Overview of Medications for Asthma Treatment

By
Pat Bass, MD
Dr. Bass is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.
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Pat Bass, MD
Medically reviewed by
Medically reviewed by Daniel More, MD on December 01, 2019

Daniel More, MD, is a board-certified allergist and clinical immunologist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and currently practices at Central Coast Allergy and Asthma in Salinas, California.

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Daniel More, MD
Updated on February 05, 2020
Set of inhalers and medication

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Asthma medication can be divided into two categories:

  1. Quick-relief or rescue asthma medication
  2. Controller asthma medication

Quick-relief asthma medication treats acute asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. Controller asthma medication, on the other hand, attempts to prevent these same symptoms. For the most part, all asthma medication is inhaled, although some do come in a liquid form and one is given as an infusion. Let's take a look at the options.

Inhaled Steroids

Inhaled steroids are the most important asthma medication because they are the most potent and effective option available for long-term control. Their anti-inflammatory properties are responsible for the significant improvement that is often associated with the use of this asthma medication. Inhaled steroids prescribed may include:

  • Aerobid
  • Alvesco
  • Asmanex
  • Azmacort
  • Flovent
  • Pulmicort
  • Qvar

Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABA)

SABAs are a type of drug class commonly used in quick-relief asthma medications. This type of asthma medication is the drug of choice for the acute relief of asthma symptoms and is also used to prevent exercise-induced asthma. Because this asthma medication can prevent your asthma symptoms from getting worse, it is important to always keep it with you. Some of the SABAs include:

  • Albuterol
  • Proventil
  • Ventolin
  • Xopenex
  • Maxair

Long Acting Beta Agonists (LABA)

This type of asthma medication is preferred when your inhaled steroids are not adequately controlling your symptoms, otherwise known as adjunctive therapy. LABAs are not used as a single asthma medication for the treatment and prevention of symptoms and are not used to treat acute asthma symptoms or asthma exacerbations. LABAs include:

  • Brovana
  • Foradil
  • Perforomist
  • Serevent

Leukotriene Modifiers

This type of asthma medication is considered an alternative treatment for patients with mild persistent asthma and can be used as adjunctive therapy with inhaled steroids. Exercise-induced asthma can also be controlled with them. Some leukotriene modifiers that are currently available include:

Oral Steroids

Oral steroids are used for the treatment of moderate and severe asthma exacerbations to help improve symptoms and to prevent the late phase response of the allergic cascade. Oral steroids are only used as a controller medication after multiple other medications fail.

Anticholinergics

Anticholinergics act as a bronchodilator and are often used in combination with SABAs in the acute treatment of asthma symptoms in the emergency room or hospital. Spiriva, a long-acting anticholinergic medication, is a controller medication for asthma that is used along with an inhaled corticosteroid for the treatment of moderate persistent asthma.

Cromolyn Sodium and Nedocromil

Cromolyn and nedocromil are considered alternative treatments for patients with mild persistent asthma. Both help prevent inflammation in the lungs. These drugs are never used for the treatment of acute asthma symptoms. Brands include Intal and Tilade.

Combination Asthma Medication

A number of pharmaceutical companies have combined products, with more than one type of asthma medication in a single inhaler. Most commonly, this includes an inhaled steroid plus a LABA. The LABA widens your lung airways and the inhaled steroid decreases and prevents airway inflammation.

Patients find this type of asthma medication more convenient and often feel like they have better control. Examples include:

Immunomodulators

Immunomodulators are a group of drugs that either provide long-term control of asthma or are considered steroid sparing. These medications alter your immune system's response to asthma triggers. In general, these treatments decrease your IgE response to asthma triggers. The only currently available immunomodulator is Xolair.

Methylxanthine

This works as a mild bronchodilator and is considered an alternative adjunctive treatment to be used with inhaled steroids.

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