Formoterol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Formoterol is a beta2-adrenergic agonist sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for asthma and bronchial spasm. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Beta2-Adrenergic Agonist
- Treats (across its forms)
- Asthma and Bronchial Spasm
- Available as
- Powder · Solution
- Sold as
- 3 products — Foradil, Foradil Certihaler and Perforomist
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $2 per ml — not your price
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How Perforomist is dosed
From the FDA label for Perforomist (application NDA022007). Other formoterol products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The recommended dose of formoterol fumarate inhalation solution is one 20 mcg unit-dose vial administered twice daily (morning and evening) by nebulization. A total daily dose greater than 40 mcg is not recommended. Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution should be administered by the orally inhaled route via a standard jet nebulizer connected to an air compressor. The safety and efficacy of formoterol fumarate inhalation solution have been established in clinical trials when administered using the PARI-LC Plus ® nebulizer (with a facemask or mouthpiece) and the PRONEB ® Ultra compressor. The safety and efficacy of formoterol fumarate inhalation solution delivered from non-compressor based nebulizer systems have not been established. Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution should always be stored in the foil pouch, and only removed IMMEDIATELY BEFORE USE. Contents of any partially used container should be discarded. If the recommended maintenance treatment regimen fails to provide the usual response, medical advice should be sought immediately, as this is often a sign of destabilization of COPD. Under these circumstances, the therapeutic regimen should be re-evaluated and additional therapeutic options should be considered. The drug compatibility (physical and chemical), efficacy, and safety of formoterol fumarate inhalation solution when mixed with other drugs in a nebulizer…
Everything below is the FDA label for Perforomist (solution). Formoterol is also sold as powder, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Perforomist side effects
Long-acting beta 2 -adrenergic agonists, such as formoterol fumarate inhalation solution, as monotherapy (without an inhaled corticosteroid) for asthma increase the risk of asthma-related events. Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution is not indicated for the treatment of asthma [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Most common adverse reactions ( > 2% and more common than placebo) are diarrhea, nausea, nasopharyngitis, dry mouth, vomiting, dizziness, and insomnia ( 6.2 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mylan at 1-877-446-3679 (1-877-4-INFO-RX) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Beta 2 -Agonist Adverse Reaction Profile Adverse reactions to formoterol fumarate inhalation solution are expected to be similar in nature to other beta 2 -adrenergic receptor agonists including: angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, muscle cramps, palpitations, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, insomnia, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, and metabolic acidosis. 6.2 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adults with COPD The data described below reflect…
Who shouldn’t take Perforomist
Use of a LABA, including formoterol fumarate inhalation solution, without an inhaled corticosteroid is contraindicated in patients with asthma [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution is not indicated for the treatment of asthma. • Use of a LABA, including formoterol fumarate inhalation solution, without an inhaled corticosteroid is contraindicated in patients with asthma. ( 4 )
Perforomist drug interactions
Other adrenergic drugs may potentiate effect. Use with caution. ( 5.3 , 7.1 ) • Xanthine derivatives, steroids, diuretics, or non-potassium sparing diuretics may potentiate hypokalemia or ECG changes. Use with caution. ( 5.7 , 7.2 , 7.3 ) • MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and drugs that prolong QTc interval may potentiate effect on the cardiovascular system. Use with extreme caution. ( 7.4 ) • Beta-blockers may decrease effectiveness. Use with caution and only when medically necessary. ( 7.5 ) 7.1 Adrenergic Drugs If additional adrenergic drugs are to be administered by any route, they should be used with caution because the sympathetic effects of formoterol may be potentiated [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3 , 5.5 , 5.6 , 5.7) ]. 7.2 Xanthine Derivatives, Steroids, or Diuretics Concomitant treatment with xanthine derivatives, steroids, or diuretics may potentiate any hypokalemic effect of adrenergic agonists [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ]. 7.3 Non-potassium Sparing Diuretics The ECG changes and/or hypokalemia that may result from the administration of non-potassium sparing diuretics (such as loop or thiazide diuretics) can be acutely worsened by beta-agonists, especially when the recommended dose of the beta-agonist is exceeded. Although the clinical significance of these effects is not known, caution is advised in the co-administration of beta-agonists with non-potassium sparing diuretics. 7.4 MAO Inhibitors, Tricyclic Antidepressants, QTc Prolonging Drugs Formoterol, as with other beta 2 -agonists, should be administered with extreme caution to patients being treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, or drugs known to prolong the QTc interval because the effect of adrenergic agonists on the cardiovascular system may be potentiated by these agents. Drugs that are known to prolong the QTc interval have an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias. 7.5 Beta-blockers Beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta-blockers) and formoterol may inhibit the effect of each other when administered concurrently. Beta-blockers not only block the therapeutic effects of beta-agonists, but may produce severe bronchospasm in COPD patients. Therefore, patients with COPD should not normally be treated with beta-blockers. However, under certain circumstances, e.g., as prophylaxis after myocardial infarction, there may be no acceptable alternatives to the use of beta-blockers in patients with COPD. In this setting, cardioselective beta-blockers could be considered, although they should be administered with caution.
Every formoterol product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Powder | Generic | $2 | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Powder | Generic | $2 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Solution | Generic | $2 | View → |
Combination products containing formoterol
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
How long formoterol keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some formoterol labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 3 months.
Does formoterol expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsFormoterol and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for formoterol: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadAlthough no published data exist on the use of formoterol by inhaler during lactation, data from the related drug, terbutaline, indicate that very little is expected to be excreted into breastmilk.[1-3] The authors of several reviews and expert guidelines agree that use of inhaled bronchodilators is acceptable during breastfeeding because of the low bioavailability and maternal serum levels after use.[4-8]
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised January 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about formoterol
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 16,908 reports naming formoterol, and the FDA flagged 94% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- asthma5,670 reports
- dyspnoea5,304 reports
- wheezing3,762 reports
- therapeutic product effect incomplete2,892 reports
- cough2,616 reports
- loss of personal independence in daily activities2,351 reports
- sleep disorder due to a general medical condition2,011 reports
- obstructive airways disorder1,704 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean formoterol caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Perforomist?
Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution is supplied as 2 mL of formoterol fumarate inhalation solution packaged in a 2.5 mL single-use low-density polyethylene vial and overwrapped in a foil pouch.
What kind of drug is formoterol?
The FDA classifies formoterol as a beta2-adrenergic agonist. Beta2-adrenergic agonists bind to beta-2 receptors on the muscle that wraps the airways, triggering a signal (via cAMP) that relaxes that muscle. The airways widen, making it easier to breathe in conditions like asthma and COPD. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take formoterol with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run formoterol against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is formoterol sold under?
We track 3 formoterol-containing products in the U.S.: Foradil, Foradil Certihaler and Perforomist. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does formoterol come in?
Across the brands we track, formoterol is currently marketed as powder and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic formoterol?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled formoterol product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Formoterol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/formoterol
- MLA
- “Formoterol: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/formoterol.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for formoterol on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.