Roflumilast

Do not use Roflumilast in more than the prescribed doses, leading to severe heart or lung problems. After taking Roflumilast, if you experience irregular heartbeats, leg cramps, muscle weakness, numbness or tingling, or suicidal thinking and behaviour, please consult a doctor immediately. If you have cancer, heart disease, depression, inform your doctor before taking Roflumilast.  This medicine is recommended for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age. Before taking Roflumilast, inform your doctor if you are already on medications like theophylline, oral corticosteroids, methotrexate, enoxacin or cimetidine.

Drug-Drug Interactions: Roflumilast interacts with medicine used to treat allergic disorders (methylprednisolone), a drug used to treat asthma (budesonide/formoterol), drugs used to treat seizures (carbamazepine, phenytoin)

Drug-Food Interactions: Avoid alcohol consumption while taking Roflumilast as it could lead to increased dizziness.

Drug-Disease Interactions: Roflumilast should be taken with caution if you have a hepatic impairment, depression and weight loss.

• Smoking should be avoided while taking Roflumilast as it can alter the blood levels of roflumilast, which may affect the dosing.
• It is essential to maintain hygiene like washing hands after coming from outside, as people with asthma/COPD are at a greater risk of infections.
• Stay active and do regular exercise to improve quality of life and increase tolerance to shortness of breath.
• Shortness of breath can be eased by doing pursed-lip breathing exercises. In this, relax your neck and shoulder muscles, breathe in with your nose for two seconds and breathe out through pursed lips for four seconds. Such exercises will help you to improve your breath.
• Eat foods rich in potassium such as tomatoes, bananas, asparagus, oranges, potatoes, avocados, dark leafy greens and beetroots as potassium is important for lung function and a potassium deficiency may cause breathing problems.
• Drink plenty of fluids every day to thin mucus which makes it easier to cough out.
• Maintain a diet that includes complex carbohydrates such as lentils, beans, barley, oats, quinoa, bran, peas and potatoes with skin.
• Limit or avoid the intake of caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee, soda and energy drinks.
• Eat protein-rich foods such as meat, fish (particularly salmon, sardines, and mackerel), eggs and poultry.
• Exercise regularly to strengthen your breathing muscles and boost your immune system. Learning breathing exercises will help you move more air in and out of your lungs.
• Stop smoking as it can reduce the efficacy of the Roflumilast and irritate the lungs and make breathing problems worse.

• Check your weight regularly while taking this medication. Tell your doctor right away of any unusual or extreme weight loss.
• Roflumilast is not a bronchodilator and is not indicated for the relief of acute bronchospasm. Always carry a rescue inhaler.