Prescription medication · Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA)

salmeterol

Also sold as Serevent.

Data updated 2026-05-15

7
InteractionsFew interactions
Rx
Availability
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What it does

Information not available.

Common side effects

Nasopharyngitis (common cold), Oral candidiasis (thrush), Headache

Key warnings

No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.

Known Drug Interactions

Avoid strong cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, ketoconazole): May increase risk of systemic corticosteroid and cardiovascular effects. The use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ketoconazole, telithromycin) with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI is not recommended because increased systemic corticosteroid and increased cardiovascular adverse effects may occur. Ketoconazole : Fluticasone Propionate: Coadministration of orally inhaled fluticasone propionate (1,000 mcg) and...

Mechanism: Ketoconazole stops your body from breaking down salmeterol, which can cause the drug to build up in your blood. This increase can lead to heart issues and other side effects throughout your body.

The use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ketoconazole, telithromycin) with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI is not recommended because increased systemic corticosteroid and increased cardiovascular adverse effects may occur. The use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ketoconazole, telithromycin) with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI is not recommended because increased systemic...

Mechanism: Clarithromycin stops your body from breaking down salmeterol properly. This leads to higher levels of the drug in your blood, which can cause heart-related side effects.

Concomitant drug dose reduction may be necessary Respiratory Drugs Salmeterol Not recommended during and 2 weeks after itraconazole treatment.

Mechanism: Itraconazole makes it harder for your body to get rid of salmeterol. This can cause the medicine to build up and potentially cause heart problems.

Long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist salmeterol ↑ salmeterol Avoid concomitant use with PAXLOVID. The combination may result in increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events associated with salmeterol, including QT prolongation, palpitations, and sinus tachycardia.

Mechanism: This combination makes salmeterol stay in your body longer, which can cause dangerous heart rhythms or a racing heart.

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI has been used concomitantly with other drugs, including short‑acting beta 2 ‑agonists, and intranasal corticosteroids, commonly used in patients with asthma without adverse drug reactions [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )] . No formal drug interaction trials have been performed with Fluticasone Propionate/Salmeterol MDPI. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 Inhibitors of Cytochrome P450 3A4 Fluticasone propionate and salmeterol, the individual components of this product, are substrates of CYP3A4.

Mechanism: Both drugs are broken down by the same liver enzyme and are often used together safely in a single inhaler to treat breathing problems.

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This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

What are the common side effects of salmeterol?
The registry lists Nasopharyngitis (common cold), Oral candidiasis (thrush), Headache, Cough, Back pain among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for salmeterol. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does salmeterol interact with other medications?
The registry has 7 documented interaction rows for salmeterol. Notable source-record pairings include ketoconazole, clarithromycin, itraconazole. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is salmeterol?
salmeterol belongs to the Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA) drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx).

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What the FDA Data Shows for salmeterol

The FDA label for salmeterol (sold under brand names such as Serevent) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA) class. Regulatory labeling describes its approved uses and the patient populations studied in pre-market trials. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Nasopharyngitis (common cold), Oral candidiasis (thrush), Headache.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 7 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.

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 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).

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: August 21, 2025

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.

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