Anyone on Flutiform?

[Lindahj203]

I was on Seretide for the last 20 years, and having a once a year bout ending in antibiotics and prednisone, and eventually specialist put me on Montelukist, Ceterizine and Ipratromium nasal spray, in addition to the Seretide and all was good for the last couple of years.

Begining of this year, the asthma nurse insisted I switch from Seretide to FostairNext and from Ipratromium to Beclomethasone nasal spray. I very soon developed a tickly irritation in the throat, and constant need to cough, becoming increasingly worse. and after a couple of months I stopped the nasal spray, and the coughing stopped. My allergic rhinitis got out of control without a nasal spray and the cough came back worse than ever. I ended up at nurse, with a sinus infection diagnosed. I told her I think this Beclomethasone nasal spray does not agree with me and is causing the cough. She changed me to Dymista nasal spray and said stop the Ceterezine. After a week of antibiotic, coughing so bad, and inability to stop coughing, and when even the blue inhaler gave no relief, I read up on FostairNext to find it has the same Beclomethasone ingredient. Saw doctor on Monday, and now another antibiotic, changed to Flutiform and a course of Prednisone.

Started the Prednisone yesterday morning, and last night, took till 4 am before I managed to fall asleep. Coughing much less, but still wheezing with the slightest exertion.

Seem okay so far on Flutiform, which has fluticasone, ingredient being the same as the Seretide, but Seretide also contains salmeterol. but

Feeling anxious that I will have further reaction after a while, to the Flutiform. Hope I get some sleep tonight.

[Jenzzie18]

Hi sounds like your having a rough time settling onto new medication. Hope they can find something that helps properly. As for the prednisone I know where your coming from. I find it incredibly hard to sleep. I have been on 40mg for the last year. Do you take it first thing in the morning? Helps a little with sleep if it's taken then I find. Xx

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Yes, I noticed it was prescribed to be taken after breakfast. I have had the can't sleep everytime with Prednisone, in addition to constantly wanting to eat, but had taken after evening meal. Was hoping taking in the morning might be better. Still awake at the moment, contemplating going to bed.

Thanks xx

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Still awake here too despite having had it this morning. They have however had the opposite effect on me in terms of eating in that my appetite has completely diminished and I have lost a lot of weight on them. Xx

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Oh, I could do with that, in fact I dropped 2 kg in a week on the first antibiotic, I put that down to stopping the Ceterizine, as I thought it was causing fluid retention / wake gain.

I had about 3 hours sleep last night. I should be craving my bed. I do not feel in the least sleepy. Last night I thought I would never sleep again.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Really sorry your struggling with sleep too. It then makes everything else seem harder as well. I found music can help but yeah I tend to average around 4 hrs a night I guess. It can be exhausting. I did go to the doctor and ask for something to help with sleep but was told due to the asthma they could even contemplate anything that sedated in any way. Always here for a chat if your unable to sleep though. X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Thanks Jenzzie, just been reading up a bit about flutiform and learning as I go along. I was comfortably on Seretide for about 20 years, and had never heard of paradoxical bronchospasm, but I think that was what I was having with the FostairNext. On Sunday night I was coughing so badly I was on the point of calling for an ambulance. Scared to end up feeling like that again, but the coughing is mostly now upon exertion. Realize now, I should have gone back much earlier and said the Fostair does not agree with, but the nurse I saw on that occasion was very pushy, and I felt a bit intimidated.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

That's such a shame to hear about the nurse but I know where you are coming from some of them can be really intimidating and make you feel as though you are over reacting. Have you had dry powder inhalers before? I'm fine with them but I know for my cousin the dry powder ones do exactly as your describing and irritate her chest making her cough. Xx

