Successful stepping down from inhalers

[Beefull8]

Hi. I would love to hear anyone’s success stories on stepping down from their inhalers. And curious if anyone has been able to get completely off of their inhalers? I’m currently reducing my dose of qvar from 80 to 40, I’m doing it super slowly because I’m afraid of having a flare. Thanks!

[Minushabens]

I have stepped down on occasions & I think that for some people you can get to a point of minimal maintenance. My son had serious problems as a toddler but now manages a very active lifestyle on pretty much rock bottom levels of medication.

I think because we are all different, & our health & lifestyles change over time, I wouldn't want to say to you that this will or won't work, but just a note of caution that asthma can jump out at you any time. Ten years ago, I'd have said my asthma was totally under control, now I can't even climb stairs properly. But...I had many years of it being mismanaged, so that might be the core problem (it probably is in fact).

I really wish you luck. Softly, softly is the way to go, but listen to your body & if you have to accept some level of maintenance medication, as long as you feel fit & healthy then that's pretty good

[Hidden]

Rather like Minushabens I have a son who had quite bad asthma as a small child but improved as he got older.

The only stepping down I do is a seasonal variation thing. I’m on Flixotide 250 and at the moment I need 1000mcg a day to keep my asthma controlled. As the weather improves as Spring comes on I will probably be able to reduce that to 750 mcg and then in the Summer to 500mcg (in the Autumn the dose will increase again to 750 and then back up to 1000mcg in the Winter). There is no fixed time as to when these changes in dose happens, I usually know from the way my lungs are feeling - but I’ve had asthma for over fifty years and know my version of the condition well.

As Minushabens says, it’s something that needs to be approached with caution, and only if your asthma is really very well controlled - as in hardly ever needing to use ventolin. Best thing to do is to discuss it with your GP if you want to/feel able to step down your dosage and work out a strategy for it with him/her.

[elanaoali in reply to Hidden]

I agree I think it would be best if you talk to your doctor/asthma nurse before stepping down your dosage.

I have never decrease my medication without talking to my asthma nurse first. I have been able to reduce the strength of my inhaler in the spring/autumn when I have been had no symptoms and haven't needed my Ventolin for 12 weeks. My danger times are Autumn/winter and if sometimes if I am exposure to one of my triggers I can react. e.g. having a cold.

In answer to your question has anyone have a story of completely coming off their inhalers? As far as I understand it is not possible to 'come off your inhalers' as Asthma in adults is a long term condition.

Yes you can reduce the strength of inhaler you are on. This is the ideal to be on the lowest dose that your asthma can be treated on. If you are symptom free for 12 weeks then the doctor or nurse would look at reducing your dose.

I understand Beeful8 you have are allergic to house dust mites like me and take monkelaust to help control your asthma too.

[Beefull8 in reply to elanaoali]

Yes I do have dust mite allergies and I’m on montelukast and spiriva in addition to high dose qvar. Sorry I should have mentioned that my doctor okayed me to step down. But she left me to do it on my own just told me if I have a flare to take rescue and go back up. Thank you for all this advice! Just since I’ve been doing Red Light Therapy my breathing and even my thyroid disease has calmed down so I’m hoping I’ll be ok. My other doctor also wants me to wean off my thyroid meds so I’m doing both st the same time which is kind of scary, but good news I suppose.

[elanaoali in reply to Beefull8]

I am glad you consulated your doctor before reducing your inhaler. The way you wrote it made you look like you were doing it on your own.

What is red light therapy?

[Beefull8 in reply to elanaoali]

It’s like a tanning bed with red lights oj it. There’s research that shows it heals damaged cells and possible asthma. Try google it and you’ll come up with a bunch of things. I think because I have autoimmune disease and asthma is an inflammatory condition it’s been helping me. It’s been the biggest difference to me even more than montelukast or any of my inhalers.

[elanaoali in reply to Beefull8]

I read it was good for helping skin heal and for scares too. I glad to hear that it helping you.

[Tree20862]

My husband was able to wean off but he was never very bad. It took him about a year. He downstepped every 3-6 months. I could never do that. I'm severe persistent asthma. I'm very functional, if it is controlled and I don't get sick.

[Beefull8 in reply to Tree20862]

Thank you for your reply! May I ask how he was able to do it? Did he reduce his dose to one puff once a month for example? Also during that whole year did he not travel and if he got sick did this push him back?

[Tree20862]

His asthma is better now that he is losing weight and exercising more. He has a recumbent trike that he rides several days per week. He uses albuterol if he has a cold but never gets as sick as I do. He has never been hospitalized for asthma. I have.

First he stepped down the dose. The inhaler he was on had more than one strength. First he did the smaller dose then once a day. Then stopped. He did it pretty slow.

[Tree20862]

He has severe fibromyalsia and we don't travel much. The fibromyalsia acts up when we travel, not his lungs.

[Beefull8 in reply to Tree20862]

Sorry to hear he has fibromyalgia too. Thank you for sharing! Its hopeful to hear some can wean off since doctors don’t believe it’s possible.

[Hidden]

Hi, Great to hear you are trying to step down.

The blurb says that subject to your doctors ok and that your asthma has been controlled for at least 12 weeks you can begin to try and step down.

I currently take 3 puffs twice a day of my Spiromax inhaler which means I am on a high dose of inhaled steroids which concerns me. I have seen posts on this forum which have said that medication is fine which is not correct, any doctor will seek to reduce someone’s medication provided it does not impact their symptoms/condition.

I have problems with my symptoms during the day which I am currently trying to sort out but generally are ok in the night. I have an appointment with my asthma nurse in a couple of weeks time and am going to talk about stepping down if I can get myself on an even keel.

In my case the first step would be to reduce my evening dose to 2 puffs and leave the day dose at 3, if this is still ok after 12 weeks then I would try and reduce my day dose to 2 puffs. If I were able to manage that at least I would then be on what is a moderate daily dose.

Good luck, take it slow and any reduction is a step in the right direction. As elanaoali said I don’t think you will be able to stop medication especially if you have adult onset asthma. It’s generally children who had asthma at a young age can either improve considerably and in some cases no longer need medication.