What is "ipratropium bromide"?

What is "ipratropium bromide"?

William Berger (Allergist and Immunologist) gives expert video advice on: How is asthma treated?; How important is it to identify my asthma triggers?; What side effects should I expect from my asthma medication? and more...

Ipratropium bromide is a medication referred to as an anticholinergic medication. Essentially, this medication is available in a meter dose inhaler, and in a nebulized form. The anticholinergic medications are used in patients who might not respond to a betagonist, and that may be a patient, for example, who is on a beta blocker. Beta blockers are very commonly used for patients who have heart arithmeas, high blood pressure, or even migraines. And if a patient is having an asthma attack, and has a beta blocker in their system, then a betagonist may not work because it's being blocked, and so one of the medications that occasionally is used by doctors are these anticholinergic medications that work through a different mechanism to open up the airwaves.