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

The Seretide Accuhaler I was on is a dry powder, and I was fine for 20 years, excluding perhaps 1 exacerbation a year, and antibiotic for sinus infection, but I never coughed. I think it is the beclomethasone ingredient in the nasal spray and FostairNext that may have be causing the problem, but all round, it ended up with asthma out of control, dr not happy with my peak flow, which is non existent, and considering sending me for chest x ray after check up next Monday.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Ah ok makes sense if there's a link in an ingredient in the inhalers. Such a shame your struggling though it's tough to find the right combination. I'm still not there after a year of really bad ups and downs with lists of hospital visits and stays. I hope they can get it sorted for you soon but a chest X-ray sound like a good idea then they can see exactly what's going on with your lungs. X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Dr did say she thought she might put me back on Seretide, as that works for me. So far, the Flutiform does not feel strong enough, but early days. Off to try a shower and I have made some Calmomile tea hoping that will help. Interesting that FostairNext which I was switched to, works out at half the price of Seretide........

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Oh really. Now that doesn't surprise me. They do often try to cut down on costs. I'm on a new ish inhaler that the NHS have so I'm told just approved for asthma called relvar 180mg. Have found it helpful along side my two weekly injections and other meds. May be worth an ask about it. Hope your shower and tea helps you sleep x

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Will see how it goes but I think I could be visiting the dr again. Peak flow barely @ 200

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Oh dear that's such a shame. I know how you feel though mine usually drops there in the evenings and I then cope with a home nebuliser until my next lot of inhalers. It's so tricky and such a balancing act with the medication. Asthma when not under control is scary and a pain. Xx

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Yep, as I thought, nebulised at dr this morning, and more prednisone

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Hope your feeling a little better x

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Now eating, so think I might be improving Thanks

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

That's good. I'm terrible with eating when I'm feeling rubbish. I've lost 3st in the last year with it all and that's on long term 40mg steroids. X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Shame, but I could do with some weight off. How you feeling tonight? I am thinking of trying to go to bed earlier, with optimism, that I might get some sleep, hopefully.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Chest is really tight. Slightly wheezy. Peak flow is low! I like the idea of an early bed do you find steroids mess with your ability to sleep? How are you feeling? X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Feeling more chirpy then this morning, will check pf shortly. Can't sleep on steroids, not even a yawn...lucky if I get 2 or 3 hours sleep. Dr. did offer sleeping tabs, but I declined, now thinking, I should have taken and made up my mind on usage if desperate.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

I'm with you there. My dr has always refused to give me sleeping tablets incase I don't wake up if I'm bad. Peak flow at 200. Normal is 550. A little low x

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Wow your normal high, I am lucky if I am over 400, but it goes down with age, you must be a lot younger than me., (early 70).

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

I'm 33. I've always had asthma but this last year it has been really bad and now turned to severe asthma. Have you had it all your life? X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Was finally diagnosed 20 years ago, but think I had it for years, undiagnosed, as every time I could not stop coughing and said I could not breath, was told, no wheezing, go take some cough med. That was in Africa. I never wheeze, in fact, this was the first time with the current excaberation that a dr actually confirmed hearing a wheeze. Felt vindicated this morning, when dr said, this is asthma which is totally out of control. At last! Somebody will note on my record, it is asthma!

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

It's really hard when you don't tick the boxes with asthma and don't wheeze. I don't always wheeze it totally depends with me what's triggered it. The doctors at a&e on Saturday didn't understand that either. So hard to fight your corner when you are struggling to breath. X

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Yeah, the dr who did finally diagnose me, first told me I was having a panic attack. He then called me back in, and said, he was wrong, it was asthma. He put me on Seretide, and I had been on that since then for 20 years, with usually only 1 exacerbation a year.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

That's good. It's just such a pain when it happens. I've been in hospital 7 times this year. It's such a pain at the moment. Trying to get it all stabilised x

[Lindahj203 in reply to Jenzzie18]

Dr says this morning need to find out what allergies are aggravating asthma. I had a small fish aquarium and changed about 3 months ago to a larger one on table beside where I normally sit in the evening. Wondering now whether algae or something with fish tank affecting me.

