Ventolin Accuhaler 200 mcg – patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

1 What Ventolin Accuhaler is and what it is used for

Ventolin Accuhaler contains a medicine called salbutamol. This belongs to a group of medicines called fast-acting bronchodilators.

• Bronchodilators help the airways in your lungs to stay open. This makes it easier for air to get in and out.
• They help to relieve chest tightness, wheezing and cough. Ventolin Accuhaler is used to treat breathing problems in people with asthma and similar conditions. This includes relieving and preventing asthma brought on by exercise or other “triggers”. These are things, which bring on asthma symptoms in some people. Common triggers include house dust, pollen, cats, dogs and cigarette smoke. In asthma, fast-acting bronchodilators including Salbutamol Accuhaler should not be the main or only treatment. It is recommended that Salbutamol Accuhaler should always be prescribed with an inhaled corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory) medicine.

2 What you need to know before you use Ventolin Accuhaler

Do not use Ventolin Accuhaler if:

• you are allergic to salbutamol sulfate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• you unexpectedly go into early labour (premature labour) or threatened abortion.
• you are allergic to lactose or milk protein.

Ventolin Accuhaler should be used as required rather than regularly. Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before taking Ventolin Accuhaler if:

• your asthma is active (for example you have frequent symptoms or flare ups, such as breathlessness that makes speaking, eating

  or sleeping difficult, cough, wheezing, tight chest or limited physical ability), you should tell your doctor right away who may start or increase a medicine to control your asthma such as an inhaled corticosteroid.

  • you have high blood pressure
  • you have an overactive thyroid gland
  • you have a history of heart problems such as an irregular or fast heartbeat or angina
  • you are taking xanthine derivatives (such as theophylline) or steroids to treat asthma
  • you are taking water tablets (diuretics), sometimes used to treat high blood pressure or a heart condition.

➔ If your inhaler fails to give relief for a duration of at least 3 hours, check with your doctor as soon as possible.

Other medicines and Ventolin Accuhaler

Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. This includes herbal medicines. Remember to take this medicine with you if you have to go to hospital. In particular tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking:

• medicines for an irregular or fast heartbeat
• other medicines for your asthma.

Ventolin Accuhaler with food and drink

You can use Ventolin Accuhaler at any time of day, with or without food.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or planning to have a baby, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

Ventolin is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any tools or machines.

Ventolin Accuhaler contains lactose monohydrate

If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

3 How to use Ventolin Accuhaler

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are not sure. Adults, adolescents aged 12 years and over and children 4 to 11 years of age

• to relieve asthma symptoms/ attack - One inhalation (200 micrograms once a day).
• to prevent asthma symptoms/ attack - One inhalation (200 micrograms) 10 to 15 minutes before exercise or exposure to a “trigger”. ➔ The maximum dose is 800 micrograms (one inhalation up to four times in a 24 hour period).

Instructions for use

• Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist should show you how to use your inhaler. They should check how you use it from time to time. Not using the Ventolin Accuhaler properly or as prescribed may mean that it will not help your asthma as it should.
• The Ventolin Accuhaler device holds blisters containing Ventolin as a powder.

• There is a counter on top of the Ventolin Accuhaler which tells you how many doses are left. It counts down to 0. The numbers 5 to 0 will appear in red to warn you when there are only a few doses left. Once the counter shows 0, your inhaler is empty. Do not use your inhaler more often than the doctor told you to. Tell your doctor as soon as possible if your medicine does not seem to be working as well as usual (for example you need higher doses to relieve your breathing problems or your inhaler fails to give relief for at least 3 hours) as your asthma may be getting worse and you may need a different medicine.

  If you use Ventolin Accuhaler more than twice a week to treat your asthma symptoms, not including preventive use before exercise, this indicates poorly controlled asthma and may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks (worsening of asthma) that can have serious complications and may be life-threatening or even fatal. You should contact your doctor as soon as possible to review your asthma treatment. If you use a medicine against inflammation of your lungs daily, e.g., “inhaled corticosteroid”, it is important to continue using it regularly, even if you feel better.

  Your doctor may have told you to take more than this as an emergency treatment if your wheezing or breathing gets very bad. It is very important that you keep to your doctor’s instructions as to how many blisters to take and how often to use your inhaler.

  Using your inhaler

  1 To open your Ventolin Accuhaler,

  hold the outer case in one hand

  and put the thumb of your other hand

  on the thumbgrip. Push your thumb

  away from you as far as it will go. You

  will hear a click. This will open a small

  hole in the mouthpiece.

