Aclidinium
Aclidinium treats COPD. Can cause headache.
Aclidinium Overview
Aclidinium is a prescription medication used to prevent wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aclidinium belongs to a group of drugs called bronchodilators, which work by relaxing the smooth muscle of the airways, opening the air passages to the lungs which makes it easier to breathe.
This medication comes in the form of a dry powder in an inhaler, to be inhaled into the lungs, usually twice daily.
Common side effects include headaches, runny or stuffy nose, and cough.
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Aclidinium Cautionary Labels
Uses of Aclidinium
Aclidinium is a prescription medicine used long-term for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Aclidinium Brand Names
Aclidinium may be found in some form under the following brand names:
Aclidinium Drug Class
Aclidinium is part of the drug class:
Side Effects of Aclidinium
Common side effects include:
- headache
- common cold symptoms
- cough
This is not a complete list of aclidinium side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Aclidinium can cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions."
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Aclidinium Interactions
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines and eye drops, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- anticholinergics (including tiotropium, ipratropium)
- atropine
This is not a complete list of aclidinium drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Aclidinium Precautions
Aclidinium can cause serious side effects.
Aclidinium can cause sudden shortness of breath immediately after use. If this happens, stop taking aclidinium and call your doctor right away or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Aclidinium has caused eye problems, such as new or worsened increased pressure in your eyes (acute narrow-angle glaucoma). This is a serious condition that can lead to permanent loss of vision if not treated.
Symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma may include:
- eye pain
- eye discomfort
- upset stomach or vomiting
- blurred vision
- seeing halos or bright colors around lights
- red eyes
If you have these symptoms of increased eye pressure, stop taking aclidinium and tell your doctor right away.
Aclidinium can cause new or worsened urinary retention (inability to urinate). Urinary retention can be caused by a blockage in your bladder or, if you are a male, a larger than normal prostate. Symptoms of urinary retention may include:
- difficulty urinating
- painful urination
- urinating frequently
- urination in a weak stream or drips
If you have these symptoms of urinary retention, stop taking aclidinium and tell your doctor right away.
Aclidinium Food Interactions
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of aclidinium there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet.
Inform MD
Before you receive aclidinium, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have eye problems, especially glaucoma
- have prostate problems
- have bladder problems, or problems passing urine
- have a severe allergy to milk proteins
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines and eye drops, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Aclidinium and Pregnancy
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.
Aclidinium falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.
Aclidinium and Lactation
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Aclidinium may be excreted in human breast milk. The effects on the nursing baby are unknown.
Aclidinium Usage
Aclidinium comes as a dry powder in an inhaler, to be inhaled, by mouth, into the lungs.
The usual dose of aclidinium is one inhalation, by mouth, two times a day, about 12 hours apart. To take a dose from the inhaler, press, release and inhale the medicine. See the step-by-step instructions that come with aclidinium packaging.
If you miss a dose, skip it and take the next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses at one time.
Do not use aclidinium more often than prescribed or take more medicine than prescribed for you.
Call your doctor or get emergency medical care right away if:
- your breathing problems worsen with aclidinium
- you need to use your rescue inhaler medicine more often than usual
- your rescue inhaler medicine does not work as well for you at relieving symptoms
Aclidinium Dosage
Take aclidinium exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.
The recommended dose of aclidinium is one inhalation, by mouth, twice daily. Each dose should be about 12 hours apart.
Aclidinium Overdose
If you take too much aclidinium, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.
If aclidinium is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.
Other Requirements
Store aclidinium at room temperature, in the sealed protective pouch, out of the reach of children. The sealed pouch should not be opened until you are ready to use it.
The aclidinium inhaler has a dose indicator to show you how many doses are left in your inhaler. A new aclidinium inhaler has 60 doses of medicine. Discard the inhaler 45 days after opening the pouch, after the marking “0” with a red background shows in the middle of the dose indicator, or when the device locks out, whichever comes first.
- Keep in a dry place.
- Do not store the inhaler on a vibrating surface.