So I have been diagnosed with Asthma for the last few years, my main trigger is pollen/hay fever… I have been very well controlled since switching from the brown Clenil to the pink Fostair 100/6… however I have contracted Covid, which has triggered an Asthma flare (currently on Steroids which seem to be doing the trick!)
It has got me wondering and interested though, does anyone know of any helpful hints and tips to know when a Ventolin/Salbutamol inhaler is running low? I know I’m all fine for now, as the one I have currently I ordered at the start of the year so I knew I was prepared in case I needed it for hay fever season, but didn’t end up needing it until now so it was full, and I have ordered a back up which a relative can collect from the pharmacy for me tomorrow, however it did get me thinking, as I can’t tell at all how much I have left. I know some people keep spares, and I do normally try to make sure I have 2 in date, but I had to chuck my spare one a few months back as I discovered it had gone out of date as I hadn’t needed any and it was all wasted! I also know GPs can get a bit funny with how many inhalers are ordered! The Fostair is very handy as it has the counter on it, and it always makes me think Ventolin/Salbutamol should too as that would be far more useful!
I agree, difficult to keep track with no counter on the aerosol version. I'm now on a dry powder inhaler (DPI) and have a counter. Same medication, just powder and no nasty propellant. You could see if your GP would let you try a DPI to see how you get on.
Ooh that’s useful to know that there is a version with a counter! I will ask the question for sure as that would be so useful to have!
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I also have the dry powder inhaler and there is a counter. I've never understood how you're supposed to know how much you have left in the aerosol ventolin unless you make a note every time you use it..... a bit hit and miss.
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Having the counter sounds like such a good idea! It is so hit and miss otherwise, since being controlled on Fostair so I’ve not had to use much in the way of Ventolin recently so when I do use it it’s hard to remember and get in to the habit of keeping note and a log but it’s something I must get better at doing!
I asked about getting one with a counter on it and was told I couldn't have one. I tried to keep track by marking every time I used a puff, but I found I kept losing the paper - plus, when I need Ventolin, I'm feeling horrible so writing down what I've used is the last thing on my mind, and when I'm feeling better, I can't remember how many puffs I had!
It strikes me as insane that my maintenance inhalers always have markers on them, even though I could easily work out how much is left as I take the same amount every day. But there is no marker on a medication which could literally be a matter of life or death if you run out of it! I end up taking 2 everywhere with me, just in case I only have 1 or 2 puffs left in the old one!
I feel exactly the same as you with the maintenance inhalers, it’s a set dose every day and on repeat prescription so I don’t need the counter but the Ventolin one would be really useful as it’s so hard to keep track of! I also have the same problem with marking down how many puffs and making sure I remember to do it every time and keep the log on me at all times!
Ahh I’m glad they managed to agree to give you the DPI and it works so much better for you! It’s definitely a question for my asthma nurse at my next review!
I do the same and check by shaking it. If in doubt I squeeze the top down pointing away from myself over the sink and can see the spray. When it is very low the spray is barely there!
Hi. If you have a good electronic weighing scale, you can tell by weight. I did look this up a while ago and found an inhaler was empty before I realised it. I haven't been using ventolin lately so haven't got the weight to hand, sorry. I will be home tomorrow if you'd like me to look it up. The article I read said lots of patients admitted to hospital were found using 'empty' inhalers!
Hi, apologies if I explained it badly but people weren't necessarily in hospital BECAUSE of empty inhalers. However, when staff checked the ones they were using, some were empty. There could, of course, have been a causal link 😐
Ahh yeah that’s what I was thinking, I can easily see a link between someone having an asthma attack or flare, taking their inhaler and not realising it’s empty so won’t be working for them… had some very useful tips but so far I think the most fool proof method is to just ensure always carrying a spare one as back up..!
I also use a digital scale to tell if mine is running low. I also put a date on it to tell me when I started using it. Also, one can get a click counter -- I used to use the counter when I used Qvar.
I’ll have to check out the weighting tip for sure! I could date mine too, although since I’ve been well controlled with Fostair I hadn’t needed it until Covid hit me last week, the last Ventolin I had as a spare I just ended up having to get rid of as it was full and unused but had gone out of date.
The click counter sounds very helpful too, I didn’t think of that, I’ll have to have a browse on Amazon and order myself one to keep with my Ventolin so I have a rough idea of how much I have left thank you!
Thank you! I’ll need to do that! The trouble I found though is that I’m usually well controlled on Fostair so I’ve not actually used that much so it’s hard to judge! Thank you
I put the cannister in a glass of water and it sinks if still use able and floats if empty or nearly empty. Not foolproof as some ventolin probably wasted but works for me.
It's completely ridiculous that Ventolin inhalers don't have a counter. The only thing I can suggest is to carry more than one - in my case hubby also has one in his pocket. Choose the heavier of the two.
Thank you! Yes I agree it’s ridiculous isn’t it! Especially when the daily preventers do! I can only assume it’s manufacturing costs involved 😩
Definitely have to stick with making sure I always have a spare on me! It does seem like a bit of a waste though as I did have a spare one but ended up chucking it away full and unused as it was out of date as I haven’t needed them too much recently until Covid hit me!
I didn't notice your reply before I posted basically the same thing, this has been the best way with the Ventolin until another chemist prescribed the smaller salbutomol inhaler which is crap and doesn't feel as good as the Ventolin. Also, my last nurse decided in her wisdom to reduce my prescription from 2 to 1 so that they could "monitor my usage better", so I felt like I was constantly re-ordering then I moved home and my new nurse has put me back to 2.
annoying isnt it…I just shake it and if feels light I discard it….probably too early but you just dont know if its the propellant or whatever it is without the ventolin. I always have a spare. Dr prescribes 2 at a time.
