As I wrote last week, I started taking Spiriva again following problems with Trelegy Ellipta. Spiriva had been my first inhaler four years ago, followed by Anoro and eventually Trelegy. I’ve been really short of breath since re-starting Spiriva so I really feel I need to change. As I have no idea how long it will be for me to talk again to my GP surgery, I’m wondering whether to go back to Anoro or Trelegy. My problem is that neither of them helped very much so I don’t know where to go from here.
I’m so sorry to keep asking questions but after four years of my COPD being so well controlled, I find it really frightening to have these problems.
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Janann25
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Good morning 🌄 I would definitely get in touch with your GP or consultant, it's always better to let your GP and consultant know about your changes and special your experience with both products. You need to let them know that the inhaler don't help much, that they can put you on something else, special when your breathing getting worse.
I agree with MELNEL, get in touch with your doctor or nurse and tell them how you are. When first diagnosed it was a long time before I found an inhaler regime that suited me. There seems little point reverting back to the other inhalers if they didn't help either.
Hi Janann25Firstly you don’t have to apologize for asking for opinions/help. We are all here to try to help one another and some, like me have been in the same boat as you with wanting to go back to an inhaler that once worked for us in the past.
Thinking out loud maybe you are at slightly a different stage in the progression of your condition so now the spiriva doesn’t help quite as much as it did for you the first time round or maybe you haven’t given it another time to fully make that difference you were hoping for. I know how badly we want to feel better and build up this magical plan for our medications working at full force so maybe we can go on that run we so badly grieve for hahaha sorry that’s a bit far fetched but a nice thought. Anyway back to the point, maybe spiriva isn’t your perfect drug anymore. It’s trial and error and your GP should know this, if not, gently remind him that you live with this condition and need to find something that gives you at least some quality of life.
I hope this helps and please do let us know how you get on and any changes or advice from your experiences that you may be able to give to someone else
Thank you so much for your reply - I have put in a request to my surgery to speak to the respiratory nurse but that isn’t possible today so one of the practice nurses will phone me sometime today. I need to do grocery shopping today so what’s the bet she’ll phone me when I’m half way round Sainsbury’s!!
You are most welcome , if anything it seems to have given you the push needed to contact your nurses which is great! Hahaha yes these doctors usually call at the most trying of times. Unfortunately Sainsburys is far too big for my stumpy (water retention) legs so I’m stuck paying higher prices at my local little shops but it’s not all bad as I’ve built up a good relationship with must of the staff especially the evening staff where I find it easier to walk around with less people in there than during the day.
I hope you’ve found all us here useful in some way. These are a great bunch to confide in no matter what the problem is and even if we can’t help at this you’ve touched base with people who are all going through similar things. My life is far from easy but just knowing you can come here in any frame of mind or any problem and still be welcomed which makes a huge difference to your day and can really change your outlook on how you feel and mange things. I know these guys have changed a lot for me in a very short time to which I am very grateful.
Hello Janann25. I personally asked for a referral from my doctor to a Respiratory clinic. And find them very good and I have a direct number to contact them and they always ring back the same day. Even though I usually have to leave a message. Hope you can get some answers soon. Sounds like you need checking over and another type of treatment if those 2 are not helping. Good luck and let us know. Brian
Unfortunately the Spiriva doesn’t seem to help as much as it did previously - I think it must be that my condition has worsened and I need something different. The respiratory nurse has decided to put me on Anoro so I’ll see how that goes.
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