Luforbec review

[HappyAllotmenteer]

I try not to be negative about any changes to my asthma medication, but I am struggling with Luforbec. I use a spacer and as I inhale there is a sensation of residue/powder hitting the back of my throat, making it impossible not to break off the inhalation, to cough. I hope I can get used to the unpleasant sensation and that my lungs start to respond better. My asthma seems slightly worse, but I will persist and review with Asthma nurse, when I have finished both inhalers. #asthma #inhalers

[Troilus]

Hi HapptAllotmenteer. I can’t get on with it either. My prescription says Fostair, but the pharmacy sent me Luforbec so I rang the pharmacist who told me there was a shortage of Fostair. Fair enough. Next month Luforbec again, so I rang the pharmacist and told them that I did not get a good response from it, got the line about them being the same but I repeated that it doesn’t work as well for me. She sent out a Fostair the next day and I returned the Luforbec.

[Maya_227]

Hi, both me and my partner have had the same experience with Luforbec. I use a spacer and he doesn't. He tolerates the powder better than I do even without the spacer but is still experiencing more breathlessness. I have just asked the GP to put me back on to Fostair as I worry about how the winter will affect me, viruses/chest infections are my main triggers.

I remember reading on here that others are having the same experience with Luforbec so although the ingredients are supposedly the same something is definitely different.

[Biggles2612]

I had the same when my inhaler was changed to Luforbec but I told my GP and they changed it back immediately.

[puffin2023]

I am having exactly the same problems with Luforbec. I use a spacer but breathing it in makes me cough so much I don't think I'm even inhaling half a dose. I'm supposed to use it as both a preventer and a reliever but it is doing neither of those things. I am also suffering very painful cluster headaches since I started using the Luforbec. I previously used Fostair without any problems. I explained all this to the clinical pharmacist and asked him to change my prescription back to Fostair. He refused, he says I'll have to have a full asthma review as the change was made because Fostair is more expensive. Can't get an appointment for 2 weeks. My breathing is so much worse now. I'm wheezing again, and I haven't been wheezy for months. In less than a month I've gone from breathing well and being active to wheezing and coughing and in constant pain. I'm thoroughly fed up!

[Gwalltarian in reply to puffin2023]

Can’t you contact your GP or whoever prescribes for you? There’s no point in taking something that either is of no help or actually makes you ill.

[puffin2023 in reply to Gwalltarian]

There's currently a five week wait for a GP appt at our surgery, I could get an audience with the Pope more easily!! Our local practice has definitely deteriorated since the pandemic. They don't have enough doctors and support staff are constantly changing/leaving, surgery hours have been cut and there's no evening surgery now. But to change to a different practice would mean a long journey in a rural area with poor public transport.

[Troilus in reply to puffin2023]

Contact your GP and explain to the receptionist you want to make a change to your prescription. Most times this is passed to the in-house pharmacist that will change it back for you.

[puffin2023 in reply to Troilus]

Thanks for your reply Troilus. I spoke in person to the in-house pharmacist yesterday who said she couldn't make any changes without the approval of the clinical pharmacist, who has already refused!

My husband had an appt today with the practise/asthma nurse about a totally different matter. As he was leaving the nurse asked how I was and my husband related the problems I'm having. The lovely nurse immediately issued a prescription for a different type of spacer with a filter to help avoid the coughing. I hope it works.

[Thesunisout in reply to puffin2023]

I hope you can read my reply to a previous message.... as I went through a similar experience. About a month ago I decided to stop Luforbec that in fact made my breathing much worse and I have been perfectly ok since.... but then I probably never needed an inhaler in the first place!! Good luck!!

[DannyQ]

Hi what I will tell you luforbec is a generic of Fostair and although it will have the same ingredients the processes will not be the same.the best way to explain it is we will both make a cup of tea and have the same ingredients but both will taste completely different and it's the same with the inhalers as fostair have spent the 15 years developing there processes where as luforbec will have only spent a few years developing theres. I would advise you to go back to your doctors explain it's not for you and you want switching back to Fostair, the only reason they are switching you to luforbec is to save £8 per device

[pinky656]

Same for us. My husband and two adult children were changed to Luforbec. For all of them, their asthma got so much worse. GPs agreed to change them back, thankfully, so all improved.

[Thesunisout]

I am so glad last night I was looking online to find feedback about Luforbec and found this site!! I have had a similar experience.... I was prescribed Fostair and a nasal spray ages ago by the chest and heart specialist as I have been having a constant cough with mucus since my last bronchitis in 2016. After this in the past I was coughing all day long, but in the past couple of years only in the morning, having to bring up mucus. They did a lot of tests and could not find what was wrong and was prescribed Nasonex and Fostair. I gave up Nasonex ages ago as I felt it was making my nose more bunged up than it usually was and I have been much better since! Recently the Fostair was replaced by the chemist with Luforbec and I was sure this was making things worse for me, I started to be more breathless than usual (I also have a heart condition that sometimes gives me breathlessness) and I had to cough every time I was inhaling it, which never happened with Fostair, also when walking normally I was breathless and felt a restriction in my lungs and could not breathe fully even if I was at rest, even wheezing when breathing... The chemist reassured me they have the same ingredients but I am very sure my reaction was different. Anyway, I stopped Luforbec about a month ago, as I was sure the breathlessness was caused by this and I have been much better since!! No more breathlessness!! the lungs feel much clearer and I can breathe fully. By reading all these comments it looks as if Luforbec (and Fostair, I think too) is for asthma and I am puzzled why it was given to me in the first place as I have never had asthma in my life.... It makes me think that they want to create illnesses that are not there in the first place!! Like when they told me my sinuses were blocked and I needed an operation to unblock them!!! And I was able to unblock them on my own with some physical exercises and massages!!! But that's another story.... Just unbelievable!