When To Take Medications

[Tengudreams]

Evening fellow asthma friends. Question. I am on Symbicort 200/6. I take one puff in day and one puff in eve. The doctor tells me I have six remaining puffs to play with as needed. What does as needed mean? Whenever I feel any asthma symptom? The problem with that is I often feel asthma symptoms that suddenly disappear after five minutes or so. Or sometimes I have chest pressure but can breathe just fine. Or sometimes I feel like I need more air but can objectively take in enough of a breath. Should I be taking puffs when any of these symptoms happen? If so I feel like I would then have to take a lot more than six extra haha. Any ideas as to how to decipher “as needed”? What do you do?

[SJW011219]

Hello!

Are you relatively new to the asthma world or have your symptoms changed which is why you are now or Symbicort? As the doctor/nurse states those puffs are literally for “as and when needed” When you feel those asthma symptoms and you do get use to listening to your body and knowing what doesn’t feel right - if that makes sense? I have sometimes felt the brewing of symptoms and left it around 5 minutes to know whether it is for sure and then taken my inhaler. I get 8 puffs a day. But 2 are at AM/PM so I only have 4 in the day to use. I asked my asthma nurse what happens if I use all of my puffs and need more and she told me for now to keep my ventolin to hand so that I could use that if needed. However, if it got to that stage she would want me to contact the surgery as it means my asthma is not responding correctly To treatments. At the moment I am using 8 puffs a day (and no ventolin) - but seem to be able to spread them out nicely throughout the day to an as and when I need them. They are steroid based inhalers which does help with spreading them out a bit more. I use my inhalers when I know it feels uncomfortable to breath... but again you know your own body and what could be a hay fever symptom for instance and what is an asthma symptom. Maybe speak to your surgery about whether you have a ventolin as a back up I suppose as it might make you feel more at ease and not worry so much when it comes to using your Symbicort.

Take care x

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Hiii. Im new to asthma and it sucks right now. I was on flovent and ventolin but when I saw a respirologist, he said Symbicort SMART would be good for me. Im on the 200/6. I was doing good with one or two puffs a day, then two days ago I was hiking and got an excacerbation and then the next day it started getting worse. Three days in now and Ive gone from taking one or two puffs to four to six. Respirologist said if I have to take more than eight a day, it would be a sign to get on prednisone (which Im scared of taking). Man I dont know how you all do it. Youre all very strong people. I dont get how my asthma seemed so mild and then got so bad suddenly 😢

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

Hi again!

Ah ok! The hiking part - completely understand what you mean. I have been doing walks and if I push myself a bit too much which triggers asthma symptoms I feel I need 2-4 days to kind of recover if that makes sense. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a strain or overdoing the lungs but I had this last week. Over did it on a walk and really struggled by the time I got to the top of a hill. Took inhaler and chest felt on fire and scratchy. Increased doses for 2-4 days until it settled a bit. It did feel uncomfortable but again I know how my body feels to know if it’s “overdoing it” or possibility of an “asthma attack”. Seeming that you are quite new to asthma it can be frightening and don’t ever put a feeling down to chance until you know for certain. If you do feel unwell and unsure call 111/999 if you feel it’s urgent!

Prednisone I was on about 4-6 weeks ago - I have never had any issues taking them (if that help with how you feel!) they usually do help though and give better relief.

You’ll adjust to it. But listen to what you’re body is telling you. You will know what feels normal/right or what feels wrong.

It’s so simple to go from mild to heightened asthma symptoms. Again, something as simple as change of environment could do this!

My asthma was well controlled in January - a month later it fell a part and still isn’t controlled. I am now being referred for further tests. So it is just one of those things that it happens as and when it does. But just remember the seriousness of it and take the medication if you need it!

Take care x

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Are you on symbicort? What are you taking eight puffs a day of? Thanks for your caring and advice. I definitely take it seriously. One weird thing is how my symptoms can clear up if I do certain things. For example, if I eat a solid food, it feels like I can breathe better. Or they say not to lay down when you have trouble breathing but I find lying down improves my symptoms. I called a Naturopath today to see if they can do anything to help along with my regular meds. Seeing them on Fri. When your asthma is feeling controlled how many puffs are you generally needing on those days? I really hope it works out for you!!!!!!!! Hugs.

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

I was on Symbicort 200/6 up until About 8 weeks ago when me and my asthma nurse decided it wasn’t helping to relieve my asthma symptoms and I was then using my ventolin alongside it too much. So swapped to Fostair 200/6 but I am now on Fostair 100/6. Ideally should only need 2 x puff AM and 2 x puffs PM when controlled. But at the moment i Am struggling to get it under control unfortunately so using a minimum of 6 puffs a day. But pretty much up to 8 most days at the moment.

