Combivent Respimat vs. Symbicort

Combivent Respimat (ipratropium bromide and albuterol) Inhalation Spray and Symbicort (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) are used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Symbicort is also used to prevent bronchospasm in people with asthma.

Both Combivent Respimat and Symbicort contain bronchodilators. Symbicort also contains a steroid.

Side effects of Combivent Respimat and Symbicort that are similar include headache, cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, or sore throat), nausea, and vomiting.

Side effects of Combivent Respimat that are different from Symbicort include flu-like symptoms, nervousness, difficulty breathing, urinary retention, and fast or irregular heartbeat.

Side effects of Symbicort that are different from Combivent Respimat include stomach upset, diarrhea, back pain, muscle or joint pain, and changes in voice.

Both Combivent Respimat and Symbicort may interact with diuretics (water pills) and antidepressants.

Combivent Respimat may also interact with other bronchodilators, bladder or urinary medicines, heart or blood pressure medications, medications for Parkinson's disease, stimulants, ADHD medications, diet pills, over-the-counter cold or allergy medicine, and medications to treat excess stomach acid, stomach ulcers, motion sickness, or irritable bowel syndrome.

Symbicort may also interact with antibiotics, antifungal medications, MAO inhibitors, and beta-blockers.

Common side effects of Combivent Respimat include:

• headache,
• cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, or sore throat),
• flu-like symptoms,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• nervousness,
• difficulty breathing,
• urinary retention and
• fast or irregular heartbeat.

Serious side effects of Combivent Respimat include:

• bronchospasms,
• eye (ocular) changes, and
• heart (cardiac) complications.

Common side effects of Symbicort include:

• headache,
• throat irritation,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach upset,
• diarrhea,
• back pain,
• stuffy nose,
• muscle or joint pain, or
• changes in your voice.

Tell your doctor if you experience unlikely but serious side effects of Symbicort including:

• white patches on tongue or in mouth,
• signs of infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat),
• mental/mood changes (such as nervousness),
• trouble sleeping,
• vision problems (such as blurred vision),
• increased thirst or urination,
• muscle cramps, or
• shaking (tremors).

Combivent Respimat (sunitinib malate) is a multi-kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor after disease progression on, or intolerance to imatinib mesylate, for advanced renal cell carcinoma, and for progressive, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease. Combivent Respimat is available in generic form.

Symbicort (budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate) is a combination of a steroid and a long-acting bronchodilator used to prevent bronchospasm in people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Symbicort combines an inhaled corticosteroid medicine, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol.

• Inhaled corticosteroids help to decrease inflammation in the lungs. Inflammation in the lungs can lead to breathing problems.
• LABA medicines are used in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. LABA medicines help the muscles around the airways in your lungs stay relaxed to prevent symptoms such as wheezing, cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These symptoms can happen when the muscles around the airways tighten. This makes it hard to breathe. In severe cases, wheezing can stop your breathing and may lead to death if not treated right away.

Combivent Respimat may interact with bladder or urinary medicines, diuretics (water pills), heart or blood pressure medications, medications for Parkinson's disease or depression, other bronchodilators, stimulants, ADHD medications, diet pills, over-the-counter cold or allergy medicine, or medication to treat excess stomach acid, stomach ulcer, motion sickness, or irritable bowel syndrome. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Symbicort may interact with antibiotics, antifungal medication, MAO inhibitor, antidepressants, beta-blockers, or diuretics (water pills). Tell your doctor all medications you are taking. During pregnancy, Symbicort should be used only when prescribed. Budesonide passes into breast milk. It is unknown if formoterol passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

The Combivent Respimat inhaler delivers 20 mcg of ipratropium bromide (monohydrate) and 100 mcg albuterol (equivalent to 120 mcg albuterol sulfate) from the mouthpiece. The recommended dose of Combivent Respimat is one inhalation four times a day. Patients may take additional inhalations as required; however, the total number of inhalations should not exceed six within 24 hours.

For patients 12 years of age and older, the dosage of Symbicort is 2 inhalations twice daily (morning and evening, approximately 12 hours apart).