Budesonide Coupons & Prices

Looking for a budesonide coupon? Budesonide is a widely used corticosteroid that comes in several forms, including inhalers for asthma, a nasal spray for allergies, and delayed-release capsules and tablets for certain digestive conditions. It is available as a lower-cost generic, but the cash price can still vary a great deal from one pharmacy to the next, so it pays to compare. With Rx.com you can check discount prices across more than 60,000 pharmacies and use a free coupon at the counter, even without insurance. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price on your exact form and strength.

What is budesonide and how does it work?

Budesonide is a corticosteroid (a glucocorticoid, or anti-inflammatory steroid). It works by calming inflammation in the body, and the specific job it does depends on which form is prescribed. Brand names include Pulmicort Flexhaler, Pulmicort Respules, Entocort EC, Uceris, Ortikos, Tarpeyo, Eohilia, and Rhinocort (the over-the-counter nasal spray).

Depending on the formulation, budesonide is used to:

• Maintain control of asthma and help prevent asthma attacks (inhaled Pulmicort Flexhaler and Respules)
• Relieve seasonal and year-round allergic rhinitis symptoms (Rhinocort nasal spray, sold over the counter)
• Induce and maintain remission of mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease involving the ileum and ascending colon (Entocort EC and Ortikos delayed-release capsules)
• Induce remission of active mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and treat ulcerative proctitis (Uceris extended-release tablet and rectal foam)
• Treat eosinophilic esophagitis in patients 11 and older (Eohilia oral suspension)
• Reduce proteinuria in primary IgA nephropathy at risk of rapid progression (Tarpeyo)

Important: the inhaled and nasal forms are for ongoing control and are not meant to relieve a sudden asthma attack or acute symptoms.

Budesonide cost and coupons without insurance

Budesonide is available as a generic, which already helps keep the cost down compared with brand-name versions. Even so, the cash price is not the same everywhere. Because budesonide comes in many forms and strengths, and because each pharmacy sets its own price, what you pay can swing widely from one store to the next, sometimes for the very same product. That is exactly why comparing before you fill matters.

Rx.com compares discount prices across more than 60,000 pharmacies and gives you a free coupon you can show at the pharmacy counter, whether or not you have insurance. There is no manufacturer copay savings card for generic budesonide. To find your price, enter your ZIP code above and select your exact form (inhaler, nasal spray, capsule, tablet, foam, or oral suspension) and strength to see today's price near you.

Budesonide alternatives and related medicines

Budesonide is one of several corticosteroids and controller medicines, and the right choice depends on your condition and what your provider recommends. For asthma and allergy control, other inhaled or nasal steroids include fluticasone and mometasone. Budesonide is also combined with a long-acting bronchodilator in budesonide-formoterol, sold under the brand Symbicort, for people who need both an anti-inflammatory and a bronchodilator.

For the digestive uses, mesalamine is another option used in inflammatory bowel disease, and prednisone is an oral steroid sometimes used for short-term flares. This is not a recommendation to switch; talk with your provider about which medicine and form fit your situation, then use Rx.com to compare prices on whatever you are prescribed.

Budesonide safety and side effects

Budesonide has no boxed warning, but there are important points to know. It is not for treating a sudden asthma attack or acute bronchospasm. Long-term or high-dose use can affect the body's natural steroid balance, leading to hypercorticism or suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and adrenal insufficiency, which is why you should not stop it abruptly after long-term use; your provider may have you taper. Steroids can also increase the risk of infection (including chickenpox, measles, and worsening of existing or latent infections such as tuberculosis), so avoid exposure when possible, and they can suppress the immune system. Prolonged use may reduce bone mineral density or lead to osteoporosis, and can slow growth in children. Eye effects such as glaucoma and cataracts are possible.

The inhaled and nasal forms can cause oral thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth) as well as nasal irritation, nosebleeds, or, rarely, septal perforation. Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions can occur. Budesonide levels can rise if taken with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole or ritonavir, so tell your provider about all your medicines. This is general information, not medical advice; talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your health, other conditions, and any side effects you notice.