Controllers
Short-acting Anticholinergic Bronchodilators (Controller)
Recent studies reveal inferior control of symptoms compared to long-acting anticholinergic agents.
Long-acting Anticholinergic Bronchodilators (Controller)
Inside our bodies, there is a constant stream of messages being sent to keep us safe and well. This is the job of the parasympathetic nervous system. If you touch something hot, a message is sent through your nerves to pull your hand away. If you have an infection, a message is sent to your white blood cells to go to that part of your body and fight it. How does this work in the lungs? Messages are sent to squeeze down the airways to prevent bad air from coming inside the lungs. This causes symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath. Anticholinergic medications block this message from getting through and keeps your airways open before they even start to squeeze shut. Yes, this is pretty amazing!
Long-acting Beta-agonist Bronchodilators (Controller)
These medicines also work to relax the muscles in your airways and keep them from squeezing. Yes, they do the same thing that the rescue reliever medications do – but this long acting type lasts for 12 hours or more. So, if you take it every day as prescribed you should have around the clock coverage for preventing those muscles from acting up and squeezing your airways. These work very well especially for people with night-time symptom
Corticosteroids (Controller):
Corticosteroids work to reduce inflammation (swelling) on the inside of your airways. Like all controller medicines, you must take them as prescribed every day in order for them to give you protection against flare-ups, commonly referred to as an exacerbation of COPD.
Combination Corticosteroids and Long-acting Beta-agonists (Controller)
There are many folks (but not all) who have COPD with frequent exacerbations, flare-ups. These folks benefit from both an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting bronchodilator for 12 hours of relief or more. This is such a common combination, and it works so well, it makes sense to put these two medications into one inhaler.
Combination Long-acting Anticholinergics and Long-acting Beta-agonists (Controller)
For the first time ever, we have a new medication that combines two long-acting bronchodilators into one inhaler. This medication blocks the messages for airways to close and keeps muscles around the airways from squeezing for 24 hours.
Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor (PDE-4 Inhibitor, Controller)
This is a new class of controller medication that helps control airway inflammation. It has been proven to decrease COPD exacerbations (flare-ups) for patients with severe or very severe COPD, a high-risk for flare-ups and chronic bronchitis. This medicine is an oral tablet lasting 24 hours.