Hi,I was wondering why it seems that we are given symbicort or fostair to take every morning and night regardless of wether we need a reliever at that time or not. It's my understanding that taking relievers all the time can harm the lungs?
Why are relievers standard with preve... - Asthma Community ...
Why are relievers standard with preventers.
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Kurty2
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My understanding is that inflammation builds up over time causing swelling and reduced air flow. The steroid element in the preventer inhaler is to minimise this, hopefully preventing it altogether.
I got given Fostair in replacement for ventolin. My GP will not prescribe any relievers while I’m on Fostair. This is for the exact reason that you mentioned but I was using an inhaler every 2 weeks or less.
I think you should have a blue inhaler(a reliever) as well as your Fostair, Incognito. It is still possible to have an attack while using a preventer. I know the Fostair 100 can be used as a reliever, but it is wise (I think) to have a blue inhaler handy just in case.
I totally agree, but my doctor is not prescribing me any. I do however have an appointment with respiratory at the hospital in a couple of weeks to see why my asthma is so bad.
I take Fostair twice a day as preventer but can take UP to four extra puffs during the day as a reliever. Once I go above the four puffs I need to use Salamol instead, i.e. blue inhaler
A reliever is just that, for relief. It give almost immediate relief if your airways close unexpectedly. Sometimes our preventer isn't enough at particular times (like this heatwave). A lot of people are prescribed it to use before using their preventer to open the always to better receive the preventer, perhaps that's you, perhaps there isn't a steroid in your preventer. To many it's an essential piece of kit. Perhaps you dont need yours as much as others do.
Where did you get the information that using relievers can harm your lungs? Use of steroids over time can thin skin and bones though.
I certainly don't need to take mine often because my preventer works very well. I might order 4 per year which is sufficient (and I dont order just to throw away, they're expensive) . We're all different it has to be said
I agree, why can we not have ventolin anymore? I was forced onto symbicort, even though I did not want it , a lot of BS about how the bronchodilater works for 10 hours, does it heck, the ONLY thing that helps is ventolin, at the risk of sounding dramatic its as if they do not want us to feel better.
Because you never know when you will need a reliever? I'm really careful to take my preventer at the same time each day, but I still need a reliever sometimes.
What do you mean? are you aware that fostair and simbicort contain a reliever AND a preventer?
That’s only half true. The “reliever” in Symbicort and Fostair is a long-acting bronchodilator (LABA), whereas conventional relievers like Ventolin are short-acting. The main purpose of these preventer inhalers is to build up the body’s ability to expand the airways (the LABA component) and improve the elasticity of the alveoli to exhale more effectively (the corticosteroid component); this normally takes time but, as luck would have it, the LABAs in Symbicort and Fostair can have a short-term benefit - provided they are used within the guidelines, this shouldn’t be any more of a problem than using the traditional short-term reliever for the same purpose.
Looking at all the replies so far it seems like nobody else is any the wiser why we are taking relievers unnecessarily when we don't necessarily need them and also some replies have shown that we are sometimes taking excess preventer at a time when we are requiring more reliever.
I certainly don't take relievers unnecessarily thanks, my skin is thin enough and easily damaged already. The point is:
your own personal instructions on the medication label and how you personally have been instructed to take your preventive and reliever .
There are nearly 50,000 members here so you cannot possibly conduct a survey on 13 replies and your conclusion could cause unnecessary anxiety to newly diagnosed people &/or new inexperienced members.
This should help explain it: asthma.org.uk/symptoms-test...
Inflammation in the lungs and airways cause irreparable damage - steroid inhalers aims to stop/ reduce that.personally ventolin alone didn't adequately control my asthma so preventer was prescribed soon after,many years moons ago
Surely it would make more sence to take just a steroid (either budesonide or beclomethasone) every morning and night. This should be enough to control the asthma, and if on occasion you need some relief then this is when you could use the reliever (formeterol). Overuse of unnecessary medicines is obviously bad and going to cause harm long term.
What makes sense varies by individual. Not everyone is on both the steroid preventer and a long-acting reliever, but for those who are, they need it to control *their* asthma. Inhaled steroid is definitely *not* enough to control everyone's asthma - that's why there are options beyond and in addition to that.
What is enough to control someone's asthma is between them and their medical team. It's not for other users to suggest what people should be doing, what is enough to control someone else's asthma and what is unnecessary. Please avoid telling other users what medication they should take.
I'm going to turn off replies to this now.
That iss the case with most asthmatics.i don't believe most people overuse their necessary inhalers - the damage from inflammation has b well researched + documented.higher use of inhalers is necessary in difficult asthma eg severe asthma
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