These bronchodilator medicines open the airways and reduce swelling for at least 12 hours. In people with asthma, they are used only in combination with ICS, as if taken on their own they can increase the risk of severe asthma attacks. The combination of ICS and formoterol (a LABA with rapid onset of effect) can be used in adults and adolescents either as-needed only in patients with mild asthma, or both regularly every day plus as-needed for symptom relief in patients with moderate to severe asthma. Examples are budesonide-formoterol and beclometasone-formoterol. Other ICS-LABA combinations cannot be used for symptom relief.
