A reliever inhaler (SABA)
Terbutaline
A short-acting reliever that opens the airways quickly in asthma and some other lung conditions.
What is Terbutaline?
Terbutaline is a short-acting beta agonist (SABA), a reliever that quickly opens up tight airways to ease breathlessness, wheeze and chest tightness. It works in much the same way as salbutamol and is most often used through an inhaler, but it can also be given by injection or as a continuous drip in hospital. It can make your hands shake and your heart beat faster, which usually settles. If you find you are needing your reliever more often than usual, it is a sign your asthma may not be well controlled, so tell your doctor or nurse.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Terbutaline — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Terbutaline is a reliever medicine, one of a group called short-acting beta agonists (SABAs). It relaxes the muscle around the airways so they widen, making it easier to breathe within minutes. It is used in asthma and some other lung conditions to relieve sudden breathlessness, wheeze and chest tightness. In the UK it is most familiar as the Bricanyl inhaler, but it can also be given by injection or infusion in hospital when stronger treatment is needed.
How it works
Terbutaline stimulates beta receptors on the muscle wrapped around the airways, telling that muscle to relax. As the muscle loosens, the airways open up and air moves in and out more freely, easing wheeze and breathlessness quickly. The effect comes on within minutes and lasts a few hours, which is why it is used as a reliever rather than a regular preventer. Because beta receptors are also found in the heart and muscles, it can cause a faster heartbeat and shaky hands.
Company & origin
Originated / developed by: Generic (long-established).
A long-established short-acting reliever bronchodilator used in the UK for asthma and other airway conditions.
What it treats
Conditions Terbutaline is used for
Practical use
How to take Terbutaline
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- Use it when you get symptoms such as wheeze, breathlessness or chest tightness, exactly as your prescriber advised.
- Get your inhaler technique checked, as good technique makes sure the medicine reaches your lungs.
- Carry your reliever with you so it is always to hand if symptoms come on.
- If you are needing it more often than usual, or it is not lasting, tell your doctor or nurse, as your asthma may not be well controlled.
- Seek urgent help if your breathing is severe and your reliever is not helping, as you may need stronger treatment.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Terbutaline
Advantages
- Opens tight airways quickly to relieve wheeze and breathlessness, usually within minutes.
- Works in much the same way as salbutamol and is a familiar, well-established reliever.
- Can also be given by injection or infusion in hospital when a severe attack needs stronger treatment.
Disadvantages
- Commonly causes shaky hands and a faster or pounding heartbeat.
- It relieves symptoms but does not treat the underlying inflammation, so it is not a preventer.
- Needing it more and more often is a warning sign that asthma control is slipping.
Practical use
Good to know
Terbutaline is a reliever, not a preventer, so it is taken when you need it rather than to control asthma long term. The single most important thing to notice is how often you reach for it: needing your reliever several times a week, or finding it does not last, usually means your asthma is not well controlled and your treatment may need reviewing. Shaky hands and a faster or pounding heartbeat are common and harmless, easing as the dose wears off. As well as an inhaler, terbutaline can be given by injection or as a drip in hospital for severe attacks, and it has sometimes been used in obstetrics, though that is a separate specialist use. Always carry your reliever, and learn good inhaler technique so the medicine reaches your lungs.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- People with certain heart-rhythm problems or uncontrolled heart disease should use it cautiously and only as advised.
- Used with care in overactive thyroid, diabetes and low potassium, which it can worsen at higher doses.
- Anyone who has reacted badly to terbutaline or similar relievers should tell their prescriber.
Monitoring
- Reviewing how often you use your reliever, as frequent use signals poor asthma control.
- Checking inhaler technique so the medicine is reaching your lungs.
- Watching for tremor, palpitations and, with high hospital doses, potassium levels and heart rhythm.
Side effects
- Shaky hands (tremor) and a faster or pounding heartbeat are common and usually harmless.
- Headache, restlessness or muscle cramps in some people.
- Rarely, high doses can lower potassium or cause an irregular heartbeat, which needs checking.
Key interactions
- Beta-blockers (including some eye drops for glaucoma) can block its effect and may worsen asthma.
- Other medicines that lower potassium, such as some water tablets and steroids, can add to that effect at higher doses.
- Some medicines for depression and certain heart-rhythm drugs may add to its effects on the heart.
Available as: Inhaler (dry powder), and solution for injection or infusion used in hospital.
Answers
Terbutaline: frequently asked questions
Is terbutaline the same as salbutamol?
They are different medicines but work in much the same way as short-acting relievers, opening the airways quickly; your prescriber may use either.
Why do my hands shake after using it?
A fine tremor and a faster heartbeat are common, harmless effects of reliever inhalers and usually settle as the dose wears off.
What does it mean if I need my reliever more often?
Needing your reliever more often, or finding it does not last, usually means your asthma is not well controlled, so you should have your treatment reviewed.
Is it only an inhaler?
It is most often an inhaler, but it can also be given by injection or as a drip in hospital when a severe attack needs stronger treatment.
Can I use it as a preventer?
No. It is a reliever for symptoms when they happen; preventer inhalers, usually steroids, are what control asthma day to day.
The wider class
About Short-acting beta agonist (SABA)
Terbutaline belongs to the short-acting beta agonist (saba) class. For how the class as a whole works, its shared safety principles and monitoring, see the full guide.
Browse by body system
Authoritative sources
- BNF
- NICE CKS
Building a medicines information resource?
We create evidence-led, dose-free drug and formulary references for teams.