taking inhalers regularly

HI,

Friend gave me some advice and i thought i'd share it because it sounded good.

My friend has severe lung problems and sees a lot of specialialists etc. Anyway my asthma was playing up and she asked me when i usually take my preventer i replied when ever i get up or got to bed. which can very from 7-10 am and from 10pm -12am!

Anyway she said her resp nurse said that steroid inhalers last 12 hours and so if i took my steroid preventer inhaler at 7 am and not again til 10pm i would have threee hours without steroids for my lungs to gunk up. which the steroid can't necessarily clear all of and so over time if you keep doing it things can get worse. So basically the ADVICE: take your inhalers regularly and try to get inot a routine with long acting preventer 12 hrs apart. sounds simplee doesnt it. yet somehow i'd never cottoned onto it!

Not sure that made much sense. its been a long night.

Jen x

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Made sense to me. Having been a little lax at taking my preventer because i thought i was ok i have been suffering the last couple of days!!!!! Very wheezy today so will need to top up with ventolin more than normal methinks!!!! (Hangs head in shame).

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something I've always tried to do within reason, is a 12 hours time frame, but once a week I don't as I'm at the pool so that evening dose gets pushed on a few hours. I think you have few hours either way, but leaving it 16 hours or so is probably not that wise.

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Another wee tip is to always take your reliever 1st this opens the airways up so when u take the steriod it gets to more of the lungs.... Thus having a better effect

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gussy i do that too, i think the timing of the inhalers is key to getting the most out of your inhalers.

bit annoying for me as im on a complete routine at the moment.

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Definitely on the reliever first thing Gussy ever since the doctor told me off last month I’m taking it before my steroid.

I think my problem im always doing different things and im terrible at remembering my medication fullstop especially when i get in late... (I take 5 different ones for various different conditions including asthma). so im going to try and get into a routine but im doubtful i will. *looks guilty* at least i keep a record these days. Still find it hard to take asthma seriously but you guys and last nights almost hospital trip are teaching me a lesson.

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also best to rinse mouth after taking steriods and before you brush, as brushing can actually rub the steriods into your gums.so i rinse then brush sounds stupid but has helped reduce sores and oral thrush that i kept taking.....