Triamcinolone Inhaler

The triamcinolone inhaler is a prescription drug that is used for preventing asthma attacks. By reducing inflammation in the airways, the medication can help prevent asthma attacks from occurring. The triamcinolone inhaler comes in the form of a metered-dose inhaler that is taken two to four times per day. The dose of the triamcinolone inhaler your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including your age, the severity of your asthma, and other medications you may be taking. Possible side effects of this product include headache, sore throat, and sinus infection.

Triamcinolone for Asthma

What Is the Triamcinolone Inhaler?

The triamcinolone inhaler (Azmacort^®) is a prescription medication used to prevent asthma attacks.

(Click What Are Triamcinolone Inhalers Used For? for more information on what the triamcinolone inhaler is used for, including possible off-label uses of the medication.)

Who Makes the Triamcinolone Inhaler?

The triamcinolone inhaler is made by Abbott Laboratories.

How Does the Triamcinolone Inhaler Work?

Normally, air moves easily into and out of the lungs through a network of airways. However, when you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways are inflamed (swollen). This inflammation makes the airways very sensitive, and they tend to react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating (see Asthma Triggers). When the airways react, the muscles around these airways tighten, inflammation inside the airways increases, and the cells inside the airways produce more mucus. This narrows the airways and makes it harder to breathe.

The triamcinolone inhaler is an asthma medication that belongs to a group of drugs called inhaled corticosteroids, or steroids for short. Inhaled steroids go directly into the lungs and help to decrease the inflammation of the airways that makes asthma attacks more likely. Because the triamcinolone inhaler does not work quickly, it should not be used for treating an asthma attack. Rather, it is used regularly in order to prevent asthma attacks.

Because triamcinolone is inhaled directly into the lungs, the rest of the body is exposed to lower steroid levels, compared to steroids taken by mouth. This helps reduce or eliminate many of the side effects associated with long-term steroid use.

(Click Asthma Treatment for information about other medicines used for treating asthma.)

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