  2 Hold your Ventolin Accuhaler

  with the mouthpiece towards

  you. You can hold it in either your

  right or left hand. Slide the lever away

  from you as far as it will go. You will

  hear a click. This places a dose of your

  medicine in the mouthpiece.

  Every time the lever is pushed back a blister is opened inside and the powder made ready for you to inhale. Do not play with the lever as this opens the blisters and wastes medicine.

  3 Hold the Ventolin Accuhaler away from your mouth, breathe out as far as is comfortable. Do not breathe into your Ventolin Accuhaler. Do not breath in again yet.

  4 Put the mouthpiece to your lips; breathe in steadily and deeply through the Ventolin

  Accuhaler with your mouth, not through your nose.

  Remove the Ventolin Accuhaler from your mouth.

  Hold your breath for about 10 seconds or for as long as is comfortable.

  Breathe out slowly.

  5 To close the Ventolin Accuhaler, slide the thumbgrip back towards you, as far as it will go. You will hear a click. The lever will return to its original position and is reset.

  Your Accuhaler is now ready for you to use again.

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Page 1 of 2 Cleaning your inhaler

Wipe the mouthpiece of the Accuhaler with a dry tissue to clean it.

If you use more Ventolin than you should

If you use more than you should, talk to a doctor as soon as possible.

The following effects may happen:

• your heart beating faster than usual
• you feel shaky
• hyperactivity.

These effects usually wear off in a few hours.

If you forget to use Ventolin Accuhaler

• If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember it
• However, if it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose
• Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop using Ventolin Accuhaler

Do not stop using Ventolin Accuhaler without talking to your doctor. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

4 Possible side effects

If your breathing or wheezing gets worse straight after taking this medicine, stop using it immediately, and tell your doctor as soon as possible.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this medicine:

Allergic Reactions (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people) If you have an allergic reaction, stop taking Ventolin and see a doctor straight away. Signs of an allergic reaction include: swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, itchy rash, feeling faint and light headed, and collapse.

Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if:

• you feel your heart is beating faster or stronger than usual (palpitations). This is usually harmless, and usually stops after you have used the medicine for a while
• you may feel your heartbeat is uneven or it gives an extra beat
• these may affect up to 1 in 10 people.

If any of these happen to you, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Do not stop using this medicine unless told to do so. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following side effects, which may also happen with this medicine:

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• feeling shaky
• headache.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• mouth and throat irritation
• muscle cramps.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• a low level of potassium in your blood

• increased blood flow to your extremities (peripheral dilatation).

  Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

  • changes in sleep patterns and changes in behaviour, such as restlessness and excitability.

The following side effects can also happen but the frequency of these are not known:

• chest pain, due to heart problems such as angina. Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if this occurs. Do not stop using this medicine unless told to do so.

If you think this medicine is not working well enough for you

If your medicine does not seem to be working as well as usual, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Your chest problem may be getting worse and you may need a different medicine. Do not take extra doses of Ventolin Accuhaler unless your doctor tells you to.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5 How to store Ventolin Accuhaler

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not store above 30°C.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date, which is stated on the label and carton after ‘EXP’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

• If you are told to stop taking this medicine return any unused Ventolin Accuhaler to your pharmacist to be destroyed.

  Do not throw away medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.

6 Contents of the pack and other information

What Ventolin Accuhaler contains

• The active substance is salbutamol sulfate.
• The other ingredient is lactose (contains milk protein).
• Each blister contains 200 micrograms of salbutamol sulfate.

What Ventolin Accuhaler looks like and contents of the pack

Ventolin Accuhaler contains a foil strip. The foil protects the powder for inhalation from the effects of the atmosphere.

Each dose is pre-dispensed.

Each inhaler contains 60 doses of 200 micrograms of salbutamol sulfate.

Marketing Authorisation holder

Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited

GSK Medicines Research Centre

Gunnels Wood Road

Stevenage

Hertfordshire

SG1 2NY

UK

Manufacturer

Glaxo Wellcome Production

Zone Industrielle No.2

23 Rue Lavoisier

27000 Evreux

France

Other formats:

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0800 198 5000 (UK only)

Please be ready to give the following information: Product name Ventolin Accuhaler

Reference number PL 10949/0252

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This leaflet was last revised in September 2025

Ventolin and Accuhaler are registered trade marks of the GSK group of companies

© 2025 GSK group of companies. All rights reserved

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