Drug interactions
Pirbuterol + Salmeterol
Severity: Moderate
Pirbuterol and Salmeterol: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Both are beta-2 agonists, so combining them duplicates therapy and increases adrenergic adverse effects such as tachycardia, tremor, palpitations and hypokalemia. This raises the risk of arrhythmia, especially in patients with heart disease.
What this interaction means in plain words
Pirbuterol and Salmeterol can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive beta-2 adrenergic receptor stimulation.
What to do
Avoid routine concurrent use of short-acting beta-agonists with excess dosing; limit pirbuterol to rescue use. Monitor heart rate and serum potassium in at-risk patients.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Salmeterol
- Ritonavir + Salmeterol Contraindicated
- Salmeterol + Saquinavir Contraindicated
- Amitriptyline + Salmeterol Major
- Arformoterol + Salmeterol Major
- Atazanavir + Salmeterol Major
- Budesonide-formoterol + Salmeterol Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Pirbuterol with Salmeterol?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Pirbuterol and Salmeterol can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Both are beta-2 agonists, so combining them duplicates therapy and increases adrenergic adverse effects such as tachycardia, tremor, palpitations and hypokalemia. This raises the risk of arrhythmia, especially in patients with heart disease.
How serious is the interaction between Pirbuterol and Salmeterol?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid routine concurrent use of short-acting beta-agonists with excess dosing; limit pirbuterol to rescue use. Monitor heart rate and serum potassium in at-risk patients.
What other medicines interact with Salmeterol?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Salmeterol with, for example, Ritonavir, Saquinavir, Amitriptyline. The full list is on the Salmeterol page.
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