Budesonide for inhalation

What is budesonide?

Budesonide is used to help prevent the symptoms of asthma. This medicine keeps the airways of your child's lungs healthy when your child uses it regularly.

You may hear budesonide called a preventer medicine. You may also hear budesonide called by its brand name, Pulmicort.

Budesonide comes as an inhaler, or as a liquid to use in a nebulizer machine.

Before giving budesonide to your child?

Tell your child's doctor if your child has:

• An allergy to budesonide

Talk with your child's doctor or pharmacist if your child has any of the following conditions. Precautions may need to be taken with this medicine if your child has:

• Infections, such as chicken pox, measles, tuberculosis
• Eye problems, such as glaucoma

How should you give your child budesonide?

• Give your child budesonide exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, even if your child seems better.
• Stop giving budesonide only if your doctor or pharmacist tells you to stop.
• Give your child budesonide at the same time every day. Pick times that are easy for you so that you do not miss doses.
• If your child uses a reliever medicine, such as salbutamol, make sure your child uses the reliever medicine before using the budesonide. You should wait 5 minutes after giving the reliever medicine before you give the budesonide.
• If your child uses a nebulizer machine to take the budesonide, you can mix the reliever medicine with the budesonide liquid.
• Your child needs to breathe the budesonide in through the mouth. If you are not sure how to give this medicine, ask the pharmacist or nurse to show you.
• Have your child rinse their mouth with water after taking budesonide. If your child is too young to rinse, give them water or juice to drink after every dose of budesonide.

What should you do if your child misses a dose of budesonide?

• Give the missed dose as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time.
• Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.

How long does budesonide take to work?

It may take several weeks before you notice that your child's asthma is getting better with budesonide.

What are the possible side effects of budesonide?

Your child may have some of these side effects while they take budesonide. Check with your child's doctor if your child continues to have any of these side effects, if they do not go away, or if they bother your child:

• Dry mouth or throat
• Sore throat
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Cough
• Headache
• Upset stomach

Call your child's doctor during office hours if your child has any of these side effects:

• White patches in the mouth
• Pain while eating or swallowing
• Blurry vision or any changes in vision

Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem. Call your child's doctor right away or take your child to Emergency if your child has any of these side effects:

• Swelling of the face, eyes, lips
• Tightness in the chest
• Wheezing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing that is not relieved by any medication

What safety measures should you take when your child is using budesonide?

If your child's asthma is not getting better after 2 weeks of taking budesonide, or if you feel it is getting worse, contact your doctor.

Gargling and rinsing the mouth with water after each dose will help to prevent hoarseness, throat irritation, and yeast infection in the mouth.

Before your child has any kind of surgery, including dental surgery or an emergency treatment, tell the doctor or dentist that your child is taking budesonide.

Check with your child's doctor or pharmacist before giving your child any other medicines (prescription, non-prescription, herbal or natural products).

What other important information should you know about budesonide?

• Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to the doctor or pharmacist.
• Do not share your child's medicine with others and do not give anyone else's medicine to your child.
• Make sure you always have enough budesonide to last through weekends, holidays, and vacations. Call your pharmacy at least 2 days before your child runs out of medicine to order refills.
• Keep budesonide at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do NOT store it in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Do not keep any medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicines.
  

Keep budesonide for inhalation out of your child’s sight and reach and locked up in a safe place. If your child takes too much budesonide for inhalation, call your local Poison Information Centre at one of these numbers. These calls are free. 

• Call 1-844 POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, from anywhere in Canada except Quebec.
• Call 1-800-463-5060 if you live in Quebec.