Hi there everyone, I'm new on here and I'm just trying to get to grips with my asthma (diagnosed over 20years ago but virtually never really needed to use a puffer until last year when I developed a really mild cold accompanied with acute SOB). I have a couple of questions I'm really hoping you can help me with: 1) I currently take Ventolin twice a day and Clenil twice per day but if I've understood correctly things that I've read on here, I shouldn't really need the Ventolin if I'm controlling my asthma properly - is that right? Is daily Ventolin ever a thing? Id be happy to get to the point where I don't need it because it makes me feel terrible.... 2) I have had oesophageal candida twice now, each time treated with Itraconazole (another drug that makes me feel terrible). Those of you who have had it, how long was it before you could be confident the thrush had gone? And did you take anything special to keep it away? Really grateful for all advice, thank you.
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Hi, it seems that doctors prescribe ventolin initially which I think is to control the inflammation in the lungs while the preventer inhaler gets to work, but you shouldn’t need to take it long term as there are combination inhalers which contain a longer lasting reliever. I would ask your gp or asthma nurse next time you have a review or book an earlier appointment if you have concerns. As for thrush, some are more prone than others and get it after using their prevented inhaler, having a drink after using your inhaler may help, or try gargling this removes any medication or propellant from your mouth and throat
Thank you so much Gareth57, that's kind of what I thought. Although I think I may have tried a combination one (fostair?) and it gave me hours and hours of the shakes! Hmmm... will need to give this consideration.... 😁. Thanks again fir getting back to me, very much appreciated.
Some people do find that with the long-acting bronchodilator (LABA) bit of the combi inhalers, but usually it lessens over a couple of weeks as the body gets used to the inhaler/it kicks in. It could be that particular LABA though and there are others you could try ( but bear in mind that each one needs to be tried for a few weeks to see how well they work for you - although it's definitely not worth discussing with your GP or nurse). It's unusual to not be able to take any kind of LABA but there are other options if you can't.
Ah ok. I maybe gave it up too quickly. I'll give it another go and if I still think that, I'll see what they say about a different one. Really helpful, thank you so much. 👏
Hi!
Yes, you're right that the blue inhaler shouldn't be needed more than 3 times a week. Of course that's the ideal but if anyone does need to use it then they should - but regular need of it more than this means things could be more controlled.
With the oral thrush, this can be a common side effect of steroid inhalers. Not sure if you already do this but using a spacer is supposed to reduce the likelihood of thrush, as is rinsing your mouth out after taking your inhaler.
It might be useful to contact your GP or asthma nurse to discuss your queries - if they try to say oh it's fine just carry on taking your blue inhaler, maybe say Asthma UK's advice is that it shouldn't be required regularly and, if it is, then it's a sign of uncontrolled asthma. Ventolin only relieves the symptoms and opens the airways, it doesn't treat any underlying inflammation so they need to be doing that as well.
🙂
Hi twinkly29, it's not oral thrush, it's oesophogeal (gullet). The first time I think it was maybe just the shock of going from zero puffs of clenil to 4puffs a day (despite spacer and despite religiously gargling) and was only discovered when I was sent fir a scope because they thought I had gastritis. The second time was when the asthma nurse changed my puffer to one not taken through a spacer - don't know why I even agreed to that - which inevitably caused the thrush to return. But because I can't see if it's gone - properly gone - I just wondered about other people's experiences. Thanks so much for getting back to me, I really appreciate it. 😊
Ah sorry!
But that must be really unpleasant - and like you say a bit unknown with it having gone or not. I suppose all one can do in that situation is do the prevention things and assume if the symptoms aren't there then hopefully it isn't....but that's not very concrete!
I know! The problem is that when it's only mild, it feels a bit like asthma - so what to do?! 😱. Which I had xray vision....
Does your blue inhaler help when you get the symptoms? If so, it's likely to be asthma. If not, it may well be something else. That's one way to get a feeling for what's going on.
Also, do you measure your peak flow? If so, am assuming you do the usual morning and evening before clenil readings. It might be useful to also do it when you get these symptoms, then use your blue inhaler and repeat the peak flow 15 mins later - this should show if the blue is helping and therefore if it's likely to be asthma or not. Peak flow isn't the be all and end all for everyone but, combined with deciding whether you felt better or not after taking the blue, it should give an idea as to whether your symptoms at that time are caused by asthma.
With it being oesophagus related, another thought is silent reflux as this can also cause asthma symptoms - if your blue inhaler doesn't work, trying Gaviscon might be worth a go.
That is so interesting. Given that my "diagnosis" was originally 20 years ago and given that I've barely needed a puffer in all that time, I did find myself recently questioning if I did really have asthma. Other than Sept 19 (which is when this whole ball got rolling) I am never SOB, I never wheeze, I never waken through the night. Instead, I have a sort of "tight", feeling and a pesky cough. It's never really bad, more just persistent, and the blue puffer does help, I guess, although the difference is never profound (but maybe that's only because it's never been that bad).
My current theory - which I've just invented in my head - is that it might be related to nasal drip (sorry, too much information moment 😬) so I've bought a steroid nasal spray to help and I'll also see if the tightness in my chest eases. I know that doesn't make any actual sense, btw.
Re reflux - the oesophageal candida presented as gastritis, so I was on Omeprazole and Lansoprazole fir ages until the scope showed the problem was actually thrush. But when I was on them, tightness just the same. But anyway, thanks for taking the time to get back to me- it really is very helpful and much appreciated. 😊
Regarding Ventolin, if you have a cold which has triggered SOB then using Ventolin more than usual for a short period is not something I would worry about. However, if you are your normal well and then need it so often it is different.
Good luck finding a LABA that works for you! Can you sense if your thrush is restarting, like a change of taste or something? If so, in addition to all the usual precautions, could you have an antifungal on standby, perhaps?
Hi wheezycat - I know it's there when I get persistent sternum pain, in a straight line from bottom of throat to top of breast bone (it feels like boney pain but must just be the gullet). But unfortunately it's well established by the time I get that sensation.... but as it gets a bit better, it's really hard to know if it's truly cleared up....
Ventolin/Clenil combo is nearly similar to combination inhalers. The only difference is that the bronchodilators in combination inhalers are long acting, whereas Ventolin is short acting. If you're managing on just a morning and evening dose of Ventolin then why change? Especially as you found the long acting bronchodilator in Fostair difficult to deal with.
Just with all meds, it horses for courses, trying to find what suits you best in order to control your asthma. I was put on long acting bronchodilator in the 90s when they first came out as single medication inhalers. It made my asthma flare so much I couldn't walk 10 yards. So back to my Ventolin and steroid inhalers and back to controlled asthma. Subsequently, single med LABA inhalers were withdrawn in the US due to their poor performance and other problems. The drug companies were able to relaunch them when they combined the LABA med with steroids. But just like other meds, they don't suit everyone.
If you were on a combination inhaler containing a long acting bronchodilator and had to use your Ventolin daily then it would be considered that your asthma needed attention, but if your Ventolin is being used instead of a long acting bronchodilator then I don't see a problem. Speaking personally, the long acting meds don't suit me no matter how much steroid I take, but they are the foundation of asthma treatment nowadays so difficult to avoid them.
As for thrush, LABA inhalers are just as bad. Oral hygiene is key. I always brush my teeth after usingthe inhalers, thoroughly rinse with water then gargle with Listerine in order to keep the affects of the inhalers at bay.
Details of how asthma is managed with different meds, from mild to severe, is detailed in the Asthma Stepwise charts easily found online.
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