Ciclesonide

Hi there

I have been referred to a new specialist, and although I have not seen him yet, an asthma nurse at my local hospital said this specialist was quite fond of trying ciclesonide for difficult/brittle asthma.

Can anyone tell me what this is? What form does it take, i.e. inhaler, tablets, neb etc? What are it's implications, i.e. would it be routinely prescribed or is it only for more severe asthma?

Any advide or experience much apperciated!!

Cheers x

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Yep, that particular consultant is very keen on it - I'm on Ciclesonide - it's an inhaled steroid (preventer) but not one that many people know (had one GP take it off me with great interest and my normal GP today had to look it up on her computer!!). Also had trouble getting a repeat prescription through the high street pharmacist - one hadn't heard of it and the other had to order it in and then when I went back near enough had an argument with me about the dosage and put a different dosage on the label as the consultant has put me on a dosage that far exceeds that recommended by the drug manufacturers - I take it through a spacer to hopefully reduce side effects.

Because it is only a preventer and I was previously on Symbicort which is a combination, I also have to take Serevent as a long term reliever. I also found for about the first 3 weeks of taking Ciclesonide is made me cough really badly when taking it, but this seems to have almost worn off now.

I don't know if it's the Ciclesonide/Serevent combination, the Montelukast (been on that about 6 weeks) or the Pred, but something is working for me now - I don't know how the consultant will decide what it is that is having the positive effect though.

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Hi Ratty

Thanks for your reply. I am also on symbicort, so I take it that if I am started on ciclesonide too then i will also have to take serevent (or something similar).

I have tried montelukast and found that it does not work for me so no joy there, but glad something has started to work for u!

Em x

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Hi

I used to be on ciclesonide and had a great response to it.

As said it's a inhaler which I used via a spacer.

It is different to other steroid inhalers because it's absorbed differently and works for people with difficult asthma.

The chemist eventually got it right but it took some time as they'd not heard of it. The hospital pharmacy couldn't get it so I had to make sure I took it in with me when I was admitted.

I've since gone back to symbicort but did find it beneficial initially.

BW

Truly x

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That's a good point about taking it into hospital with you. Last time I was admitted, I was sent straight from my GP surgery so didn't have it with me and the hospital didn't have it, so I went without it - not good when you've recently started something new.

[yaf_user681_25820]

Hello

Just a word of warning Cicleonide has ETHANOL in it.Its not mentioned in bnf just in the leaflet that comes with it.

For whatever reason I didnt look at the leaflel and had an allergic reaction.

The same applies to salamol which also has it in but not ventolon

Penny

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Suddenly everything seems to make a little more sense....I have suspected for a while that alcohol, and hence ethanol, may be a trigger for my asthma....and I never used to get any relief from salamol, but do from ventolin...Could this be the missing link?!

Thanks for the warning!