can i take 4 puffs twice aday of symbicort 400/12?

[dow99]

can i take 4 puffs twice aday of symbicort 400/12?

2 puffs twice aday doesn't always seem to help.

[PMRPete]

NO - Not without medical advice.

That would be around twice the maximum recommended daily dose.

[dow99 in reply to PMRPete]

what could i be put on instead if im not well controlled on symbicort 400/12

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to dow99]

There are add on meds that can assist, such as montelukast and spiriva etc. Or maybe you need a different steroid base. I’d suggest talking it over with AUK when their phone lines are open and then going to see your GP with what they suggest.

Hope that helps

[PMRPete in reply to dow99]

You need to ask your GP or respiratory nurse,

or phone the Asthma UK helpline on Monday.

on 0300 222 5800 (M-F, 9-5) or asthma.org.uk/about/contact/

[dow99 in reply to PMRPete]

okay thank you for the replies.

spiriva do you take this along with your main inhaler which is your preventer?

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to dow99]

Yes. It’s an add on inhaler you take once a day. All add on meds you take along side your preventer inhaler

[Poobah in reply to dow99]

Get your blood pressure checked before you start Spiriva and ensure it's monitored as it can be a significant side effect. Eklira Genuair is more tolerable if you do have BP problems.

I swapped from Symbicourt 200/6 x 6 doses to Fostair 100/6 x 2 and feel it's a better fit for me. Particles are smaller so get further into the lungs.

If you have allergic asthma then Montelukast may help but my asthma nurse explained that you stop it after 2 or 3 months to check it's efficacy. Allegedly it works for just a percentage of asthmatics.

I've also just added a steroid inhaler to my regime so that I can increase my inhaled steroids without having to increase the long acting bronchidilator in Fostair/Symbicourt.

[hilary39]

I take symbicort 400 2x daily, Spiriva 1x daily, zyrtec, nasacort, and 300 mg Xolair once a month and all of that finally has me mostly under control (though now that tree pollen is picking back up my asthma is worsening again)

[Jjude1003]

I’ve been prescribed 2puffs 4times a day of Symbicort for the last year. Now cutting it back to 3 times a day. We are all individual.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Jjude1003]

It’s the dose that affects frequency. All preventer inhalers have a maximum of the dose of steroids that the body will respond to. Symbicort is 1600, so 400x4 puffs a day, or 200x8 puffs a day. If you take more you won’t have any additional benefit. Fostair has the same, but capped at 800, so 100x8 or 200x4. Its why some people can do (S)MART regimes with their preventer inhalers and others can’t.

Hope that explains the discrepancy

[Jjude1003 in reply to EmmaF91]

I get a little confused with the dose differences across countries. I’m in the US using Symbicort 160/4.5 so 2 puffs 4 times a day seems to be within the limits you describe. Good to know.