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Is salbutamol a steroid?

What is salbutamol?

In order to fully understand if salbutamol is or is not a steroid we first must understand what it is and what is used for. Salbutamol in short is a bronchodilator or an 'elective beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist,' which means that it relieves the symptoms of asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Salbutamol works by relaxing muscles to reduce inflammation that could be causing breathing problems and overall providing symptom relief.

Salbutamol is usually sold under brands such as Ventolin, Easyhaler, Salamol and Salbulin; coming in metered dose inhalers that are usually blue. You can also get salbutamol with an nebuliser but this is usually only for those who have severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The difference being, a nebuliser is a machine that assist you in breathing in salbutamol with a mask compared to the pump in the inhaler. You can also only get salbutamol on prescription as the drug should be used selectively and not all the time in response to asthma symptoms.

The key thing about salbutamol is it is not a primary inhaler, it is a reliever inhaler that is designed to give you quick relief not solve the problem.

Reliever vs Preventer inhalers

There are two types of inhalers that you can get to deal with your asthma symptoms.

Reliver inhalers or 'rescue inhalers' as mentioned previously, don't stop asthma attacks from happening but are used as a quick relief to treat asthma symptoms when they happen. They contain fast-acting elective beta2-adrenergic receptor agonists like salbutamol. They officially treat bronchospasm and can be used to assist people with reversible obstructive airway disease. A salbutamol inhaler should be used with care though and you should always stick to the recommended dose; overusing leads to a risk of serious side effects.

Preventer inhalers contain steroids called corticosteroids that are used to reduce inflammation of the airways. The inhaled steroids work to prevent your asthma symptoms or at the very least prevent the worst of the symptoms. They can be used daily to deal with asthma symptoms and work continuously to allow you to breathe easier. You will often have a combination of a preventer inhaler and a reliever inhaler for your treatment of asthma.

How to take salbutamol

Salbutamol comes in various forms to take as you need or as suits you the best. Most common though is through a metered dose inhaler as it is the quickest response to an asthma attack. Other forms you can take it in are:

• Tablets

• Syrup

• Nebuliser

The other forms forms of salbutamol are usually given to those who severely struggle breath are unable to inhale salbutamol without assistance.

Dosage

Salbutamol shouldn't be taken more than is recommended, it could lead to some serious side effects if the dose is exceeded. There is also every chance that if you are needing to take salbutamol more than is recommended that your condition has got worse and you need to speak to your doctor about the right course of action. Consult your doctor if you don't notice any improvement in your symptoms after using it.

The recommended dose according to NHS guidelines for using a salbutamol inhaler is as follows:

• 1 or 2 puffs of salbutamol when you need it

• up to a maximum of 4 times in 24 hours (regardless of whether you have 1 puff or 2 puffs at a time)( NHS guideline)

Common side effects

While side effects from using salbutamol within the recommended dose is rare, there are those who are still at greater risk from using inhaled salbutamol. People who have the following conditions should take caution when using salbutamol:

• Severe asthma

• Heart problems

• Overactive thyroid gland

• High blood pressure

• A lung infection

• Arrhythmias

• Low potassium levels

In the rare chance that you do develop side effects from using salbutamol, you could notice the following symptoms

• Abnormal swelling in the face, tongue, hands or feet

• Headaches

• A tremble

• Abnormal heartbeat

• Skin rashes

• Anxiety and agitation

• Breathing difficulties

• Sleep disturbances

• Difficulties urinating

• Coughing

Conclusion

Salbutamol is used to treat asthma attacks and COPD as well as preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm. Salbutamol is used in conjunction with a preventer inhaler that does contain a corticosteroid but salbutamol itself is not a steroid and there is no link to causing increased physical performance either. You gain no benefit from inhaling salbutamol other than immediate relief from asthma attacks.