Inhalers

[LeiLey]

Hi all hope you are ok. Apologies if this has been asked before. I have had an appointment with my asthma nurse yesterday and she has prescribed Fostair 100/6 2 puffs twice a day as I am still waking up coughing in the night and have been coughing on and off over the last few weeks on a night (unsure if asthma as not diagnosed). So I was using the ventolin more than a few times a week.

I feel however that I’m generally less short of breath on exertion and that this coughing blip has started more with the cold weather, and possibly mold in the house.

She said I can now use this pink one as a reliever as well OR my blue one. But as I’m indecisive, I’m wondering which one to use as the reliever, pink or blue? Also once you start using one or the other, should you keep the same one as your reliever?

Any advice welcome thank you

[Lizzog]

I feel more tight chested at this time of year and also mould is one of my triggers. I have the same inhalers and and take the pink one twice a day and the blue one when I need to - usually before exercise. The blue one is the reliever

[LeiLey in reply to Lizzog]

Hi thank you for your reply, oh is mould a trigger for you too, we always seem to get some in our bedroom in the winter. But yes I definitely feel more tight and have a tickly cough these last few weeks, I wasn’t sure if it was just a coincidence as not diagnosed officially but it seems like it is a trigger for a lot of peoples asthma, so could be for me.

Ah thank you, I might have got mixed up as she said I can take more puffs of the pink as needed. Think I will stick to taking the ventolin as needed as it seems to help, LeiLey

[Lizzog in reply to LeiLey]

I do take extra puffs of the pink inhaler too sometimes if I’m having an exacerbation of my asthma. Might be worth checking with your asthma nurse? Just wondering - have you got a real Christmas tree? That really set me off last year!!

[LeiLey in reply to Lizzog]

Ah right I wonder if that’s what she meant if I was having a flare up, I will clarify with her as I always forget what I need to ask at the time lol.Ohh no I’ve never had a real Christmas tree 🎄

[Melanie1989]

As far as I'm aware the fostair should only be used as a reliever under a MART regime which should come with its own specific instructions. As it sounds quite vague with what she has told you, I would continue to use your blue as a reliever. For clarification I would also give AUK a ring and they can go over things with you.

In terms of worsening symptoms in the cold, this is super common and many asthmatics are affected by seasonal changes, so once winter is over you may be able to reduce your fostair.

Do you use a peak flow metre? If not it would be a good idea to start as this can help keep an eye on control and indicate whether it's asthma causing your issues.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

[LeiLey in reply to Melanie1989]

Hi thanks for replying. Ah right thank you, yes it was a bit vague saying I could take extra of the Fostair or the ventolin, no other info came with it so I assume it’s not the MART regimen. Yes I have been taking my peak flow and over the last 6 weeks on clenil and ventolin it seems to have increased a little especially on a morning, initially 380 before a week of prednisolone (6 weeks ago) then 400-420 and now it’s about 450 on a morning. The highest I’ve got after the ventolin is 490 so I thought that was pretty impressive 😊

[twinkly29 in reply to LeiLey]

Hi, I agree with Melanie - she may well have meant MART but that needs to have some guidance with it (or maybe you could just magically know 😆). But see how it goes with ventolin. They can always try mart if needed. Glad you've had progress so far though and hopefully the Fostair will really help. As the Fostair kicks in the long-acting bronchodilator in it should mean you don't need the vent so much....or at all! And your peak flow might also continue to increase (again once it's kicked in). 🙂

[LeiLey in reply to twinkly29]

Hi twinkly thank you, yes it felt like it was my decision to make and I couldn’t choose so think I will stick with the ventolin as my reliever lol! But yes I am feeling better in general now, just to get the cough sorted. The ventolin seems to be the best thing at the moment, but hopefully the Fostair will kick in even more, will it take a few weeks like the clenil? My asthma nurse said to stop the clenil now though. Thanks again

LeiLey

[twinkly29 in reply to LeiLey]

Yes it would be normal to swap straight to the Fostair. In theory the Fostair can take 6-8 weeks to become fully effective (so some extra need for ventolin initially would be normal) but as it's the same steroid base as Clenil I would think there might be an overlap there - so you're not starting right at the bottom with a new steroid. I could be wrong but it makes sense to me!

[LeiLey in reply to twinkly29]

Oh yes that does make sense to me too. It’s good that I should not be starting from the bottom again!

[LeiLey in reply to LeiLey]

Thank you

[LeiLey in reply to LeiLey]

I’ve just had a look at the dispensing label on the Fostair inhaler and it says:

Two puffs twice daily via spacer and can take extra single dose as reliever (maximum 8 doses in 24 hours)

[twinkly29 in reply to LeiLey]

Yes that would be the mart regimen so you can do that - but the nurse should still be explaining more about it as a thing if that's the route she wants you to try - as a good practice thing on her part I mean. Partly because having a proper process helps to know whether something is working. A fumbled way through something, maybe chopping and changing, may not give something a proper go to determine whether it's right or not. Also you needed to know as a plan what to do and when.

I think for the first few weeks I, personally, would do ventolin as a reliever because you know that works for relief and you might need it while the Fostair kicks in. Then see after that. But as I say that's a personal instinct.

[LeiLey in reply to twinkly29]

Hi ah right so that is the Mart, but I think I will just stick with the 2 puffs twice a day for now and ventolin if needed. The asthma nurse is ringing in about 5 weeks to check so I will tell her, thanks twinkly.