ciclesonide

hi all,

just curious bout this inhaler, i know it is new, is it stronger/better than other inhaled steroids?

cant find much info in bnf or net

ta george xx

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Hi George,

This is an interesting question; because it is a relatisvely new drug, there has not been a huge amount of research or clinical experience to suggest whether it is better than the traditionally used inhaled steroids.

Initial evidence (and certainly the viewpoint that the drug company would like us to believe) seems to show that the drug reachs the lungs more effectively, with less deposition in the mouth and pharynx. This obviously potentially could reduce the risk of side effects such as hoarseness and oral thrush, so it might be worth a try if these are particular problems for you. It is also reported to have less systemic (body-wide) absorption from the lungs, so it should have fewer systemic side effects - however, systemic side effects from steroid inhalers are relatively rare and are only usually a problem at very high doses and in children. Ciclesonide can also be given once a day, rather than twice a day, which may be more convenient for some people.

As far as I am aware, there are no side-to-side comparison studies which show that ciclesonide is any 'better' or 'stronger' than other inhaled steroids, other than the aspects I have mentioned, and the British Thoracic Society certainly do not recommend any one particular inhaled steroid as better than the others at actually controlling asthma. As always, though, individual variations may occur, and it's perfectly possible that individual people might find that their asthma is better controlled on ciclesonide than on another inhaled steroid.

Hope this helps

Em

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cheers emily