At the instigation of my GP practice I have been moved from salbutamol ( usually supplied as trade named Ventolin)reliever to salamol on the grounds that it is cfc free, it states it on the box. I thought all aerosols were cfc free since about the 1990’s when the hole in the ozone layer was discovered by scientists in the Antarctic. Am I right or wrong.
I am not totally convinced that a salamol( on the box called salbutamol sulphate) is as good as salbutamol (Ventolin)for relieving asthma symptoms. Can’t find an old box for Ventolin to check the ingredients.
Has anyone out there changed to salamol & found any problems or not. Maybe it’s just me. I have Asthma Bronchiectasis & COPD. Thanks
Norm C
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Normc
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I have queried this in the past. Both inhalers have the same propellant and are both cfc free. The salamol has less propellant in the canister. (Or so I was told)
You should be able to find the exact ingredients of ventolin online. I always keep one leaflet of every medication I take & keep in my meds box for future reference.
Salamol® is a greener alternative to Ventolin®. It contains salbutamol (the same drug) at the same dose as the Ventolin® inhalers, and is your rescue inhaler. It is really important that you use your inhaler correctly to achieve the best effect.
I have had Pharmacy 2U replace my Ventolin with Salamol. I t does not work for me. I queried it with my doctor who told me it was the same thing. When I disagreed, she admitted that many people felt that way and specified Ventolin on my prescription. Salamol is probably cheaper 🙄🙄 xx
Yes it's cheaper, my husband asked his chest consultant about the differences and Ventolin he said travels further down airways also Ventolin has smaller particles than so called equivalents. He said this is why some people do not get on with the equivalent and of course is cheaper. This consultant wrote to our gp to say to keep him on Ventolin. You don't have to switch if it doesn't suit you, like my husband and myself.
That's interesting. I remember being changed years ago to the generic version of symbicort which I think is called Trimbow? The doctor tried to tell me it was exactly the same but I found out the particles were finer and that's why it wasn't working so well.
Thank you for that info Suzie, I will mention that fact when I talk to the doc again. Other than that if he still refuses to give me Ventolin I will buy it myself from online pharmacy. Ventolin certainly acts faster for me.
If he refuses, tell him that you're unhappy with him for not providing you with it and you have no option to buy it online, that should work. I am more brave than most I think as I would say he is neglecting me and could he put on my notes that he is refusing 😊
You’re right to be concerned normb. I was the same. It definitely didn’t work for me. I had a long chat with my wonderful surgery asthma nurse at my annual review and she agreed. I found out there are lots of different ventolin type inhalers and we’ve settled on easyhaler salbutamol sulfate. So far so good although it’s a slightly different type of dispenser to before. If you Google this topic you’ll see lots of people have struggled with this changeover. My nurse found other alternatives too if this one hadn’t worked for me. I still think there’s a cost element as well as the cfc argument! I had decided if all else failed I was going to buy ventolin online even though I qualify for free prescriptions. Have another discussion with your GP. Good luck!
My chemist issued this at one point and I took it back as it was useless and insisted on having Ventolin. It really wont make a jot of difference to the environment x
I cannot get on with the new Salamol inhalers at all. It is shorter than the Salbutamol thereby making it harder to hold and I am not convinced it works as well.
I could not get on with Salamol at all as on trying to inhale it I would cough and choke. I was then given Bricanul turbohaler which I can inhale but it does not give instant relief plus you have to rinse your mouth out after use which is inconvenient if shopping or out walking. I went back to doctors to try to get back onto ventolin but he was not happy and told me it was mind over matter!!! He has changed it again I will try it but if it's no good I will go back until he relents. Government guidance my foot it's the cost, I remember government telling us to go desiel!!!! Plonkers!
Thanks Leo, I won't be giving up getting back onto Ventolin, it works for me and I only use two or three a year but April this year I caught COVID again and would have been far worse if I did not have Ventolin.
Don't get me started on this one. Myself, my sister and her husband have all been changed from ventolin to salamol. Doctor and nurse all say the same thing that it is exactly the same. Well we all beg to differ on that one. Takes longer to relieve the user which is what you don't want and it also helps you to clear your chest if you feel a bit tight from phlegm. And of course it worked straight away. I don't believe it for a second. It makes my blood boil. 😡 just give us what works
I didn't even realise I had been switched from ventolin until someone on here mentioned it. I wondered why it didn't work as well as previously and I was getting more breathless.
I also read that salomol isn't suitable for relieving symptoms in an asthma attack which is the whole point of ventolin. It is meant to stop it happening instead which is worrying if it doesn't.
Thanks Carole think I will. What I have found is that asthma is usually ignored when you have copd or another lung disease. I was once told they only treat the main illness which is ridiculous.
Salamol® is a greener alternative to Ventolin®. It contains salbutamol (the same drug) at the same dose as the Ventolin® inhalers, and is your rescue inhaler. It is really important that you use your inhaler correctly to achieve the best effect.
Using the Salamol inhaler is different, not because of the medicine which is the same but because of the propellant. The propellant is slower with Salamol. Therefore it requires a longer slower inhale than with Ventolin. This could be why many say it is different. INHALE LONGER AND MORE SLOWLY.
I am really sorry to disagree, but I use a spacer for my inhalers and took it exactly as my respiratory nurse told me (she has watched me do it) and it did not work as well as Ventolin.
You don't need to apologise. You speak from personal experience. I did read that a different spacer should be used with Salamol because it comes out more slowly. It seems that many people do not get on with Salamol. It may be better for the planet but not for many people. I wonder whether patients have been given correct advice as it is a different technique. Some comments about a different taste as well. Perhaps the manufacturer needs to think again to create an inhaler that users are happy with as well as being kind to the planet.
mine was just stopped completely . but it didnt seem to make any difference anyway . the surgery says it is on demand but why take it if not necessary. nobody seems to know the difference between different inhalers effect on me so i wait until someone decides i should take it .i have ipatropium ( atrovent ) and clenil and both of those arereally neccessary i have found.
I was changed from ventolin to that salamol I rang doctors told them it not the same they insisted it was but when I took it funny taste in my mouth awfull they changed it back I said I mustn't be used eco friendly and not taken that one
I have the same problem, it just isn’t as effective as my ventolin. I know the ingredients are the same but the effect it has is very different. Even though my GP has changed it back, if I request a repeat online rather than face to face I still end up with Salamol.
I did as well, you have to ask your doctor to specify Ventolin on your (repeat) prescription. I did this after a conversation with Pharmacy 2U and it worked for me 😀
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I will be as of now, thank you 
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