Pharmacological Treatment

There are two primary types of medications that are used for treating patients who have COPD. These are bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory medicines, such as inhaled glucocorticosteroids. The patient may or may not be prescribed the medications depending on different factors, such as how severely the patient has COPD. More details regarding each medication are provided below.

Bronchodilators
Bronchodilators relax the muscles around the airways. This helps open the airways and makes breathing easier. Bronchodilators can come in the form of either β-agonists, anticholinergics, or phosphodiesterase inhibitors.

Depending on how severe the disease is, a doctor may prescribe β agonists or anticholinergics. Some examples of anticholinergics include long acting Spiriva® (www.spiriva.com) and short acting Atrovent®.  Short-acting bronchodilators last about 4 to 6 hours and should be used only when needed. Examples of short acting bronchodilators include Ventolin®, Xopenex®, Proventil®, and ProAir®. Long-acting bronchodilators (LABA) last about 12 hours or more and are used every day. Examples of LABAs include Spiriva® (www.spiriva.com), Serevent®, Foradil®, Performist®, and Brovana®.

If a patient's COPD is mild, their doctor may only prescribe a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator. In this case, the patient may only use the medicine when symptoms occur.

If a patient's COPD is moderate or severe, their doctor may prescribe regular treatment with short- and long-acting bronchodilators.

[Excerpt partially taken from National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.]

Anti-inflammatory Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications are typically used for certain patients who have moderate or severe COPD. This can help reduce airway inflammation, or swelling. Anti-inflammatory medicines can be taken as pills or as an inhaled medicine, which can deliver more medicine directly to the lungs.