Yes I find certain things can make my asthma feel better or worse. I find hot drinks make my throat and chest feel better so I normally drink more tea when symptoms flare up. I know hot drinks don’t always help a lot of sufferers but with me it does 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 Again, I think everyone is different!

Also, to take into consideration is that you need at least a minimum of 4 weeks for your body to adjust to a new inhaler - so that’s a bit of the struggle I have had too at the moment! Because I’m trying to allow myself to get use to it!

Would love to be back down to just AM and PM puffs. I hope you get some answers soon with yours! X

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

After I see Naturopath Ill let you know if he mentions or offers any pieces of advise that can be used supplementally to our meds. Ill write back! I get the waiting a month before a new works (or not). I was feeling like crap on symbicort for the first five weeks Id say. I always try to take the meds when my lungs feel particularly open...so I do it sometimes after some exercise or a hot shower. One thing I learned is that a spacer is really effective for me...but I cant use one with symbicort.

[Tengudreams in reply to Tengudreams]

Oh one thing I can recommend whole heartedly is a thing called The 02 Trainer by Bas Rutten. I own a Jujutsu school and was introduced to it by other asthmatics. Look into it. Ive been using it regularly and I found it has impacted in a positive way my lung capacity.

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

Oh wow! Thanks I will check it out 😄😄

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

Yeah that’s be great to hear an update! Agreed - if I feel I need to take it I’ll take it when I know it’ll be more effective at getting into my lungs!

Spacers are great but yes the pain that you can’t use it with the Symbicort! X

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Hey I had a question for you. Did you find taking ventolin and symbicort together effective? What did ventolin do better than symbicort? I too have ventolin but never used it together, though a few doctors have recommended that.

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

Yes I did find it effective taking both together! And it was never an issue to take them together - whereas now with the Fostair it would be an issue 🤦🏻‍♀️ But yes, if I was having a really bad day - being able to take the Symbicort and top up with the Ventolin did help relieve symptoms! X

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Oh no, why cant you do it with Fostair? I thought sym and fos were simar?

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

I can take ventolin if I run out of my Fostair doses for that day and need relief but I’ve been advised that if I do that I would need to contact the surgery because I should not need the ventolin as well realistically. So I think it’s down to sort of the medication in the doses etc. I think that the reason I had ventolin and Symbicort is because if you were to have an attack it is unlikely you’d be able to administer the Symbicort due to the type of inhaler it is. I believe the two inhalers are slightly different in medication. And the style of the inhaler. That’s about it. 😂 But I did use Symbicort and Ventolin together and never had any issues and it was never some thing flagged as I shouldn’t be doing by my nurse.

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Hey PS. I tried green tea for chest tightness and it actually worked. Have you tried? My chest was tight tonight and I went for it and it worked.

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

Oh wow! No I have not tried that one!! 😱 Will definitely have to give that one a go especially as chest tightness is such an issue at the moment ! Thank you

[Tengudreams in reply to SJW011219]

Ya it actually helped. Green tea is what I used. Also check out using the following. Curcumin, Magnesium Malate, and products for adrenal glands that use ashwagandha. I did some reading today in older health manuals and those were recommended for inflammation. Gonna start a regime tmrw and Im also seeing a naturopath tmrw and Ill let you know if there is any advice there too. Goodnight!

[SJW011219 in reply to Tengudreams]

That’s be great - keep me updated!

[MissNyxiie]

Had anyone found that symbicort gets worse with time? Ive been asmatic all my life, the last year i have been totally uncontrolled, i mean upwards of 20 puffs of ventolin a day, which i recently got told off for after staying in hospital. My gp knew but never done anything. Ive been on symbicort smart regime for a month, felt better the first week, but now it dont seem to do anything?

I usually take it when i get tight chested, wheezy or can't breathe. Have you got a spacer for the ventolin? Ive found that really helps, slows your breathing down as well. If you do use a lot of ventolin, be careful, they told me on my last a&e trip and it can damage your lungs if you take a lot each day. At that point you should be seeing a doctor.

[Tengudreams in reply to MissNyxiie]

Symbicort effectiveness has been very up and down for me. First it was not effective, then it was, then recently it has not been again. Very frustrating. I am on one to puffs a day depending on how I feel. When Im bad I need like seven puffs. Im on smart program too.