Doxapram Injections: FDA Approved Drug to Improve Respiration in COPD

For patients who suffer from complications associated with respiration and breathing, life can be challenging, day in and day out. For patients who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, to those who suffer from complication following a surgical procedure, the use of specific drugs may play a key role in restoring respiration when complications persist.

Doxapram is the generic name of the drug Dopram, used as an injection by IV or infusion, to restore respiration and breathing in a patient; often used in COPD patients. As a general rule, the use of doxapram occurs within a healthcare setting, under physician monitoring, with dosing taking as long as two hours. For patients who present to the emergency room with breathing complications associated with conditions such as COPD, doxapram provides a restoration to their ability to breath with a slow and meticulous process.

As an FDA approved drug used to improve breathing complications under a variety of scenarios, patients who suffer from COPD are the primary group of patients who benefit from doxapram use. Second to COPD, some patients who experience complications following anesthesia based surgery may require doxapram IV administration as well.

If you suffer from COPD, your healthcare professional may recommend doxapram by IV upon your arrival to the emergency room. As a patient with COPD, it is important to understand what risks are associated with doxapram IV use; namely, side effects. Such side effects might include headache, dizziness, nausea and profuse sweating. The administration of doxapram, by IV, must be closely monitored for severe complications including chest pain, changes in mental processing and even seizures as these are severe complications that may result in the discontinuation of doxapram in your treatment of COPD.