Trimbow

[Thail]

I was diagnosed with Asthma in June and prescribed Clenil preventer after 6 weeks with no change prescribed Fostair Nexthaler. It didn't help after 9 weeks and a severe flare up I've been prescribed Trimbow 87/5/9 - anyone else using this successfully. I'm also on a short course of Predislone. I'm starting to feel a bit down as lots of success stories on here but so far nothing is working for me. Would appreciate some feedback back thanks

[Homely2 Administrator]

It takes time and effort to get the asthma settled. Some people are lucky and it is quicker for them, for others it is a bit of a struggle.

I have stuck with fostair

and tried it in various ways, so fostair 100, then 200 and now fostair 100 mart.

It helps a lot but does not give me full control, so they have added spiriva and alvesco, in the battle for control. I am not there yet, but I no longer lose control to the extent in ending up in hospital.

The key is to have a medic who is happy to help you experiment with different drug combinations, to find what suits you. Give each new combination three months or so to settle, ie it takes time.

The asthma UK helpline is very good for giving you ideas, so ring them and talk to a nurse.

Spend some time working out what is triggering your asthma, for me at this time of year, it is dust, so lots of cleaning and air purifiers help a lot. In the spring and summer, it is pollen.

[Thail in reply to Homely2]

Thanks for all your advice & info. My problem is I had no experience of asthma until this year and I think I'd assumed meds would work quickly. Had a really nasty attack other day ending overnight in hospital. Quite scary . But I guess I'll have to be more patient - I'm just worried that nothing will work for me and that's making me anxious.

[Poobah in reply to Thail]

Late onset asthma can be difficult to treat, so it's not you. If you're not responding well to the usual combination inhalers, your doctor should consider add on medication. It looks like they've done that with Trimbow which has an additional 3rd medication included. If you don't see any improvement then definitely go back to your doctor to review other treatment options. Give it 8 weeks and then review with your doctor, unless your symptoms are bad and you need additional help sooner. Never hesitate to ask for help and treatment for asthma flare ups (emphasise asthma flare up with reception so you get prompt help).

Trimbow can be limited as you can only take it on a strict dose only, so if you need additional relief you should have a second inhaler, whether that's Ventolin (a short acting reliever) or a combination inhaler that has more inhaled steroids plus a long acting bronchodilator, either can be very useful.

Late onset asthma (LOA) isn't one type of asthma and some LOA patients don't respond well to ordinary levels of steroids. So your doctor can decide on additional inhaler treatment. There's also a tablet called Montelukast which may help - again it's trial and error to see if it works - a 4 week trial will be enough to see if that works.

If these options don't deliver control of your symptoms then there's the option of referring you to a respiratory consultant who will have wider treatment options than a GP. Plus they can diagnose your phenotype and/or endotype of asthma (biological mechanisms) and that can help with more targeted treatment.

In the meantime, just keep an eye on your other health, such as blood pressure and headaches etc, as asthma treatment can cause side effects occasionally, so it's important to look after your health overall.

And if you ever want to discuss your asthma or treatment, you can call the Asthma UK nurses helpline Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on 0300 222 5800.

[Thail in reply to Poobah]

Thank you so much your advice is always reassuring as you come across as very knowledgeable thank you

[Poobah in reply to Thail]

It's difficult to not feel anxious when the treatments aren't bringing things under control, but there are additional options and never hesitate to seek treatment for worsening symptoms.

What may help you is an asthma plan. This sets out what action you should take when your symptoms flare up - it sets out escalation steps so you're not having to decide what to do without any reference. Ask for one the next time you talk to your doctor or asthma nurse. The plan can be updated as more information about how your asthma behaves is known.

All the best.

[Thail in reply to Poobah]

I will do that thank you again

[Patk1 in reply to Thail]

Have u got a blue salbutamol inhaler? It's a reliever spray+ works quickly when needed.its often added into our treatment regime.do go back to Dr,if need more help x

[peege]

Hi, it took me a while to get the right meds for my asthma dx about 20 years ago. It too a massive down turn about 14 years ago, I suffered infection after infection, pneumonia 5 times in less than 2 years. It was hell. It turned out that mist of my woes were uncontrolled asthma due to my not using Seretide with a spacer properly . Nowadays with an inhaler change I always read the leaflet thoroughly and find a demonstration of how to correctly inhale whichever one I'm using.

When first diagnosed there's not alway much support in learning anything about your particular asthma & triggers or inhaler usage. It might be worth checking the manufacturer's website for correct usage. Personally I'm very happy with my Fostair mdi (spray type) 100/6 using the MART regime.

I can only say that knowledge is the key especially in the early days.

[Muldrew]

Hi Thail

Just started Timbow a few months ago after Trelegy Fostair etc

( I am 64 Asthma/COPD for last 10 years or so)

I think it’s v good

But ofcourse it’s an uphill struggle and like others have said tricky for each person to get it right

Hopefully this will work for you but you definitely need to give it some time

Good luck!!

[Thail in reply to Muldrew]

Thank you it's all relatively new to me and I'm starting to realise time is important. Your comment is reassuring

[Bingo88]

Good morning Thail. I too was diagnosed as having blood markers for Asthma at the age of 66. I also have severe copd. I don't think I have had an Asthma attack so not sure how bad my Asthma is. I was tried on Trimbow but it made my morning coughing worse during the day as well. So I went back onto my Trelegy. Which the blow tests showed my lung function had improved. Hope you get some answers soon. Brian