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

Yeah maybe. I am allergic to tree and grass pollen cats dogs and dust mites. Along with citrus and dairy. Then virus's and infections always trigger it. X

[Jenzzie18 in reply to Lindahj203]

It's tough to work it all out but helps if you can. X

[ChrissieMons]

I'm not expert on these medications, but I do know that I need to reduce caffeine to nothing if I'm on Pred. You have to do it a bit gradually as if you like caffeine and you stop it suddenly you get the mother of all headaches. The pred is supposed to calm the lungs so you can sleep, but it can make you feel quite hyper without other stimulants.

[Lindahj203 in reply to ChrissieMons]

Having some calmomile instead of Tetley or Coffee tonight...x

[Matti1]

Since GP practices are now part of a large group called clinical commissioning groups CCGs they are changing people to cheaper versions of all drugs as they manage they're own budget.

You have a right to complain and write to the practice manager and GP state clearly they are making you worse and lost the symptoms and request you return to your previous medication. I did and was changed back. My asthma nurse at the hospital told me to do this and it worked xx

[Lindahj203 in reply to Matti1]

Thanks Matti, in the meantime, my most serious exacerbation to date had me back this morning at Dr, after 2 antibitoics, and a course of Prednisone, has left me still on less than half normal PF. After thorough examination, and being Nebulised, I am off for chest x-ray tomorrow, have another course of Prednisone, and now changed to my third type of preventer inhaler, after the other two have been unsatisfactory.

[gamba]

I have been forced to take Fostair instead of Seretide (which always worked perfectly for me.) I've had the worst side effects with Fostair and am now waiting to go back to the nurse to see if I can get Seretide back. I've stopped taking the Fostair and my wheeze is back but I prefer that to feeling so dizzy and spaced out I can't drive, and nauseous.

She told me Seretide was 'out of fashion' and that Fostair was newer and better - is that a euphemism for cheaper?

[Lindahj203 in reply to gamba]

Hi Gamba, since being switched from Seretide and put on FostairNext, I have coughed and coughed, for months getting progressively worse, ended up with sinus infection and given antibitotic, back for second antibiotic, was switched to Flutiform and given predinose, two days after completing the prednisone, have had the worst exacerbation I have ever had, arrived at dr yesterday morning and got emergency appointment, was there for 3 hours where the duty dr gave me amazing treatment, checked all vitals, and ecg and nebulised me, kept me at surgery till she saw improvement in peak flow, taken bloods, and sent for a chest x-ray today. She put me back on prednisone, and I have been given my fourth change of inhaler, to Relvar. She says asthma is totally out of control. Interestingly, I spent 20 years on Seretide, and yes I did have one exacerbation once a year, but never as bad as this one, and never been nebulised previously. I had in fact not had an exacerbation for 2 years prior to being swtiched to FostairNext! Did that justify being switched, and left with "totally out of control asthma!" Full marks to an amazing dr, amazing NHS, felt totally cared for and safe in a frightening exacerbation, dr could not believe that after a course of prednisone, my peak flow was left than half normal. Feeling much better today, and thankful I have a follow up appointment with same dr next week, who has seen and acknowledged and recorded that I have asthma. I have never wheezed with asthma, to get breath in or out, I cough, and drs have told me, can't hear anything in your chest, when I am gasping for breath! I hope this second course of prednisone and the Relvar which stabilise the asthma.

Follow up with an appointment asap, before you go through the above. Best wishes.

[gamba in reply to Lindahj203]

Hope you feel better soon - that sounds awful!

I have some back up pred in a drawer if it gets bad and an appointment with the nurse on Thursday. So I should be fine. It's just annoying that I know what works for me when I have a flare up and they don't just prescribe it, I have to go through Clenil not working then and whatever else first before they'll put me on Seretide. It's been the same pattern for years!