Prescription medication · Short-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (SAMA)
ipratropium
Also sold as Atrovent. Ipratropium treats chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 27,303
- FDA reports
- 99% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- $35.12
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
ipratropium (Atrovent) is a prescription Short-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (SAMA), with 27,303 FDA adverse-event reports on file, whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 99% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
ipratropium (Atrovent) is a prescription Short-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (SAMA). Ipratropium treats chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Ipratropium is a medicine that helps you breathe easier. It relaxes the muscles in your airways.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$35.12/unit
Generic Price
$0.51/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (21 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Ipratropium treats chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Common side effects
Cough, Headache, Nausea
Key warnings
Tell your doctor right away if you have eye pain, blurred vision, or see halos around lights.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from ipratropium's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Ipratropium blocks a substance in your body that can tighten your airways. By blocking this substance, the muscles around your airways relax. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.
How to Take It
Use ipratropium exactly as your doctor tells you. It comes as a liquid that you breathe in using a nebulizer or inhaler. Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to use and how often to use it. Follow their instructions carefully.
This is a plain-language summary of ipratropium's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ipratropium will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of ipratropium's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of ipratropium's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store ipratropium at room temperature away from light and moisture.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 27,303 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for ipratropium, by number of reports
- Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
5,829 reports
- Asthma
Asthma
3,910 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
3,024 reports
- Cough
Cough
2,906 reports
- Wheezing
Wheezing
2,586 reports
- Tiredness 2,130
Tiredness
2,130 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,903
Feeling sick to your stomach
1,903 reports
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 1,770
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
1,770 reports
- Feeling unwell 1,642
Feeling unwell
1,642 reports
- Throwing up 1,603
Throwing up
1,603 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Serious Warnings
Tell your doctor right away if you have eye pain, blurred vision, or see halos around lights. Ipratropium can make these problems worse. It can also cause new or worsened glaucoma.
Common Questions
What should I avoid while taking ipratropium?
Can ipratropium interact with other medications?
How long does it take for ipratropium to work?
Can I use ipratropium for sudden breathing problems?
What are the symptoms of an allergic reaction to ipratropium?
Can ipratropium cause constipation?
Does ipratropium affect my ability to drive?
Can I drink alcohol while taking ipratropium?
How often can I use ipratropium?
What should I do if ipratropium does not seem to be working?
What are the common side effects of ipratropium?
What drug class is ipratropium?
Is there a generic version of ipratropium?
Is ipratropium safe during pregnancy?
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What the FDA Data Shows for ipratropium
The FDA label for ipratropium (sold under brand names such as Atrovent) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Short-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (SAMA) class. Ipratropium treats chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Cough, Headache, Nausea.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 27,303 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.51 versus $35.12 for the brand - a 99% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: July 1, 2022
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages