Ephedrine, Injection

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is given by injection to treat the symptoms of asthma. Use it exactly as directed. It may also be used to treat low blood pressure caused by anesthesia medicines.
• Keep all appointments for tests to see how this medicine affects you.
• This medicine may cause high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, or other unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: bronchodilator

Generic and brand names: ephedrine, injection

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is used short-term to treat the symptoms of asthma. It relieves trouble breathing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. It may also be used to treat low blood pressure caused by anesthesia medicines.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine or bronchodilator
• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• Heart disease or an abnormal heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Prostate problems or trouble urinating
• Seizures
• Thyroid problems

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever been hospitalized for asthma or if you take any other medicine for asthma.

Do not take this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor within the last 14 days. Using these products together can cause very serious side effects.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

Injections of this medicine may be given by a healthcare provider in emergencies.

Take any other medicines as prescribed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: fast or irregular heartbeat, nervousness, restlessness, fever, blurred vision, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, seizures.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may raise your blood pressure or make your heart beat very fast. This could put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. The risk increases if you use more medicine or use it more often than directed. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

Contact your healthcare provider if you do not feel better after taking your medicine or if you feel worse.

If you have diabetes: If you are taking insulin or another medicine for diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider because your dosage may need to be changed.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Chest pain; increased trouble breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing; irregular or fast heartbeat; hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there); seizures; severe shaking; nervousness; fainting; severe dizziness; muscle pain; severe skin redness or peeling; severe nervousness.

Other: Chest irritation, cough, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, headache, restlessness, drowsiness, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, muscle cramps, trembling, weakness.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Alpha blockers such as doxazosin (Cardura) and prazosin (Minipress)
• Antipsychotic medicines such as chlorpromazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine (Compro), thioridazine, and trifluoperazine
• Atomoxetine (Strattera)
• Beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), betaxolol, bisoprolol (Zebeta), carteolol, carvedilol (Coreg), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic), sotalol (Betapace, Sorine), and timolol
• Bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel)
• Caffeine in food, drinks, or medicines
• Diabetes medicines such as glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Glynase), insulin, metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Riomet), nateglinide (Starlix), pioglitazone (Actos), repaglinide (Prandin), and rosiglitazone (Avandia)
• Digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Diuretics (water pills) such as bumetanide, chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone, ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), and torsemide (Demadex)
• Doxepin (Silenor)
• Ephedrine, epinephrine (Adrenalin, Asthmanefrin, Auvi-Q, EpiPen), phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine, Sudafed PE), or pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• Ergotamine (Ergomar)
• Linezolid (Zyvox)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)
• Methyldopa
• Milnacipran (Savella)
• Natural remedies such as ephedra, St. John’s wort, and yohimbe
• Nausea medicines such as dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet)
• Other medicines to treat breathing or lung problems
• Phentolamine
• Procarbazine (Matulane)
• Propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal, InnoPran)
• Rasagiline (Azilect)
• Reserpine
• SNRI antidepressants such as desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Tedizolid (Sivextro)
• Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Pamelor) (Do not take this medicine and a tricyclic antidepressant within 14 days of each other.)

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.