
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Albuterol overdose
Introduction
Overdosage topics
Manifestations
Treatment
Lethal dose
Manifestations
The expected symptoms with overdosage are those of excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation and/or occurrence or exaggeration of any of the symptoms listed under side effects, e.g., seizures, angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia with rates up to 200 beats/min, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, palpitation, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, and sleeplessness. Hypokalemia may also occur. As with all sympathomimetic medications, cardiac arrest and even death may be associated with abuse of Albuterol tablets. Return to top
Treatment
Treatment consists of discontinuation of Albuterol tablets together with appropriate symptomatic therapy.The judicious use of a cardioselective beta-receptor blocker may be considered, bearing in mind that such medication can produce bronchospasm. There is insufficient evidence to determine if dialysis is beneficial for overdosage of Albuterol tablets. Return to top
Lethal dose
The oral median lethal dose of Albuterol sulfate in mice is greater than 2000 mg/kg (approximately 250 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for adults on a mg/m2 basis, or, approximately 200 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for children on a mg/m2 basis). In mature rats, the subcutaneous (sc) median lethal dose of Albuterol sulfate is approximately 450 mg/kg (approximately 110 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for adults on a mg/m2 basis, or, approximately 90 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for children on a mg/m2 basis). In small young rats, the subcutaneous median lethal dose is approximately 2000 mg/kg (approximately 500 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for adults on a mg/m2 basis, or, approximately 400 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose for children on a mg/m2 basis). Return to top
Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
