Missing inhaler

[Sophiesmum290902]

I saw a practice nurse yesterday for my asthma and diabetes checks. She's referring me to the diabetes education course.She also said that she would find out why I've only got 1 inhaler, which is my blue reliever inhaler. She said that she going to ask if I can have a steroid inhaler, but I don't know if that's as well as a preventer inhaler or if it's instead of a preventer inhaler.

My reliever inhaler a blue bricanyl turbo inhaler. The only way I can describe the shape of my inhaler is that it sort of looks like a darlek (I'm not sure if I've spelt it right or not) from Dr Who.

I've got an appointment with a doctor on the 31st about my inhaler.

[Homely2 Administrator]

My steroid inhaler is in addition to my preventer inhaler. The idea is that my steroid inhaler means that I do not regularly need my preventer inhaler, which is then just there for flare ups.

I like it, as it makes my asthma more settled.

[Sophiesmum290902 in reply to Homely2]

I was taken off my brown (I can't remember it's proper name as I can only remember the colour of it) preventer inhaler years ago as I think that either the doctor thought that my asthma was under control, which I think it was at the time, but that was because I had both inhalers. My asthma has been so-so since.Fortunately I've never been admitted to the hospital for my asthma and fingers crossed I never will be.

Although when I was with one of my exes when we were in college, I'd become really unwell at two of our friends engagement party and even though I was stood outside I still wasn't feeling any better, so either one of my cousins or my middle sister or her partner had to ring for an ambulance to take me to hospital (this was way before NHS 111 was even thought of as it was either in late 1999 or sometime in early 2000) and whilst I was on the ward (the guy I was with at the time was with me, although I would've preferred to have had my middle sister or one of our cousins with me as they know me better than he did) I did have a small asthma attack, but fortunately a nurse was walking past the ward I was on (for some reason my inhaler hadn't worked) and she'd noticed that I was struggling to breathe and one my ex had told the nurse that I have asthma and that my inhaler hadn't worked she got two porters to help to switch my bed with an empty bed as where my bed was the oxygen wasn't working as she'd wanted to put me on oxygen until she could get hold of a doctor to prescribe a nebuliser for me as she wasn't qualified enough to do it herself. Between the oxygen and the nebuliser, I managed to get my breathing back under control.

[Poobah]

If you're prescribed a steroid inhaler, which is considered a preventer inhaler, you will probably continue having your blue rescue inhaler for occasional use. The idea is that the steroid preventer controls symptoms so that you'll only need the blue rescue inhaler a couple of times a week. But the steroid inhaler will take around 8 weeks to build up to full effectiveness.

Or you may be prescribed a combination inhaler, which contains a steroid plus a long acting bronchodilator. Again the full effect will take several weeks and you will probably have your blue rescue inhaler for occasional use.

Bricanyl is a short acting bronchodilator, which means it works for up to 4 hours. The long acting bronchodilator in the combination inhaler works for up to 12 hours.

[Sophiesmum290902 in reply to Poobah]

I take 2 puffs of my reliever inhaler as and when I need it as the normal 1 dose doesn't work for me.

[Poobah in reply to Sophiesmum290902]

As you have diabetes then the diabetes team will be able to assess how a steroid inhaler would impact on your diabetes. If you only use the Bricanyl occasionally, they may decide that a steroid inhaler isn't justified and liaise with your asthma care team.

[Sophiesmum290902 in reply to Poobah]

I've got my new inhaler, but it's one I need a spacer to use it as it's too powerful for me to use by itself, but the doctor didn't send one with.I couldn't tell the doctor as he was talking to much.

He probably didn't even bother to check my notes as he would've seen that I need a spacer with the dose inhaler I have.

[Sophiesmum290902]

I haven't had a preventer inhaler for years. I only have my reliever inhaler.

[Hidden]

You need your doctor's advice here. There may be a good reason why you should not be using a preventer (steroid) inhaler if you only need your reliever occasionally as there could be an interaction with your diabetes.

On the other hand if you are using your reliever more than a few times a month a low dose preventer could help.