Use of Ventolin inhaler

[Fruitcake100]

I am on Nebivolol , Simvastatin and Warfarin is it ok to use a Ventolin inhaler.? Recently I have had a chest infection, cough etc and found that a puff from my inhaler helped me to be able to cough up gunk instead of just coughing unproductively for ages and ending up with no voice and a sore throat.

[JaneFinn]

Hi fruitcake, I sympathise

If I were you I’d ring a pharmacy (now while they’re still open) and check with the pharmacist? I don’t see why you shouldn’t use a ventolin with those other meds, but I’m not on those and it’s best to check with an expert

Do you have a brown (steroid/preventer) inhaler too? My advice as an asthmatic is always to make sure I’m taking that inhaler properly - and possibly even double the dose for a while if I have a chest infection, to reduce inflammation and reduce the need to use the ventolin too much. Obviously I’m not advising you to do that, but just saying in case it triggers a reminder that you’ve been told them same in the past, or if you wanted to get medical advice on that

I personally find ventolin can make my heartbeat a bit jumpy (ectopics or short tachy runs) soon after taking it. But it passes. And it’s worth it- when you need a ventolin, you need it

Hope you feel better soon x

[Fruitcake100 in reply to JaneFinn]

Hi Jane yes I take a green preventative inhaler , so yes as I only take it in the morning perhaps I could take it at bedtime as well just while I am chesty, thank you for the info, by the way I also have reflux and take Omeprazol every night. I have been reading about GERD and LPR . It can all get very confusing.

[pusillanimous in reply to JaneFinn]

May I ask if you are in the UK, if not ignore my question.! I live in South Africa and recently went to visit my family in England - while I was there I decided to take a coach tour to Ireland, as I had never been there. All the other tourists were from America, and several got on the coach with dreadful coughs, which spread around. It was obviously a foreign virus that I had not immunity to, so soon I was badly infected. As I have Acos, as soon as I got back to my sister's she arranged a visit to her GP's practice for me. I saw the senior nurse who prescribed Ventolin with a spacer, some prednisolone and doxycycline because I'm allergic to penicillin. My doctor always prescribes nebulisation, which I do at home with the vials and my own machine and it works like a charm for me. When I asked the nurse if she could prescribe these - I could buy a machine they are very cheap, she said , nebulisation is only done in hospitals - why is this?

[JaneFinn in reply to pusillanimous]

Hmmm that sounds odd to me! Certainly I’ve always been able to be nebulised in my doctor’s surgery, by the nurse. And though I don’t have a nebuliser at home, I know people who do. (Though some doctors are wary of prescribing home nebulisers for asthma in case it means the person leaves going to A&E until too late.)

I was so surprised to read your experience that I rang a GP surgery as a random check! They said that though many GP surgeries use nebulisers as part of treatments, others would indeed just send their patients to hospital if they need to be nebulised. Apparently some do have a nebuliser on the premises, but only use them as emergency equipment, like defibrillators.

Seems very odd to me. It’s all part of the NHS ‘lottery’ experience I presume...

I’d be interested to hear any wisdom from our nurses and doctors on here!

Anyway I’m sorry you caught such a rotten bug while you were over here 😕 I hope you’re feeling better now - and that it hasn’t spoilt your stay too much.

Jane x

[pusillanimous in reply to JaneFinn]

Thanks, wonderful what a bit of sunshine can do! no I was surprised, as I think most of us know when we have an emergency, What did surprise me was that she prescribed the expensive Ventolin and not one of the cheaper generics. I must say the doxycycline was a surprise, as I've only ever had it from the Vet. for a dog with biliary fever! - when I told my doctor, she said she only ever prescribes it for acne! Thank you for going to the trouble of finding out about it for me!

[JaneFinn in reply to pusillanimous]

😆 Are you quite sure it wasn’t a vet you saw?? That might explain a lot... 😂 x

[pusillanimous in reply to JaneFinn]

Come to think of it, could well have been! my sister has a 16 year old Maine Coon who is number one priority in her house (Husband thinks he is !) Henley on Thames where she lives, is pretty expensive, so maybe MDs and Vets share premises!!!

[Buffafly]

Severe asthma is more dangerous than AF so I agree you should get some advice asap. I see an asthma nurse annually for a review and have a set plan for what to do if my symptoms worsen including if I have a respiratory infection. My instructions are to double dose my combi inhaler and take two puffs of Ventolin as needed and if that doesn't work to continue to take Ventolin and call an ambulance. I take Diltiazem, not a beta blocker, but all this should have been sorted out with whoever supervises your asthma treatment.

Hope you're better soon.

[Jonathan_C]

I get exercised induced asthma and spoke to my EP about a beta agonist vs other types of asthma pumps. His immediate response was: take whatever gets rid of/prevents the asthma. As asthma is much more likely to trigger afib than the asthma meds.

[Pjt55]

I was given a different inhaler that doesn't other my fib as much. Insurance seldom pays for it but it does with you have a fib. I use Xopenex inhaler and also un a nebulizer..both. But I agree to talk with your dr or pharmacist

[Auriculaire]

I used too much Ventolin after an operation to try and help with the post op mucous having that tube down your throat produces. The cardiologist reckoned it could have provoked the afib attack I had but I think it was the combination of being dehydrated after the drip was removed and starving to death after a diet of yoghurt and apple compote for 3 days!

[siouxbee19]

I am on several meds as well, two being Warfarin and Ventolin inhaler. I've had no problems with either.

Surely your doctor/pharmacist that prescribed the Warfarin knows of other meds you're taking? Very important everyone is on same page and updated as needed.

Hope you feel better soon! 🙏

[Offcut]

I was on Warfarin for decades and take ventolin and many other tablets besides. It is important to look more at what you eat as these can affect Warfarin! I have now moved onto to NOAC/DOAC as a thinner.

Be Well

[Japaholic]

Ventolin used to trigger me, I switched to Montelukast