albuterol sulfate

How long does Albuterol Sulfate stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of albuterol sulfate is about 5 to 6 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. FDA labels give closely matching values by route: after an oral 4 mg tablet or syrup, albuterol "is eliminated with a half-life of about 5 hours"; after inhalation the terminal plasma half-life is roughly 4.6 to 6 hours. Half-life is not the same as how long the inhaler works — bronchodilation from a rescue inhaler fades in about 4 to 6 hours even though drug is still measurable. In children 4 to 11, the inhaled terminal half-life was shorter, about 166 minutes (2.8 hours). Kidney impairment: in 5 subjects with creatinine clearance 7 to 53 mL/min the label reports renal disease had NO effect on half-life, but albuterol clearance fell 67%, so systemic exposure rises and high doses warrant caution — most albuterol is cleared renally (80% to 100% of the dose as parent drug or its primary metabolite). Liver impairment and older adults: not studied, so no adjusted value exists. The label names no active metabolite that outlasts the parent — albuterol is metabolized mainly by the sulfotransferase SULT1A3 to a sulfate conjugate the label treats as an elimination product, not an active drug. Extended-release oral albuterol tablets are no longer marketed in the US, so no current label states a different half-life for an ER form.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: DailyMed — Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Aerosol, FDA prescribing information, Section 12 Clinical Pharmacology.

Frequently asked questions

What does Albuterol Sulfate treat?

Albuterol Sulfate (Albuterol Sulfate) may be used to treat asthma, bronchial spasm, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How does Albuterol Sulfate work?

Albuterol Sulfate is 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.

How is Albuterol Sulfate rated?

pharmaranks gives Albuterol Sulfate a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Albuterol Sulfate cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $11.12 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Albuterol Sulfate?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Albuterol Sulfate. To pay less, Albuterol Sulfate is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Albuterol Sulfate?

Albuterol Sulfate is marketed by Watson Labs. You can see Watson Labs's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Albuterol Sulfate a brand-name or generic drug?

Albuterol Sulfate is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Albuterol Sulfate. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.

Is Albuterol Sulfate available over the counter?

No. Albuterol Sulfate is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Albuterol Sulfate come in?

Albuterol Sulfate is currently marketed as spray/inhaler, metered, spray/inhaler, solution, syrup and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Albuterol Sulfate?

Albuterol Sulfate is classified as beta2-adrenergic agonist, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Albuterol Sulfate FDA-registered?

Albuterol Sulfate is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA072630. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Albuterol Sulfate been recalled by the FDA?

Albuterol Sulfate has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Albuterol Sulfate safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Albuterol Sulfate a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.