Perforomist

Perforomist is a prescription medication used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Perforomist belongs to a group of medications called long acting beta agonists. It works by helping the muscles in your lungs to stay relaxed. This opens up the airways and makes it easier to breathe.

Perforomist comes as a solution for inhalation and is usually taken twice daily via a nebulizer. 

Common side effects include diarrhea and nausea. 

Perforomist is a prescription medicine used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Mylan Specialty L.P.

Perforomist may cause serious side effects. See "Perforomist Precautions."

Common side effects with Perforomist include:

• diarrhea
• nausea
• nasopharyngitis
• dry mouth
• vomiting
• dizziness
• insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep)

Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the side effects with Perforomist. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• aminophylline 
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
• beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), and sotalol (Betapace, Betapace AF)
• diuretics ('water pills') such as bumetanide (Bumex), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, Microzide, Oretic), metolazone (Zaroxolyn), torsemide (Demadex).
• monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone); pimozide (Orap)
• procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl)
• quinidine (Quinidex)
• salmeterol (Serevent) or salmeterol and fluticasone (Advair)
• sparfloxacin (Zagam)
• theophylline (Theo-Chron, Theolair)
• thioridazine (Mellaril)

This is not a complete list of Perforomist drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Perforomist there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your health conditions, including if you:

• have heart problems
• have high blood pressure
• have seizures
• have thyroid problems
• have diabetes
• are pregnant or breastfeeding 
• are allergic to Perforomist or any other medications

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Perforomist falls into category C. There are no well-controlled studies have been done in humans, though. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

It is not known if Perforomist crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Perforomist.

Do not use Perforomist unless your healthcare provider has taught you and you understand everything. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Perforomist is available as a solution to be inhaled via a nebulizer to treat COPD. It is usually inhaled every 12 hours. 

• Use Perforomist Inhalation Solution exactly as prescribed. Do not use Perforomist more often than prescribed.

• One ready-to-use vial of Perforomist Inhalation Solution is one dose.

• The usual dose of Perforomist Inhalation Solution is one ready-to-use vial, twice a day (morning and evening) breathed in through your nebulizer machine. The 2 doses should be about 12 hours apart. Do not use more than 2 vials of Perforomist Inhalation Solution a day.

• Do not mix other medicines with Perforomist Inhalation Solution in your nebulizer machine.

• If you miss a dose of Perforomist Inhalation Solution, just skip that dose. Take your next dose at your usual time. Do not take 2 doses at one time.

While you are using Perforomist Inhalation Solution 2 times each day:

Perforomist Inhalation Solution does not relieve sudden symptoms of COPD. Always have a rescue inhaler medicine with you to treat sudden symptoms. If you do not have a rescue inhaler medicine, call your healthcare provider to have one prescribed for you.

Do not stop using Perforomist Inhalation Solution or other medicines to control or treat your COPD unless told to do so by your healthcare provider because your symptoms might get worse. Your healthcare provider will change your medicines as needed.

Do not use Perforomist Inhalation Solution:

• more often than prescribed
• more medicine than prescribed for you
• with other LABA medicines

Take this medication exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

• For COPD, the usual dose is 20 mcg unit-dose vial administered twice daily (morning and evening) by nebulization. A total daily dose greater than 40 mcg is not recommended.

If you use too much Perforomist, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

WARNING: ASTHMA-RELATED DEATH

SEE FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION FOR COMPLETE BOXED WARNING.

Long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA) increase the risk of asthma-related death.

A placebo-controlled study with another long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (salmeterol) showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol. 

The finding of an increased risk of asthma-related death with salmeterol is considered a class effect of LABA, including formoterol, the active ingredient in PERFOROMIST. The safety and efficacy of PERFOROMIST in patients with asthma have not been established. All LABA, including PERFOROMIST, are contraindicated in patients with asthma without use of a long-term asthma control medication.