Asthma: Albuterol (Salbutamol) and Its Deadly Side Effects

As a child, I took an Asthma inhaler currently known as Albulterol or Salbutamol for those of you who live outside the states. The Albuterol inhaler would constantly save me from the asthma attacks that were triggered by stress, exercise, and allergies. I of course took it with me everywhere feeling a little awkward because I was a child at the time. Unfortunately, like many asthma medicines, there were the awful side effects. The side effects to Albuterol are chest pains, facial swelling, sinus problems, shakiness, vomiting, and irregular heartbeats. The list goes on an on, but the one side effect that I did have was the irregular heartbeats. In other words, I was having arrhythmias after taking the medication. I felt that I had a minor Asthma attack coming while playing sports so I decided to take two puffs of Albuterol and moments later I had experienced a series of uncontrollable arrhythmias. Fortunately, I did not collapse on the floor like many people do under these circumstances; instead I sat down on the floor waiting for it to pass. The horrific experience lasted for about thirty minutes. I believed that my heart rate at the time was around 210 beats per minute, but this lasted for about 8-10 seconds. The rest of the thirty I was shaken and a little worried that the side effect wasn't one to begin with.

I am writing this article to warn people that the medicine should only be taken when you are having a serious asthma attack, not a minor one. I was surprised that I survived the whole ordeal and what was even more surprising was that I recovered 100%. I am one of those fortunate numbers of people that lived to tell about it. I would also want to warn parents about this because I cannot imagine how worse it would be for a smaller child because they do have fast resting heart rates as it is. The bizarre thing about this inhaler was that I never had these side effects as a child and that it possibly due to the fact that I did not play sports then. Facts on arrhythmias were provided by www.webmd.com. I would people to consult as many doctors regarding this medication because I believe it is not for everybody. Information regarding the Albuterol Inhaler was collected at www.drugs.com.