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Lung Disease Medications

There are many types of lung diseases and each one requires its own medication types.

Frequently diagnosed lung diseases include:

  • Asthma – a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes breathing difficulties, wheezing, and coughing.
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – causes varying degrees of breathing difficulties due to hindered airflow in and out of the lungs. COPD is often used to refer to chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
  • Pneumonia – an infection of the lungs that causes inflammation. Sufferers experience, breathing difficulty, cough, and fever.
  • Tuberculosis (TB) – a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs. People afflicted with the infection have a cough, weight loss and fever.
  • Lung cancer – a malignant tumour that grows in the lung tissue. Most malignancies of the lungs cause pain in the chest, coughing, and breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath.
  • Pulmonary fibrosis – a disease in which the lung tissue develops thick scarred tissue, which makes breathing a challenge.
  • Pulmonary hypertension – a type of high blood pressure that occurs in the lung’s arteries. Sufferers experience difficulty breathing and fatigue.
  • Cystic fibrosis – a genetic disorder that damages the lungs. It causes a build-up of mucus in the airways that is very sticky and thick which causes breathing problems.
  • Pleural effusion – a build-up of fluid that accumulates in the chest wall around the lungs. Sufferers experience pain and breathing problems.
  • Sarcoidosis – a disease in which small clusters of inflammatory cells form in different parts of the body, including the lungs. Sufferers have shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain.

Types of Medications & How They Work

The specific medications prescribed for lung diseases will depend on the individual’s condition, the severity of symptoms, and other factors. Always listen to your healthcare provider regarding medication use.

There are many medications used to treat lung diseases, including:

  • Bronchodilators – This family of medications help ease the tension in the muscles around the airways so breathing becomes less challenging. Examples of common bronchodilators include albuterol, salmeterol, and tiotropium.
  • Inhaled corticosteroids – These medications reduce inflammation in the airways, which can help prevent asthma attacks and help with the problems associated with COPD. Common types of inhaled corticosteroids include fluticasone, budesonide, and mometasone.
  • Corticosteroids – These anti-inflammatory medications can help the lungs experience less inflammation which improves breathing. They may be used to treat conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Combination medications – Combination medications contain both a bronchodilator and corticosteroid in a single inhaler. The most common types of combination medications for lung diseases are fluticasone/salmeterol and budesonide/formoterol.
  • Leukotriene modifiers – Leukotrienes cause inflammation, primarily in the airways. Leukotriene modifiers help with the swelling to clear airways. These medications block the action of leukotrienes, which are chemicals that cause airway swelling. Leukotriene modifiers include montelukast and zafirlukast.
  • Immunomodulators – These medications help regulate the immune system, which can be overactive in some lung diseases. Commonly used immunomodulators are omalizumab and mepolizumab.
  • Antibiotics – Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections that can cause lung diseases, such as pneumonia. Examples of common antibiotics used to treat lung diseases include amoxicillin, azithromycin, and levofloxacin.
  • Oxygen therapy – This involves the use of supplemental oxygen to improve the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can be helpful for people with lung diseases that cause low blood oxygen levels.
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – These medications, often called simply NSAIDs, can help relieve discomfort, swelling and fever. Common types of over-the-counter pain meds include ibuprofen and aspirin.
  • Acetaminophen – This pain reliever can help reduce pain and fever, but does not reduce swelling. It is often in place of NSAIDs for people who cannot take them.
  • Opioids – These strong pain relievers are generally used for severe pain that cannot be controlled with other medications. Morphine, fentanyl, and oxycodone are often used to treat severe lung cancer and metastatic cancer.

Side Effects

The side effects of medications for lung diseases are diverse because there are so many different treatment options.

Corticosteroids can cause weight gain, insomnia, mood changes, delayed wound healing, bone fractures, increased blood sugar levels, cataracts, fluid retention, atrophy, bruising and skin thinning.

Leukotriene modifiers may cause diarrhoea, headache, nausea, heartburn or rash.

Immunomodulators often cause muscle weakness, nausea, fatigue, blood clots, low blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

Antibiotics can lead to stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and even life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Opioids often cause drowsiness, impaired reaction time, cognitive impairment, constipation, and nausea.

On occasion, NSAIDs can upset the user’s stomach, and cause indigestion, and stomach ulcers after prolonged use.

Bronchodilators can lead to dry mouth, cough, trembling, cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

Conclusion

There are a wide array of lung diseases. Each one will require its own customized treatment and directions outlined by your doctor. Many of the above medications are used in combination with each other for the most effective treatment and management of lung disease.

 
 
 

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