My asthma nurse has replaced my usual Ventolin (full-size) prescription with the new CFC free smaller salbutamol inhaler. Maybe it’s me, but it certainly doesn’t feel as effective and it may be coincidence but my voice is getting more and more croaky. Anyone else experiencing the same?
Ventolin now being replaced - Lung Conditions C...
Ventolin now being replaced
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Polly-PV
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I definitely think the same you certainly do not get the same relief from the new small version it seems as though there is not as much power at all in the dose
Yes I noticed that.. I phoned my GP about it & he said pretty much what you said Sometimes the mouthpiece is triangular
Some are being changed to salamol. Personally I don't find that as effective as ventolin but I think it is cheaper. Ventolin is CFC free, it states so on the side of the cannister.
Ventolin and Salamol are the exact same drug, in the same quantity, but Ventolin releases four times more carbon dioxide (which is a greenhouse gas).
CFCs aren't the only gasses that contribute to global warming.
This has been a bit of a debate amongst us ! If you use the "Search HealthUnlocked" thingy at the top right hand corner of your screen, you can see past questions and comments.
I, personally find I do NOT get the same relief as Ventolin. Health professionals have been "encouraged" to try to swap patients to salamol and insist that it is the same. I am lucky, my doctor was happy to switch me back. As Carole said, Ventolin is CFC free, so that should not be an argument. Go back and tell them your views and ask (insist!) to go back to the one that works for you! Also, do you use a spacer? That will make the delivery of the drug into your lungs more effective 😄 Good luck xx
Yeah I found that was happening to me if I don't rinse my mouth out every time I take my inhalers x
i had the same problem but my Gp was great and switched me back as well
My prescription was changes recently to the Salamol Easi breathe and it is fine for me. The propellant is different for sure, but its efficacy is unchanged.
Go well,
Pauline
Same here and it's smaller and neater taking less room in my pocket. 😊
Yes I have experienced exactly the same so I now buy mine (full size Ventolin) from an online chemist as the new one did not work for me at all. I am fortunate that I don't need to use it very often at all but I always carry it with me. I tried to tell the doctors that the new one was not working but was sent away being told it exactly the same. To me it seems as though it does not propel as well as the previous inhaler so doesn't go deep enough. I didn't get anywhere with doctors so as I don't need it very often it was easier to just buy online.
I found exactly the same thing but my asthma nurse changed me back to ventolin.
I was switched back to Ventolin when I told my GP I was not happy . xx.Sheila
some years ago this happened to me , Salbutomel is a cheaper option I think , I complained that it wasn’t as effective and they put me back onto Ventolin.
Salamol is not cheaper than Ventolin, and the change has nothing to do with saving money. They both contain exactly the same drug (salbutamol) but Salamol is more environment-friendly in that it releases a quarter of the amount of greenhouse gas.
It didn’t work for me but ventolin does I have been using Ventolin since it came out ,I am 74 now but when they swapped me it was noticibly less effective so I was put back on to Ventolin. At the time ,many years ago I deduced it must have been a cheaper brand I also new that it was supposed to be the same thing but it didn’t work for me.
Ps it says on my Ventolin that is cfc free on the box
So? CFCs aren't the only greenhouse gas. Ventolin releases four times as much carbon dioxide compared to Salamol ... carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
Mark_H59 NHS is targeting its carbon footprint hence the inhaler charges. Also many preventers such as fostair now have a generic version that is both cheaper and also better for the environment. While you are correct the medication is the same the delivery isn't. In severe uncontrolled asthma you need the propellant as taking a deep breath in is not possible. Hence I am still on the less good for the environment inhalers. Given I am in the 0.2% of people with severe uncontrolled asthma. 97% have mild to moderate asthma where it makes no difference which inhaler they use most people will be changed over by 2024. Hope you are well x
... and for people like you there is nothing in the guidelines to stop the GP/nurse changing the prescription back to Ventolin. Treatment guidelines don't insist on Salamol.
They are resistant to changing it back because it really is just in the mind for the vast majority of patients, but if your asthma is uncontrolled then you have a justifiable need for a more powerfull propellant (ie Ventolin) and should be prescribed Ventolin by name.
That said, if your asthma is uncontrolled, that tends to suggest that your primary/preventative treatment isn't optimal and, if I were you, I'd be asking for that to be reviewed.
The online chemists charge more for ventolin than salamol
The price charged on a private prescription is completely different to what the pharmacist is paid when filling an NHS prescription.
What has changed is that the NHS no longer buys as much Ventolin and that, in turn, means that they no longer get the same bulk discounts that they used to get from GSK.
I agree I don’t feel mine is as good but I have not researched the matter
My asthma nurse didn’t disagree with my thoughts
Polly mine did the same thing, it didn't suit me at all, & made me gag. I told them I wanted to go back to Ventolin & thankfully they did. Please tell them to change back to Ventolin & hopefully they will. Good luck.x
I don't find it as good as Ventolin, it doesn't seem to get to the bottom of my lungs.
Yes, the same for me, and it doesn't work as well!
I totally agree with you, for some reason, it definitely doesn't seem as effective. I thought I was imagining it until I saw your post!
hello just recieved my repeat perscription with my new cfc salbutamol inhaler wasnt too sure if l had been sent wrong meds rang my gp and yes the new med is in replacment of the ventolin it is to do with the new carbon footprint ? havent used it yet so will not know if there will be any difference
Its a shame that patients using inhalers are easy targets for ‘saving the planet’. I don’t have asthma but my sister does and is having an awful time with inhalers. I have bronchiectisis and have used the ventolin easy breathe as I cant manage to handle the original one. Sometimes i feel that there is no powder in a section but i am not treating asthma as i said. Incidentally do you know that there is only 0.04% carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which they are hoping to reduce to 0.026%. I was interested to find out because of a manchester university study from 2020 which showed that while there was a reduction in traffic pollution during lockdown, Ozone took its place which is just as bad for lungs and respiration. I wondered what would take the place of carbon dioxide reduction which I couldn’t find out but did find out the above percentage.
Everybody I have spoken to including myself say its not as effective as I think it takes longer to take effect. And yes it does give me a croaky voice too. RIP ventolin 😔
I find salomol effective, use it with a spacer, it does it's job.
I don't like the small inhaler either ,i couldn't quite put my finger on what i disliked about it , it just didn't seem to work as well & felt harsh on my throat when taking ,seems im not alone on this . Interestingly i have an appointment next Monday 1st in 3 1/2 yrs to get my lung meds checked , i will be asking to get the bigger ventolin inhaler back again .
Hi, Polly I'm Mez 1. I don't come on often . But salbutamol does cause , loss of voice. It also caused the hands to shake. I don't take the aerosol canisters , I always had violent headaches and was vomiting due to all the gas in the canisters. So was put on powder inhalers. But the company stopped making these , so I was out on the CFC. Ones , when they first came out. But I couldn't take that either due to the fact that , it still has gas inside the canisters. So when they call it CFC , it is not really free from gas emissions. I was moved onto Astra zennica products, which is powder inhalers. And it does not cause my hands to shake. And my voice loss is now99%.😄
I get on fine with salamol. My asthma nurse gave me a huge spacer when switching me from ventolin, which works really well when my breathing is really done in.
I only ever had Salamol, but found the longer ones much better. They sprayed more gas in a more powerful way. The short ones arrive nearly empty, stink like menure and close my throat up.
I have also now been prescribed salamol it is the same medication just different brand and tastes slightly different. I think we should feel lucky to have access to all these medications in the first place when there are many countries where heathcare is very poor and they have very limited access to medications.
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