Fostair as reliever

Hi folks. Long time no post.

On Fostair taken as MART. Great stuff. So far as daily asthma needs go.

Thing is, on the occasional waking up at night and coughing so much, can't talk or breathe properly, the guide from patient leaflet/pharmacist/GP is to take as needed but for goodness sake remember can only take eight puffs a day. As I'm already on four puffs daily for prevention, this gives four puffs for 'spare'. ?

My questions ps I do know none of you are medically qualified but perhaps someone has come across similar.

1. What is 'take as needed'?

2. How many minutes between puffs when Fostair is taken as a reliever?

[yaf_user681_30355]

Hi Grannymo,

I used to be on Symbicort SMART which has the same long lasting reliever. When my latest flare up started, I rang NHS Direct (as it was then) as I had maxed out on the max 6 at one time. A pharmacist on there looked it up and said it takes 10 mins to reach maximum effect which I thought was useful as if not sorted after 10 mins it wasn't going to improve any more. I used to take one puff every 5 mins if desperate.

If your maintenance dose is 4 a day, I am surprised you can't go up to a max of 12 puffs in 24 hours. As that is what I was on, I didn't need more than 8 very often but it did occur most months.

As far as I am aware, 'take as needed' is the same as taking ventolin, ie when symptoms start.

When my flare up started, I was given a ventolin inhaler and spacer for whan I had maxed out on Symbicort. I loved Symbicort SMART and it controlled my asthma extremely well for 3 years until this flare up. Still on Symbicort as it is the best one for me.

Hope this makes sense!