Asthma, Maintenance
"I took theophylline as a child for 5 years, and it&#039;s hard for me to give it a rating. It saved my life. I had asthma so bad that nothing else could control it, and there were no alternatives available then. However, it has damaged my heart, and I now must take a Beta-Blocker daily to control my chronic tachycardia. Someday, my heart may wear out sooner than it should have. But I guess if I hadn&#039;t been on theophylline, I wouldn&#039;t have made it to age 11. If there is any alternative that can work for you, please try it first. If this is literally your lifesaver, then the long term heart effects are worth the trade off. Not everyone who takes this long term gets heart damage, but it&#039;s very likely. It&#039;s rarely prescribed due to this."