Cromolyn
Cromolyn is an anti-inflammatory medicine that prevents airways from swelling when they come in contact with an asthma trigger.
Cromolyn is an inhaled medicine and there are two different ways to inhale it:
- using a metered dose inhaler,
- using a nebulizer
Most people who use cromolyn to prevent asthma attacks take the medicine every day. People who take cromolyn to prevent asthma attacks that are caused by exercise or caused by contact with an asthma trigger (like a cat or dog), take the medicine between five and 60 minutes before they get exposed to the trigger. The effects of the medicine last three or four hours.
Side Effects of Cromolyn
Sometimes asthma medicines make people feel weird or sick at the same time the medicine is making their asthma better. These weird or sick feeling are called side effects. Cromolyn is a very safe medicine with very few side effects. The only side effect is a dry cough. You can avoid this side effect by rinsing your mouth and drinking some water after taking it.
Cromolyn cannot be used to stop an asthma episode once it has started, it can only be used to keep an episode from starting. This medicine doesn't work for everybody who has asthma and it might take up to 6 weeks before it starts working!
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All contents copyright (C) 1996, Stephen M. Borowitz. All rights reserved
Revised: October 20, 1999.