthma symptoms.
Asmanex Twisthaler Inhaler
Asmanex Twisthaler (mometasone) is a dry powder inhaler that delivers a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation in the airways to help control asthma.
Azmacort Inhaler
Azmacort (triamcinolone) can be used to help decrease the dose of the medication that must be taken by mouth.
Pulmicort Turbuhaler Inhaler
Pulmicort (budesonide) is a dry-powder inhaler used to control asthma by reducing swelling and inflammation in the airways.
Qvar Inhaler
Qvar (beclomethasone) is a corticosteroid used to reduce swelling and inflammation in the lungs to control asthma symptoms.
Flovent HFA Inhaler
Flovent HFA (fluticasone) is an environmentally friendly inhaler that delivers the corticosteroid to the lungs to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Intal Inhaler
Intal (cromolyn) is in the drug class mast cell stabilizers. It works by preventing the release of histamines that may cause swelling of the airways.
Medrol Oral
Medrol (methylprednisolone) is a corticosteroid used to treat asthma; allergies; arthritis; blood diseases; breathing problems; certain cancers; eye diseases; intestinal disorders; collagen and skin diseases.
Pediapred Oral
Pediapred (prednisolone) is used alone or with other medications to treat a number of conditions, including allergies, breathing problems such as asthma, and certain cancers.

Foradil Inhaler
Foradil (formoterol) is used to prevent/minimize breathing problems in persons 5 years and older with breathing difficulties
Serevent Inhaler
Serevent (salmeterol) is used to prevent asthma brought on by exercise (bronchospasm) and works to relax muscles around the airways.
Theo-Dur Oral
Theo-Dur (theophylline) is an older asthma medicine used to treat wheezing and breathing difficulties. It belongs to a drug class known as xanthines.

Advair Diskus Inhaler
Advair is a combination asthma inhaler containing salmeterol (a bronchodilator) and fluticasone (a corticosteroid) for long-term asthma control.

Accolate Oral
Zafirlukast is used to prevent asthma symptoms and to decrease the number of asthma attacks in people 5 and older. It helps make breathing easier by reducing swelling (inflammation) in the airways. Regular use of this medication can help control your asthma, improve your ability to exercise, and decrease the number of times you need to use your rescue inhaler.
Singulair Drug Information Page
Find our page dedicated to Singulair, drug information, side effects and news.
Zyflo Oral
This medication is used to control long-term (chronic) asthma and help decrease the number of asthma attacks. Controlling asthma can decrease time lost from work or school. This drug improves asthma symptoms by blocking substances in the body called leukotrienes. It will not treat a sudden asthma attack.

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Long-Term Relief Medications for Adult Asthma Sufferers
Find out what medicine your doctor might prescribe to prevent asthma attacks and keep your symptoms under control.
Quick-Relief Medications for Adult Asthma sufferers
Learn more about the medicines used to treat acute asthma attacks in adult patients.