Theophylline Medication Summary
No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication?
Theophylline is described in FDA/DailyMed prescribing information. No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication used for?
Theophylline extended-release tablets are indicated for the treatment of the symptoms and reversible airflow obstruction associated with chronic asthma and other chronic lung diseases, e.g., emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
What should I know before taking it?
Theophylline extended-release tablets are contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to theophylline or other components in the product.
What important warnings are listed?
Concurrent Illness: Theophylline should be used with extreme caution in patients with the following clinical conditions due to the increased risk of exacerbation of the concurrent condition: Active peptic ulcer disease Seizure disorders Cardiac arrhythmias (not including bradyarrhythmias) Conditions that Reduce Theophylline Clearance: There are several readily identifiable causes of reduced theophylline clearance. If the total daily dose is not appropriately reduced in the presence of these risk factors, severe and potentially fatal theophylline toxicity can occur . Careful consideration must be given to the benefits and risks of theophylline use and the need for more intensive monitoring.
How is this medication usually taken?
Taking theophylline extended-release tablets immediately after a high-fat content meal may result in a somewhat higher Cmax and delayed Tmax and somewhat greater extent of absorption. However, the differences are usually not great and this product may normally be administered without regard to meals (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Drug interactions, Drug-Food Interactions ). Theophylline extended-release tablets are recommended for chronic or long-term management and prevention of symptoms, and not for use in treating acute symptoms of asthma and reversible bronchospasm. General considerations: The steady-state peak serum theophylline concentration is a function of the dose, the dosing.
What side effects are listed?
Adverse reactions associated with theophylline are generally mild when peak serum theophylline concentrations are <20 mcg/mL and mainly consist of transient caffeine-like adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache, and insomnia. When peak serum theophylline concentrations exceed 20 mcg/mL, however, theophylline produces a wide range of adverse reactions including persistent vomiting, cardiac arrhythmias, and intractable seizures which can be lethal (see OVERDOSAGE ). The transient caffeine-like adverse reactions occur in about 50% of patients when theophylline therapy is initiated at doses higher than recommended initial doses (e.g., >300 mg/day in adults and >12 mg/kg/day in.
What interactions are listed?
Drug-Drug Interactions: Theophylline interacts with a wide variety of drugs. The interaction may be pharmacodynamic, i.e., alterations in the therapeutic response to theophylline or another drug or occurrence of adverse effects without a change in serum theophylline concentration. More frequently, however, the interaction is pharmacokinetic, i.e., the rate of theophylline clearance is altered by another drug resulting in increased or decreased serum theophylline concentrations. Theophylline only rarely alters the pharmacokinetics of other drugs. The drugs listed in Table II have the potential to produce clinically significant pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic interactions with.
Where can I find the official prescribing information?
Review the full prescribing information on DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=7b98b47d-0a6e-4621-b047-bdb8bcef4836
⚠️ Disclaimer
This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medicine. Read full medical disclaimer.