Ventolin and the heart pounding - Asthma Community ...

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Ventolin and the heart pounding

It seems to my day to post. I had to take Ventolin this morning. My earlier post has some background on this. I rarely take Ventolin these days. I was about to phone 111 this morning when I thought I should take Ventolin before making demands for prednisolone.

I took two puffs of Ventolin and went back to bed. Not long after I could feel my heart pounding. My wife took my pulse and said it was racing at times and then calmed down again. Three hours later I can still feel my heart pounding.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing ?

Is it a problem ? It is certainly not a comfortable feeling.

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PaulRosedene

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21 Replies

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teddyd2 years ago

I think you should phone 111 or your Gp to get advice. I take palpitations when my asthma is bad and waiting on a Hospital appointment.

I still think get it checked out today. If nothing else to put your mind at rest.

PaulRosedene• in reply toteddyd2 years ago

Thanks. I'm waiting for a call back from 111.

LysistrataAdministratorCommunity Ambassador2 years ago

I don't get this with my inhaler as I use it fairly often (NB to others reading, not normal mostly, I have chronically poorly controlled asthma and doctors are aware so unless you are like me then please don't accept it as normal!) But with nebulisers I often find I get more shakiness and heart pounding if I've not needed one for a while and am not used to it, so it might be that. Asthma can also make my heart rate faster but I don't feel that in my body personally, whereas if it's from medication I do.

Having said that I agree with TeddyD to ask for medical advice if things are not settling down. Did the Ventolin help your asthma? Has it lasted well or have you felt asthma symptoms returning? As above a fast heart rate can also be an asthma sign, though this is much less well recognised than medication side effects it seems.

PaulRosedene• in reply toLysistrata2 years ago

Yes, the Ventolin has calmed down the asthma. I have never experienced a fast heart rate as a sign of asthma, but interesting to hear.

Homely2Administrator2 years ago

I get heart palpitations etc when I have an asthma attack and take my max of 10 puffs of ventolin

PaulRosedene• in reply toHomely22 years ago

Do you think the palpitations are due to the asthma attack or the ventolin ? Are they a concern ?

SmilesForMiles2 years ago

Yea I get a heart pounding feeling with ventolin (I don't actually take it anymore at all, I'm on smart therapy with symbicort), but I can't take my LABA even too close to bed, because I find it pretty activating, and sometimes that heart pounding feeling will keep me up. It's not bad with my normal dose, but if I'm using a lot of rescue inhaler, I do get that feeling and tremors. It's not as bad as the ventolin though, I'd find myself resisting using ventolin because it made me feel really weird.

Definitely ask your doc about it, especially if the rate is getting high! Im sure some people are just more sensitive to ventolin than others, but you can also take too much

PaulRosedene• in reply toSmilesForMiles2 years ago

What is LABA ?

Poobah• in reply toPaulRosedene2 years ago

Long acting bronchodilator, in this case Symbicort. The inhaler contains a long acting bronchodilator that performs for up to 12 hours plus a steroid. Ventolin is a short acting bronchodilator that performs up to 4 hours.

NLGA2 years ago

I had a heart rate of 145 amd was told at the doctors my over use of ventolin could be the reason my question so far unanswered was there was a reason I took to much in the first place

PaulRosedene• in reply toNLGA2 years ago

I believe that if our asthma is under control, we shouldn't ned to use the reliever too much. Was that heart rate of 145 just a one off or is always high ? I guess you need to know your own base rate for the pulse so that you can tell if its a lot higher after using a lot of the ventolin ?

NLGA• in reply toPaulRosedene2 years ago

happened in May and then June I am on beta blockers now to control it . Never happened before

PaulRosedene• in reply toNLGA2 years ago

Wow. That sounds pretty serious.

NLGA2 years ago

5 days in hospital

PaulRosedene• in reply toNLGA2 years ago

Are you over it now ?

NLGA• in reply toPaulRosedene2 years ago

had two spells in hospital last one in June but I still get palpitations the heart rate is controlled by Bisoprolol but it’s not ideal if I’m honest I get breathing issues that I never did before , they say inhaler triggered it but I say well why did I feel the need to use to much it wasn’t for fun it was due to having problems breathing

Jasmine222 years ago

Yes, Ventolin affects me just the same. My heart rate soars and I try not to use it too often as I also take Fostair, and that is also my reliever.

Although these side effects are alarming, they are very rarely dangerous and you should only need medical attention if you experience chest pain.

Hope this helps 😊

PaulRosedene• in reply toJasmine222 years ago

Thank you. That is reassuring.

Birthday602 years ago

absolutely - that is a very common impact of ventolin and in fact those of us who are old enough will recall having to take yellow ventolin medicine and purple ventolin tablets before the inhaler was more readily available which resulted in very high heart rate. It’s wise to get it checked out of course but by no means unusual especially if you only took 2 puffs. I often take multiple puffs of ventolin with a spacer or a nebuliser when I am unexpectedly acute and it’s a bit annoying!

PaulRosedene• in reply toBirthday602 years ago

How many years ago was this ? I can only remember the blue ventolin. I started on Intal when I was about 5. I believe I was one of the first in the country on Intal.

xLynnette3 months ago

I haven’t experienced that myself, but I do use Ventolin as well. The sensation of your heart pounding after using it can happen sometimes, as Ventolin (albuterol) is a bronchodilator that works by relaxing the muscles in your airways, but it can also stimulate the heart. This can cause your heart rate to increase, leading to the sensation of pounding or palpitations.

If the feeling persists or is really uncomfortable, it's a good idea to consult with your doctor, especially since you rarely need to use Ventolin. If you're feeling unsure about the situation, I recommend speaking to a healthcare professional to rule out any other potential causes. They might suggest a different inhaler or adjust your treatment plan.