Doxolin

What is Doxolin?

Doxolin is an effective treatment for asthma that uses Doxofylline (400mg). It’s a type of medication known as a bronchodilator. This makes breathing easier as it makes the air passages wider and helps the muscles that make your airways work.

As well as asthma, it helps to treat symptoms like breathlessness, wheeziness or chest tightness that can come with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) - a lung disorder that blocks the flow of air to the lungs.

Doxolin is normally a tablet, but you can get it in other forms too. It’s usually a once a day medication that you take with food at night - each person’s circumstances will be different, so check your prescription to see exactly how you should be taking it as your doctor will decide this.

Doxolin is usually used for a longer period, but your doctor will advise you on the duration of your treatment. It’s different to an inhaler as it isn’t used to relieve asthma symptoms in the moment, such as because of an asthma attack. It’s a longer term treatment that works to prevent the symptoms from happening.

How does Doxolin work?

Doxolin uses Doxofylline to help control asthma attacks and the risk of complications. It also prevents symptoms of COPD that may affect breathing. It does this by relaxing the muscles of the air passages, thus widening them and making it easier to breathe.

Doxolin should be a part of your asthma management plan (or the plan that you’re following to address your breathing condition). It’s not designed to be asthma relief when you have an attack or a flare up, so you need to keep any other asthma medication that you would take for this available to deal with it. Being aware of what sets off your asthma is important too.

What doses of Doxolin are there?

Doxolin tablets come in 200mg and 400mg. It is also available in 100mg syrup form. For other dosages, you might need to try a different type of Doxolin or try a different treatment altogether - it’s important that you get the optimum treatment to help you manage your condition. You’ll need to speak to your doctor about it first, don’t just change the amount you take yourself - it’s a prescription medication and needs to be managed correctly.

How to take Doxolin

Follow the guidance you get from your doctor to make sure you take your Doxolin correctly. Your doctor can help you if you have any questions, or there’s anything you don’t fully understand.

Want an overview of how to take Doxolin? Check out the pointers below:

• Take Doxolin once a day and for the amount of time you’ve been prescribed. This dosage should be advised by your doctor and will be part of a managed plan, so it’s important to follow it so that your progress can be tracked carefully.
• Don’t change the dose by yourself, or start changing how much of a tablet that you take to manage your condition. Always make sure that any dose changes happen after consultation with your doctor.
• Don’t chew or bite your tablet, take it with a glass of water and swallow it whole. Try not to break it up either as this can affect the dose and how the medication is absorbed in the body.
• Ideally Doxolin should be taken with your evening meal.
• Avoid drinking alcohol when you’re taking Doxolin.
• Skip smoking and caffeine (if it’s safe to do so - your doctor can help with this) when you’re taking Doxolin.
• Continue to take any other asthma or breathing relief medication while you’re taking Doxolin, as long as this has been advised as being safe by your doctor.

With Doxolin, your symptoms will need to be monitored to make sure that the medication’s effective and working to help you. This could be keeping an eye on your breathing or tracking asthma attacks or COPD symptoms that you might be experiencing. It might be lung tests, x-rays, scans or lab work as well as just generally monitoring how you feel about your health.

If you’re thinking of having a baby, or you’re still breastfeeding, then this should be mentioned to your doctor when you discuss Doxolin. This is the same if you take any other medication or you have any other health problems, especially with your heart, liver or kidneys.

Don’t struggle in silence if you have any side effects from Doxolin that you’re finding difficult to deal with, or if you feel like they’re worse than the effects of your breathing condition. You should tell your doctor and get some advice. No medication is completely side-effect free, and what’s going on with your body, health and environment will have an impact on this and how you’re able to manage the circumstances of them.

How long does it take Doxolin to work?

Doxolin usually gets into action within an hour and lasts for around 24 hours. It depends how serious your symptoms are, however. If it’s been pretty severe it might take longer for the effects to slow down to where they need to be. Your doctor will keep an eye on this through the monitoring process that comes with your regimen.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Doxolin?

Get in touch with your doctor if you think you might have made a mistake with your medication or you miss a dose. Usually if you miss one you should take the next dose as soon as you can, though you should skip it if it’s already time for your next dose. Ask your doctor for some advice on this.

If you need urgent help and advice - such as taking too much medication and worrying that you might have overdosed, visit a hospital or doctor immediately. Even if you haven’t, it’s best to get checked out first.