Budesonide inhalation suspension dosage: A detailed guide

This article describes budesonide inhalation suspension’s dosages and strengths and gives details on how to take it. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for budesonide.

If you want to know more about budesonide, see this overview article. It covers details about the extended-release oral tablet form of budesonide, including uses and side effects.

Budesonide inhalation suspension is a generic version of the brand-name drug Pulmicort Respules. Budesonide also comes in other forms. These are:

• oral forms
• nasal spray
• rectal aerosol foam

But those forms aren’t described in this article. To learn more about them, talk with your doctor.

Form and strengths of budesonide

Budesonide inhalation suspension comes as follows:

• Form: suspension that you inhale using a nebulizer device*
• Strengths:
  • 0.25 milligrams per 2 milliliters (mg/mL)
  • 0.5 mg/2 mL
  • 1 mg/2 mL

* A suspension is a liquid. A nebulizer device turns the liquid into a mist that you inhale into your lungs.

Dosage of budesonide

This article describes the recommended dosages for budesonide inhalation suspension. The drugmaker provides these recommended dosages.

If your child’s doctor prescribes this medication, you should follow the dosage they prescribe. Your child’s doctor will determine the dosage that best meets your child’s needs. Do not change your child’s dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension without the doctor’s recommendation.

Usual recommended dosages of budesonide in adults

Budesonide inhalation suspension is not approved for use in adults.

Dosages of budesonide in children

Budesonide inhalation suspension is approved to treat asthma in children ages 12 months to 8 years.

Usually, doctors start by prescribing a dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension that’s likely to manage asthma symptoms. They’ll adjust it to a higher dosage until symptoms are managed. Then, over time, they’ll adjust it to a lower dosage. Ultimately, your child’s doctor will prescribe the smallest dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension that gives the desired outcome.

The dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension depends on which treatments your child has already tried. The table below shows typical dosages in milligrams (mg), including options for the starting dosage:

* A bronchodilator is a medication that relaxes the muscles around the lungs. Examples are albuterol, salmeterol, and ipratropium.

The drugmaker also notes that doctors sometimes prescribe a starting dosage of 0.25 mg once daily. It’s typically prescribed for children who:

• take medication for asthma that is not a steroid
• still have asthma symptoms

Dosage adjustments for budesonide

Your child’s doctor will prescribe a dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension based on several factors. These include:

• the specific condition being treated and how severe it is
• your child’s age
• other health conditions your child may have
• how your child’s body responds to the drug
• other medications your child took before starting budesonide

Missed dose of budesonide

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist right away if you forgot to give your child a dose of budesonide inhalation suspension. They may advise you to give the missed dose. Or they may advise you to skip it and give the next dose as scheduled.

For tips on how to plan your child’s doses of budesonide inhalation suspension and avoid missing a dose, read this article. You could also try:

• downloading a reminder app on your phone
• setting an alarm
• putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your calendar, bathroom mirror, or bedside table

Frequently asked questions

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about budesonide inhalation suspension and its dosage.

Is the dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension similar for adults and children?

Budesonide inhalation suspension isn’t approved for use in adults. Because of this, the drugmaker doesn’t have a recommended dosage for adults. But budesonide inhalation suspension is sometimes used for adults off-label. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for something other than what it’s approved to treat.

To learn more about dosages of budesonide inhalation suspension, talk with your doctor or your child’s doctor.

Is the dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension similar to the dosage of the inhaler?

Dosages of the inhalation suspension and the inhaler are similar, but they’re not the same. This is because they’re different forms of the drug budesonide.

For example, Pulmicort Flexhaler contains budesonide in a powder form instead of a suspension. The dose is measured in micrograms (mcg). Its starting dosage for children ages 6–17 years is 180 mcg twice daily. But the dosages of budesonide inhalation suspension are in milligrams (mg).

Budesonide inhalation suspension is a generic version of the brand-name drug Pulmicort Respules. Pulmicort Flexhaler currently isn’t available as a generic.

Ask your child’s doctor if you have more questions about any of these forms.

Can budesonide be taken for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? If so, what’s the dosage?

Yes, some forms of budesonide are taken to treat COPD. But budesonide inhalation suspension isn’t approved to treat this condition.

Even so, budesonide inhalation suspension may be used off-label to treat COPD. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for something other than what it’s approved to treat.

Budesonide is sometimes taken with the drug formoterol to treat COPD. This combination drug is Symbicort and comes in an inhaler form. The daily dosage for COPD is budesonide 160 micrograms (mcg)/formoterol 4.5 mcg.

If you have COPD, ask your doctor about the form and dosage of budesonide that might be best for you.

Is budesonide taken long term?

Yes, doctors usually prescribe budesonide inhalation suspension as a long-term treatment. If you and your child’s doctor determine it’s safe and effective, your child will likely take it long term.

To learn more about how long your child should take budesonide inhalation suspension, ask their doctor.

How budesonide is taken

Your child will inhale budesonide inhalation suspension using a nebulizer device once or twice per day. A nebulizer device turns liquid medication into a mist that is inhaled into the lungs.

Keep the following things in mind about using a nebulizer:

• The drugmaker warns not to use the wrong type of nebulizer. Avoid ultrasonic nebulizers and use jet nebulizers.
• Avoid mixing budesonide with other medications in the same nebulizer.
• Wash your child’s face after they use the nebulizer. This helps prevent side effects of steroid drugs on the skin.
• Have your child rinse their mouth with water after using the nebulizer. This helps prevent an oral thrush infection from steroid drugs.

Learn more about how to use nebulizers in this article. You can also watch videos about using nebulizers.

Your doctor may advise that your child take this medication around the same time each day. This helps keep a consistent amount of the drug in the body. And that can help the drug work more effectively.

If your child is having difficulty taking the medication, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can offer recommendations about taking it.

Budesonide coupon

Visit this page to access Optum Perks coupons and get price estimates for budesonide when you use the coupons. These coupons can provide significant savings on prescription costs. 

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Overdose of budesonide

It’s important that your child does not take more budesonide inhalation suspension than the doctor prescribes. Doing so can lead to harmful effects.

Symptoms of budesonide overdose

Symptoms of an overdose over a long period of time can include:

• increased levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood
• suppression of growth

What to do if your child has taken too much budesonide

If you think your child has taken too much budesonide, call your child’s doctor or pharmacist right away. Or you could call 800-222-1222 to speak with someone at America’s Poison Centers. You can also use its online resource. If your child has severe symptoms, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. You can also take your child to the closest emergency room.

What to ask your doctor

This article describes the usual recommended dosages for budesonide inhalation suspension. If your child’s doctor prescribes this medication, they’ll determine the dosage that’s best for your child.

Do not change your child’s dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension without the doctor’s recommendation. Your child should take budesonide inhalation suspension exactly as the doctor prescribes it. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about your child’s treatment plan.

Here’s a list of some possible questions you may want to ask your child’s doctor:

• Can I see a demonstration of using a nebulizer for my child’s dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension?
• Which nebulizers work with budesonide inhalation suspension?
• My child has started treatment with budesonide inhalation suspension. How can I best monitor their asthma symptoms?
• Should my child take budesonide inhalation suspension once or twice per day?
• How often should my child’s dosage of budesonide inhalation suspension change?

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.