Prescription medication · Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist
albuterol
Also sold as Ventolin, ProAir, Proventil. This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 113,967
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 16
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
albuterol (Ventolin) is a prescription Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist, more reported than most tracked drugs (113,967 FDA reports), with 16 documented drug interactions.
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.
albuterol (Ventolin) is a prescription Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist. This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease.
Albuterol is a drug that helps you breathe easier. It opens up your airways when they get too narrow.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
albuterol is currently listed as in shortage by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Ritedose Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Status: Available.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.45/unit
Generic Available
Yes (25 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease.
Common side effects
Throat irritation, Viral respiratory infections, Upper respiratory inflammation
Key warnings
In rare cases, this medicine can make your bronchospasm worse.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from albuterol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Albuterol is a beta-2 agonist. It works by relaxing the muscles in your airways. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 113,967 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for albuterol, by number of reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
15,965 reports
- Asthma
Asthma
9,278 reports
- Cough
Cough
7,339 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
6,990 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
6,755 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
6,712 reports
- Headache
Headache
6,488 reports
- Pain 5,880
Pain
5,880 reports
- Wheezing 5,290
Wheezing
5,290 reports
- Diarrhoea 5,029
Diarrhoea
5,029 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.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for albuterol each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where albuterol sits
albuterol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 87% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is albuterol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 113,967 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1995–2025.
Total Reports
113,967
Reports Mentioning Death
9,607
8.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
41,765
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 15,965 |
| 2 | ASTHMA | 9,278 |
| 4 | COUGH | 7,339 |
| 5 | PNEUMONIA | 6,990 |
| 6 | NAUSEA | 6,755 |
| 7 | FATIGUE | 6,712 |
| 8 | HEADACHE | 6,488 |
| 9 | PAIN | 5,880 |
| 11 | WHEEZING | 5,290 |
| 12 | DIARRHOEA | 5,029 |
| 13 | VOMITING | 4,626 |
| 14 | DIZZINESS | 4,553 |
| 15 | ANXIETY | 4,259 |
| 16 | MALAISE | 3,992 |
| 17 | ASTHENIA | 3,856 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
In rare cases, this medicine can make your bronchospasm worse. If this happens, stop using it right away and get medical help. Using too much albuterol can be fatal. If you need more albuterol than usual, your asthma may be getting worse.
Known Drug Interactions
albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline,...
Mechanism: Both of these medicines are used to open the airways, and taking them together can cause a racing heart, shakiness, or other stimulant-like side effects.
Avoid coadministration of COMBIVENT RESPIMAT and other sympathomimetic agents (7.2) Beta-blockers: Inhibit the effect of albuterol. (7.4) Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOs) or tricyclic antidepressants: May potentiate effect of albuterol on the vascular system. 7.3 Beta-receptor Blocking Agents Beta-receptor blocking agents and albuterol inhibit the effect of each other.
Mechanism: Both of these products contain the same type of medicine. Taking them together can cause you to get too much of the drug, which can lead to a racing heart or jitters.
( 7.3 ) • Albuterol (or other beta 2 agonists) - Action of albuterol on cardiovascular system can be potentiated. 7.4 Albuterol Atomoxetine should be administered with caution to patients being treated with systemically-administered (oral or intravenous) albuterol (or other beta 2 agonists) because the action of albuterol on the cardiovascular system can be potentiated resulting in increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Albuterol (600 mcg iv over 2 hours) induced increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
Mechanism: Atomoxetine can make the effects of albuterol on your heart and blood vessels much stronger. This can cause your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to rise.
( 7.2 ) Digoxin: May decrease serum digoxin levels. Consider monitoring digoxin levels. 7.3 Digoxin Mean decreases of 16% to 22% in serum digoxin levels were demonstrated after single-dose intravenous and oral administration of albuterol, respectively, to normal volunteers who had received digoxin for 10 days.
Mechanism: Albuterol can lower the amount of digoxin in your blood, which might make the heart medicine less effective.
The following are examples of medications that may reduce the glucose-lowering effect of sulfonylureas including glimepiride, leading to worsening glycemic control: danazol, glucagon, somatropin, protease inhibitors, atypical antipsychotic medications (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), barbiturates, diazoxide, laxatives, rifampin, thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid hormones, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, sympathomimetics (e.g., epinephrine, albuterol, terbutaline), and isoniazid.
Mechanism: Albuterol can cause blood sugar levels to rise, which works against the effects of the diabetes medicine glimepiride.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
How do I prime the inhaler?
How often should I clean the inhaler?
Can I use this inhaler with other medications?
What should I do if I feel chest pain after using the inhaler?
How many puffs are in each inhaler?
How will I know when the inhaler is empty?
Can I use a different actuator with this canister?
What if the inhaler gets too hot?
Can I use this for a sudden asthma attack?
What if I accidentally spray it in my eyes?
What are the common side effects of albuterol?
Does albuterol interact with other medications?
What drug class is albuterol?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for albuterol?
Has albuterol been recalled?
Is albuterol currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Labelling: Illegible label
Nephron SC, LLC
Failed Stability Specifications: Out of specification results was observed in Induction Port during the analysis of Particle size distribution at the 12-month time point.
Cipla USA, Inc.
Defective delivery system
AsttraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Defective Delivery System: Elevated number of units with out of specification results for leak rate.
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for albuterol: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 113,967.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 8.43%.
- carbamazepine Δ 0.00 pts · 65,260 reports · Anticonvulsant 8.43%death share
- ofloxacin Δ 0.02 pts · 7,063 reports · Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic 8.45%death share
- glimepiride Δ 0.03 pts · 37,936 reports · Sulfonylurea 8.40%death share
- lamotrigine Δ 0.03 pts · 127,196 reports · Anticonvulsant 8.40%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for albuterol
The FDA label for albuterol (sold under brand names such as Ventolin, ProAir, Proventil) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist class. This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Throat irritation, Viral respiratory infections, Upper respiratory inflammation.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 113,967 voluntary reports. The database also lists 16 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.45.
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 (currently 4 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
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). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: December 31, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
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 from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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