Ritodrine
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 1, 2022.
Pharmacologic Class: Beta-2 Adrenergic Agonist
Uses for ritodrine
Ritodrine is used to stop premature labor. Ritodrine was available only with your doctor's prescription.
Ritodrine is no longer available in the United States.
Before using ritodrine
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For ritodrine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to ritodrine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Interactions with medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking ritodrine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using ritodrine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Methacholine
- Sotalol
Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other medical problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of ritodrine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Diabetes or
- High blood pressure (hypertension), uncontrolled, or
- Migraine headaches (or history of)—May make these conditions worse.
- Heart or blood vessel disease or
- Overactive thyroid, uncontrolled—May cause serious side effects on the heart, including irregular heartbeat.
Proper use of ritodrine
Dosing
The dose of ritodrine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of ritodrine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medic...
