can anyone tell me if i can split my does to 3 times day rather than 2 at mo i have 2 seritide and 2 flixotide am and pm want i want to know is can i have 1 puff of each in am 1 puff in middle of day and then 2 of ech b4 bed. found it very benefical when on symbicort to have dose in middle of day it helped me finish day in wrk but have been swapped bk due to low pf and asthma nurse thinking i not getting all med as can't breathe in hard enough. Or do i actually need to run idea through asthma nurses first although dosage wud be same.
I'd definitely speak to your asthma nurse - they will need to know what you are doing in any case, and can advise on dosages too. If splitting your dose helps then I can't see why not, but it 's worth talking it through and maybe getting them to review dosages too?
I don't know what does you are taking overall, but fluticasone is different to beclomethasone or budesonide (steroid component of symbicort) and I've read that recommended dosages are approximately half that of the other steroids.
High dose of beclomethasone and budesonide is 1600 mcg and above, so if you are taking a combination of flixotide and seretide you are probably at or above 800 mcg already.
When I was on seretide 250 2 x 2, my GP wouldn't prescribe any higher dose as that amounted to 800 mcg per day, although the chest clinic at hosp would, but only for short periods.
I may be wrong but I believe there are in fact now 2 symbicort inhalers availible. 1 which is a preventer and a long acting reliever (but cannot be used like salbutamol is for immediate relief) in 1 inhaler and a new symbicort that can also be used as a reliever?
As far as I know, it isn't a separate or different inhaler - you would actually use the same one.
if you search on symbicort and SMART you can find more details, papers etc, but the principle is that it can be used as a reliever, with the added bonus that you get more steroid so dampen down the inflammation causing your symptoms rather than just giving quick relief.
My practice nurse suggested to me during a brief appt for something else that I could use symbicort 200/6 for both preventer and reliever, but when I questioned her about steroid doses (I am already on 1600 mcg of budesonide with my current dose of symbicort and top up of pulmicort, plus a fluticasone nasal spray and pred) she didn't know if that was an option for me, so agreed I should leave my meds as they were and keep ventolin as my reliever.
I did mean to ask my cons in clinic the next week bu forgot so I'll try to remember for my next appt in September.
I would suggest if you are interested in this that you speak to your asthma nurse or dr and ask their advice, but make sure you question them about steroid dose etc so they are aware of all steroid you take - they might not be aware or take into account all inahlers etc!
What i meant was there is the new Symbicort SMART inhaler but it is different to the Symbicort inhaler I have which cannot be used as a reliever. And if my doctor has any sense, he won't try changing me either :oD
Symbicort SMART is exactly the same inhaler as Symbicort, containing exactly the same ingredients and working in exactly the same way. The ""SMART"" addition to the name has only come about as a result of the recent licensing of Symbicort as a reliever inhaler as well as a preventer/protector.
Yes, I believe AstraZeneca have added ""SMART"" to the name simply to confuse everyone, for that is the only change.
To clarify, you CAN use non-SMART Symbicort inhalers as relievers; they are exactly the same as a SMART inhaler.
Ah right. I don't think it would work for me, i can frequently get a tight chest after taking the symbicort inhaler so need to either take my reliever (salbutamol) before taking symbicort or after
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Anyone have experience with symbicort? Being swapped to it as apparently they are trying to reduce salbutamol use? 
