Over-the-Counter Medications for Asthma

There are very few over-the-counter medications for asthma and, depending on the severity of a person's asthma, these may or may not be as effective as a prescription medication.

Types of medications

• There are three types of asthma medications: long-term, quick-relief or rescue and drugs to treat allergies. Which type is right for you depends on what kind of asthma you have and what triggers an asthma attack.

Over-the-counter medications

• There are only a few over-the-counter asthma medications available. Epinephrine is a synthetic human hormone and is inhaled orally. Epinephrine is also available with a prescription.

Epinephrine

• When used to treat mild asthma, epinephrine opens up the airways in the lungs and relaxes the bronchial tubes. It is the active ingredient in some over-the-counter asthma medications, including Epitrate.

Bronkaid

• According to its manufacturer, Bayer, Bronkaid caplets "provide temporary relief of shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, wheezing and cough associated with bronchial asthma." Since Bronkaid also contains 400 milligrams of guaifenesin, it loosens phlegm and helps relieve congestion that sometimes accompanies the onset of asthma.

Primatine Mist

• Primatene Mist is used to temporarily relieve occasional asthma symptoms. It contains 0.22 milligrams of epinephrine in a bronchodilator. According to the Primatene Mist website, it should not be used if asthma symptoms last more than 20 minutes or if you have to use the bronchodilator more than 12 times a day.

Efficacy

• All of these over-the-counter asthma medications are meant for the temporary relief of mild asthma. If you think you might have asthma, you should see your health care professional, who will determine if an over-the-counter medication is right for you.