It’s so hard to tell isn’t it! Definitely a spare seems to the best way to go about it, that’s good that your GP gives you two at a time that’s so helpful so you know you always have a spare!
I wish they did have counters! I've never quite got on with the dry powder ones as I seem to be rubbish at using them when I'm struggling - which is just when you need something easy to use. My technique with the spray ones (metered dose inhaler, MDI) is fine but especially if I'm coughing, an MDI, a spacer and tidal breathing is just easier - but no counters!
It's not perfect and counters would be easier, but I do have a system which helps, rather than having inhalers everywhere and losing track. I use my reliever quite a bit because my asthma is not really controlled (everyone knows this is happening, and there's not much I can do about it, but so far my GP has, thankfully, not tried to cut off the supply). So I've almost never had the going out of date problem!
Basically, I get two at a time from the GP. The more 'used' one is always my home one and it lives in the bedside drawer so I can find it half asleep - I pull a bit off the label to make sure i know which is which. A brand new one goes into my bag with the spacer. When the home one runs out, the bag one becomes the home one. When I don't have a new one to replace the bag one, and I just have one for both home and bag, I reorder (due to my system this one always has a reasonable amount left in it). If I can feel it getting a bit light and/or spluttery and we're near a weekend or holiday, I'll reorder before it runs out (again, thankfully, the GP lets me do that, though they have occasionally called me alarmed at the usage).
When I worked in an office (I'm now freelance), I also used to have a spare in my desk drawer in case I forgot my 'bag' one - which happened every so often if I was running late and couldn't be bothered to go back for it. This one never ran out but it did occasionally go out of date.
I realise this system won't work for everyone - I suspect it works more easily because I just have 2, and I can have 2 because I don't for example have stairs, or spend half my time at someone else's house. If I worked as a temp, lived in a house with stairs, and sometimes spent the night at my boyfriend's house, I'd need a different system. BUT - even if mine doesn't work for you, it may be worth considering working out your own system to make it slightly easier and keep track of which one is which, and where your lowest one is.
Or they could just put counters on them - they do in the US I believe! Really about time they did put them on Ventolin MDIs.
*Just in case it wasn't obvious, if you - as in anyone reading this! - don't have severe poorly controlled asthma that everyone is already aware of and you're not on as much preventer medication as possible, you should not be using them as often as I do. If you're getting through loads in a few months and you don't usually, please see your GP asap, your asthma is not controlled.*
Thank you for those useful tips! So far ensuring that I have spare seems to be the best way forward, I do worry about the waste though but if that stops an inhaler running out when it’s needed then it’s something!
Yes I completely agree with that about ensuring asthma is controlled and ensuring a good preventer, I have an asthma plan from the nurse at my surgery and it has been such a godsend since I was diagnosed to make sure that I know what I need to do and at what point, and it makes it so much easier to speak out and speak to a professional if I have something written down to show them and relay what is normal and what isn’t for me. It definitely helped me to find the right preventer for sure! I’m so lucky to have found Fostair amazing for me so I haven’t had to use Ventolin since up until I had Covid so never really gave it too much thought as to a system and knowing how much is left…!
Hi. I use the "thing counter" app which I put on my phone which I update everytime I use my inhaler. Colour to match inhaler plus its name makes it easy to use.
I can’t tell by shaking the inhaler either! It’s so frustrating that there is no counter on them.
Especially now I’m on the new ‘CFC-Free’ ventolin inhaler which is so much smaller and lighter, I find it much harder to tell if there’s anything in it by shaking it.
Also, be aware that you need to rinse the plastic casing regularly. I didn’t think to do this 🤦🏻♀️ (and have never had a problem with the old type ventolin) and it completely bunged up when I really needed it during a flare up. Luckily I was at home and had a spare to hand. Lesson to self to check the little hole is clear!!
It is so frustrating isn’t it! Thank you for the tip about cleaning too, I’ve noticed since I’ve been using it due to a Covid asthma flare that it definitely needs regular cleaning to make sure I’m getting a full puff!
hi again i can tell by the movement of the liquid in the pressurised container as i shake it plus the weight gets less as it is used.may be i am more sensitive to this than others but thats how i know..
I can roughly tell by removing the canister and shaking it next to my ear as you can hear how full it is, once your used to it you will know when it's getting low, also it doesn't seem to be as effective when nearly empty
I put a sticker on my ventolin inhaler and using a pen (preferably a Sharpie) do a tally system to keep track of how much I've used. I always use 2 puffs at a time so one dot is 2 puffs, after 4 dots I join them into a line so each line is 10 puffs. When I get to 100 puffs I draw the line all the way across so it's easy to see
Blue, ventolin inhaler showing sticker with tally marks
Weigh the inhaler, a full ventolin inhaler weighs about 35g, as it gets emptier, it gets lighter, at about 28g it's empty. I've found this out over the years as i was the same with trying to figure out how much was left by shaking it.
An add popped up on my Facebook for an App that can monitor the doses left in an inhaler. From what I could work out, there's a device that attaches to the inhaler canister and the App reads that. I have no idea how accurate it is and can't find it by Googling it, however, another counting device popped up that sits around the inhaler and counts doses used - only £98.50!!!
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