For some inexplicable reason - well giving up sugar and doubling exercise might be part of it - I have dropped my requirement for 8 doses of symbicort a day, which Ive been on for years, to just 2. Since I was very ill, almost critically, with bilateral pneumonia and respiratory failure two years ago, this is nothing short of a miracle. Im not complacent but this has gone on for a good while now and my nurse wants to put me on to a lighter inhaler, trouble for me being I can't tolerate the anti-cholinergic elements (e.g. spiriva) and most of the milder ones have this category of medication in them.
Any thoughts?
Hope all are as well as possible
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O2Trees
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Why can't you continue with same med and just use less or more as you need to?
I said to my respiratory nurse recently that since lockdown my lung health feels much better avoiding all the contact with people bugs I thought, but then she went on to point out the weather has also be good for lung health aside from the high pollen count that is.
I find during summer time I don't use my 24 hour full dose steroid inhaler (I just take the morning dose), but I also have spiriva respimat (I take in the morning) and another 12 hour bronc dilater ( I take to get me through the night). During winter months and with non good air days I am back on my full dose of the steroid inhaler.
Great you can reduce the med at this time, losing weight could likely have resulted in the improvement too
That's exactly my thought Bkin, staying on the same med is what I want. And having reduced that much I have a cupboard full of Symbicort as I did a bit of stockpiling during brexit panics. My nurse may have forgotten my problem with anti-cholinergics. She did say something about an inhaler with less steroid in it.
Normally this time of year I would be suffering horribly from pollent (grass). I normally have to put up my inhaler AND take a double dose of cetirizine daily to get by. But nothing. No itches, no runny nose, and importantly no asthma.
I dropped 4 lbs when stopping sugar initially but now gone up 2 lbs so i dont think weight is an issue - BMI around 21.
Thanks for your reply and it sounds like you are on top of your own requirements.
I expect the one she wants to give you is a lot cheaper than symbicort, my steroid inhaler has been changed to a cheaper version of the same drug but I've yet to try it as I am still using my usual one. I got a stock in at start of lockdown
Slightly confused .com,why can they not leave you on the same medication with a lighter doseage/useage regime as i am sure they must have varying degrees of strengths available in the Symbicort range?
Me too Skis. If I get down to one dose daily and feel I can go lower, I will either ask for a lesser strength, or alternatively just take the current one every other day.
Hope you and Scruffs are thriving. I was sad to hear about Bob's cat, a fine specimen. xxx
Hi O2 . So pleased to hear of your improvements. That’s great news! I have no advice to give on the steroid aspect of your question, so I’m leaving that to the others here who seem to be giving good thoughts on that topic. What you mentioned about cutting out sugar and doubling up your exercise is, I believe, an important factor in your general improvement. I find my own symptoms get steadily worse when I go through periods of comfort biscuit snacking or even eating dairy foods.. Also, increasing walks and general exercising has a positive influence on my breathing too. As years go on, I notice these things more. Although I am lightweight, I do struggle with comfort snacks. Anyway, keep up the good work! It lifts my spirits to hear that, with a bit of determined effort, we can get above these challenges which have brought us down so much. WELL DONE!!! Jackie
Thanks Jackie. Ive changed my comfort food to cheese which can make a mucus problem but hey - can't have everything. Hope you can get out to exercise at the moment - everything is so much more complicated. All best to you, jean
Great about the improvement. Hope you can stay on a lower dose of your current inhaler, rather than changing. Well done cutting out sugar and doubling exercise.
Great that you are doing so well O2, I would just use your inhaler as and when you need it. I went through a couple of years doing this and sometimes went days where I didnt need it at all. Sadly I am constantly suffering with allergies which affects my sinus's so am using it everyday at the moment along with the cetirizine x
Shame you're having a hard time with allergies right now Izb1 - sinus pain is horrible. Hope this eases up before too long. We have enough to cope with at the moment. Take care.
Great news O2, I remember that terrible illness & we were all desperately worried for you, so it’s nothing short of amazing that you’ve recovered, and then some. Let us into your secret!
As to the inhaler, the old adage of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” comes to mind. You’re doing so well, why rock the boat? Go with your gut feeling on this one.
Thank you Hanne - exactly my thinking. My nurse may have forgotten my difficulty with some other meds. If I ever do get down to less than one per day (actually pretty unlikely), then Id just take one every other day and see how that goes.
I can only think that stopping all sugar and most carbs except a spoonful of porridge plus doubling my exercise is what has helped so much. Ive stuck to that firstly in order to lower high blood sugar that had reached the lowest level of diabetes. Both the amount of steroids Ive consumed plus high genetic family history and another condition I have (haemochromatosis) make me a likely candidate. Anyway Ive lowered my blood sugar reading to be now at the early stage of pre-diabetes. Sugar is a killer. Ive had so many health e-letters going on about how inflammatory it is. But until I got the diabetes scare I never thought I could let it go.
I hope you and Michael are ok Hanne. Lockdown is crazy - I tend to risk assess each situation as it arises and then decide what I will do. Total lack of trust in the government. You both stay well and take care.
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