Ive had asthma since 7 years old i am now 22 i also suffer from every allergy going ranging from egg to nickel to dogs. i joined the forum today becuase apart from information on how to control asthma there is not much out there about day to day life with inhalers and the effects it has on you.
I take a symbicort 200/6 ive seen people say about different types like smart and stuff but im not educated enough to know the difference lol. i also use a ventolin every day, i get on ok with both of them but ever since i was a teen i wonder what all the years of inhalers is doing to me inside?
does any one have any suggestions about long term effects, i mean personal ones not generic ones that medical experts say, my nurse say there is not any long term side effects but i beg to differ. any advice or help or comments are much appreciated,
Hello and welcome to the forum! I am sure you will find it really useful.
SMART stands for Symbicourt maintenance and reliever therapy- i.e. you use symbicourt twice a day as your preventer medicine and as a reliever (instead of ventolin). Some people find it works really well for them and can actually mean they end up taking less inhaled steroids!
Have you read the info on here about long term side effects of inhaled steroids (under all about asthma)? You could also give the Asthma UK advice line a ring!
If you are using your ventolin everyday is your asthma not well/optimally controlled? If so there are other things you could try. Also if you have allergies do you take regular antihistamines etc?
Take care
Bryony
Thanks for your reply, il check out the info on the site defo. i have severe eczema as well ive had that since birth not long after the asthma and allergies followed, i do take hay fever tabs but i avoid my triggers rather than medicate them. my asthma is relitivly controlled i smoke a little bit (not cigarettes but a little of the other stuff) but i find when i do kick the habit my asthma worsens, i have read about cannabis more so weed is a bronchiodilator which aids openeing of the airways but nicotine and smoking has the reverse effect i know! i smoke small J's and share them with my partner and we have no more than 4 a day so if thats halved its more like 2 to myself. My asthma is not a result of my limited smoking and i do try to improve it by starting to exercise more i think out of all meds the exercise has given me the most improvement. i worry about the symbicort and the ventolin when i am much older and have used them for many years. I have used the ventolin now for 15 years and the symbicort for 5 or 6 years. My partner also has asthma but he only takes the ventolin and i sometimes wonder if he needs to control his more, his doc just says when u stop smoking come back for the brown inhaler, will us asthma sufferers be on inhalers forever? its funny when asked 'if you have to go on a deser island whats the 1 thing u would take? i always say my inhaler!
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Thanks for your reply, il check out the info on the site defo. i have severe eczema as well ive had that since birth not long after the asthma and allergies followed, i do take hay fever tabs but i avoid my triggers rather than medicate them. my asthma is relitivly controlled i smoke a little bit (not cigarettes but a little of the other stuff) but i find when i do kick the habit my asthma worsens, i have read about cannabis more so weed is a bronchiodilator which aids openeing of the airways but nicotine and smoking has the reverse effect i know! i smoke small J's and share them with my partner and we have no more than 4 a day so if thats halved its more like 2 to myself. My asthma is not a result of my limited smoking and i do try to improve it by starting to exercise more i think out of all meds the exercise has given me the most improvement. i worry about the symbicort and the ventolin when i am much older and have used them for many years. I have used the ventolin now for 15 years and the symbicort for 5 or 6 years. My partner also has asthma but he only takes the ventolin and i sometimes wonder if he needs to control his more, his doc just says when u stop smoking come back for the brown inhaler, will us asthma sufferers be on inhalers forever? its funny when asked 'if you have to go on a deser island whats the 1 thing u would take? i always say my inhaler!
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