What is Aminophylline?
Aminophylline is a 2 to 1 ratio drug combination of theophylline and ethylenediamine. To alleviate symptoms of reversible airway obstruction due to asthma or other chronic lung disorders such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, it is FDA approved. It is also used in preterm infants to avoid apnea.
Aminophylline Uses
Aminophylline is used to prevent and treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung disorders caused by wheezing, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing. It relaxes and expands air passages, making breathing easier in the lungs.
How to use this drug
Often this drug is prescribed for other uses; request more details from your doctor or pharmacist.
Aminophylline comes as a mouth-taking tablet and syrup and a rectally inserted suppository. It is normally administered every 6, 8, or 12 hours. Carefully follow the instructions on the prescription label and ask your doctor or pharmacist to clarify any aspect that you do not understand. Take exactly as instructed, aminophylline. Do not take or take more or less of it more often than recommended by your physician.
- Take tablets or an oral liquid on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Do not chew the long-acting tablets or crush them; swallow them whole.
- Aminophylline controls but does not cure, the effects of asthma and other lung diseases. Even if you are not well, continue taking aminophylline. Without consulting your doctor, do not quit taking aminophylline.
Follow these steps in order to implant a rectal suppository:
- Get the wrapping off
- Dip the suppository tip in the water
- Lie down and bring your right knee to your chest on your left side. (A person who is left-handed should lie on the right side and lift his left knee.).
- Insert the suppository into the rectum using your finger, roughly 1/2 to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 centimeters) in infants and children, and 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in adults. For a couple of moments, keep it in place.
- Stand up after 15 minutes, roughly. Carefully wash your hands and resume your daily activities.
Additional applications for this drug
In premature babies, aminophylline is also used to treat respiratory difficulties. Speak to your doctor about the potential threats to your baby's condition from taking this drug.
Aminophylline Dosage
- The loading dose of 6 mg/kg body weight of aminophylline can be administered at a rate not exceeding 25 mg/min by slow intravenous injection.
- The maintenance dose for the next 12 hours can, depending on the patient's condition, be considered as follows:
Age |
Dosage |
|---|---|
| Kids between 6 months and 9 years of age | 1 .2 mg/kg/hour (more than 12 hours reduced to mg/kg/hour). |
| Children between 9 years and 16 years of age and young adult smokers | 1 mg/kg/hour (reduced after 12 hours to 0.8 mg/kg/hour). |
| Non-smoking adults who are healthy | 0.7 mg/kg/hour (reduced after 12 hours to 0.5 mg/kg/hour). |
| Patients who are older and with cor pulmonale | 0.6 mg/kg/hour (reduced after 12 hours to 0.3 mg/kg/hour). |
| Congestive Heart Failure Patients | 0.5mg/kg/hour (decreased to 0.1 - |
| Liver disease | 0.2mg/kg/hour more than 12 hours). |
Aminophylline Side Effects
- Stomach upset
- Pain in the stomach
- Diarrhea Infection
- Headaches
- In quietness
- Sleeplessness
- Irritability
Contact your doctor or health care advisor immediately if you encounter any of the following symptoms:
- By vomiting
- Rapid or elevated heart rate
- The irregular beat of the heart
- Convulsions
- Rash of the skin
Rare side effects:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
- Increase in urine volume
- Lightheadedness
- Persistent vomiting
- Pounding or rapid pulse
- Seizures
- Shakiness
Overdose of Aminophylline has the following symptoms:
- Pressure in the abdomen or stomach
- Vision Blurred
- Uncertainty
- Confusion about identity, place, and time
- Dark-hued urine
- The decrease in urination frequency
- Reduced urine
- Diarrhea Infection
- Difficulty passing urine through (dribbling)
- When standing up suddenly from a lying or sitting position, dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness
- Dry mouth
- Rapid, pounding, or erratic pulse or heartbeat
- With fever
- Enhanced hunger
- The irregular beat of the heart
- Appetite Loss
- Changes in mood
- Cramps or spasms in the muscles
- Pressure or weakness of your muscles
- Sickness or vomiting
- Nervousness
- Tingling or numbness in your palms, feet, or lips
- Arms pain and discomfort, jaw, back, or neck pain or discomfort
- Painful urination while urinating
- The shakiness of the legs, hands, arms, or feet
- Breath shortages
- Sweating
- Uncommon exhaustion or weakness
- Vomiting of blood or coffee-like substance
Precautions
- If you are allergic to aminophylline or some other medicine, notify your doctor and pharmacist.
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription drugs you are consuming, azithromycin (Zithromax), diuretics ('water pills'), carbamazepine (Tegretol), including allopurinol (Zyloprim), cimetidine (Tagamet), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin, lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), propranolol (Inderal), phenytoin (Dilantin), oral contraceptives, prednisone (Deltasone), oral contraceptives (Dilantin), rifamycin
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist what nonprescription drugs and vitamins you are taking, especially ephedrine, epinephrine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, or pseudoephedrine-containing non-prescription medications. These medicines (e.g., diet pills and treatments for colds and asthma) are used in many non-prescription items, so check the labels carefully. Without talking to your doctor, do not take these medications; they can increase the side effects of aminophylline.
- Tell your doctor whether you have a history of substance abuse or whether you have or have ever had epilepsy, heart disease, overactive or underactive thyroid glands, high blood pressure, or liver disease.
- If you are pregnant, are trying to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding, tell your doctor. Give your doctor a call if you get pregnant while taking aminophylline.
- If you use tobacco products, notify your doctor. The efficacy of aminophylline can be impaired by cigarette smoking.
Interactions
Interaction with and other ways of interaction with other medical products The following drugs can decrease the clearance of aminophylline, resulting in increased concentrations of plasma theophylline and the potential for increased toxicity:
- Fluvoxamine
- It is typically important to prevent the concomitant use of theophylline and fluvoxamine. Patients should have their dosage of theophylline halved where this is not feasible, and plasma theophylline should be closely monitored.
- Cimetidine
- Antibiotics from Macrolide (e.g. erythromycin, clarithromycin)
- Antibiotics from Quinolone (e.g. ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin)
- Fluconazole
- Isoniazid / Isoniazid
- Propranolol
- Allopurinol (high doses e.g. 600 mg daily)
- Oral contraceptives
- Mexiletin, propafenone, propafenone
- Diltiazem, verapamil, calcium channel blockers
- Disulfiram
- Interferon alfa, a vaccine for influenza
- Methotrexate
- Zafirlukast
- Tacrine
- Thiabendazole
- Hormones of the Thyroid
Overdose
If overdosed, this drug can be harmful. When someone has taken an overdose some extreme signs such as passing out or respiratory problems can occur.
Note:
- Do not share the drug with anyone.
- In order to monitor the progress or check for side effects, laboratory and/or medical tests (such as a lung/breathing test, blood pressure) should be conducted regularly. For more info, contact your doctor.
- Ignore allergens/irritants which can make breathing problems worse, such as smoke, pollen, pet dander, dust, or molds.
- Learn to use a peak flow meter, use it every day, and record worsening breathing symptoms promptly (such as yellow/red range readings, increased use of rapid-relief inhalers).
Missed Dose
If you are using this product on a daily basis and forget a dose, take it as soon as you recall it. If it is near the next dose, don’t take the skipped dose. Using the next dose on a regular basis. Do Not double the dose to recover the missed or forgotten dose.
Aminophylline Storage
Store this medication at room temperature only and try to keep away from moisture, heat, and light. Do not freeze it. Do not store it in the bathroom or washroom.
Do not flush the drug in the sink or dump it into the sink unless told to do. Disposal of this product is necessarily important when it has expired or is no longer required to you. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more information and guidance about how to safely dispose of your product.
Important information
- Hold all your doctor and laboratory appointments together. In order to validate your reaction to aminophylline, your doctor will order some lab tests.
- Without talking to your doctor, do not move from one brand of aminophylline to another.
- Do not let the medicine be taken by someone else. If you have any questions about refilling your prescription, ask your pharmacist.
- As well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements, it is essential for you to keep a written list of all the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking. Any time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital, you can carry this list with you. Information to bring with you in case of emergencies is also relevant.
