ok you might have read me last post about just being diagnosed with asthma (1st june 07) and just recently i've noticed that i hardly have any ventalin left in my inhalour :s is it only meant to last a month? or have i just used it to much (if there is such a thing!) when i first got it my dr said that i was to use it 3 times a day 2 puffs at a time and as i had a cold he highly surjested it. then when my cold more than went i decided to only use it as and when i needed it and i did me peek flow test to check that it wasnt any thing else that was making me chest tight so i knew that what i was feeling was the best time to take me inhalour, and now i'm only taking it before i go to bed and the occasional time in the day.
i am going in to see my dr some time in the week (probably thursday as i have the day off) but could i have been taking it too much and is it meant to only last a month?
confused, slightly worried (or is it about nothing?)
harriet
14 Replies
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You sound like me. I over use my inhaler. Well try not to. I check my peak flow before i use it now, sometimes i concentrate on my breathing so hard anxiety increases the chance of having to using it. Then i use it anyway, when really i don't need to.I get really annoyed with myself sometimes. I take a puff sometimes at night because i feel as though i may need it, but i don't.
I think because you've been diagnosed with it only recently maybe your thinking about it too much like me. It may be worth explaining to the gp how you feel.
My OH is going to teach me how to play the guitar so that i can concentrate on that rather than my breathing!
Your doc prob means for it to last a month if only taking at said times? ie 4 times a day 2 puffs, but if needed in between to eliviate wheezing etc that you get then it will run out more quickly, dont worry just got see you doc and let them kn ow how much you are needing which suggest maybe you need more tratment? you sound sensilble enough that you are only taking when you need it.
Dont worry it makes asthma worse xx
Andrea xxxx
Your doc prob means for it to last a month if only taking at said times? ie 4 times a day 2 puffs, but if needed in between to eliviate wheezing etc that you get then it will run out more quickly, dont worry just got see you doc and let them kn ow how much you are needing which suggest maybe you need more tratment? you sound sensilble enough that you are only taking when you need it.
Dont worry it makes asthma worse xx
Andrea xxxx
Unfortunetly i worry about all the time which makes me alot worse
Harriet there are only 200 puffs in a ventolin so if you use 2 each time then that's 100 uses. So, spread over 30 days that's only just over 3 per day including your night-time dose. So it's no surprise it's barely lasting you a month. Most asthmatics have several Ventolin hanging around, e.g. one by the bed, one in handbag/ pocket, one at work! I'm sure your gp will give you another and a spare if you ask
Julie, I never felt anxious about my asthma all the time I was growing up, even tho it was quite bad, but as an adult I got more and more anxious and, like you, used my inhaler even when I didn't need to. Particularly at night, I couldn't relax unless I'd used it! I got sort of hooked on that feeling of relaxation in my airways, even if they weren't in spasm anyway, plus I hated waking up really wheezy and thought if I'd used it, that was less likely to happen. Eventually I decided I was just getting into a bad habit, so I decided to just live with the anxiety and try not to use it unless I needed to. At first it was difficult, I felt so anxious I couldn't sleep, but I stuck with it (husband talking me thro it when I was really wound up) and am glad I did cos now I only use it when I need to and have stopped getting so screwed up about my breathing generally. Those diversionary tactics you mention, like learning guitar, are really good too - anything that stops you focussing so much on your breathing. I'm sure lots of people have had similar experiences cos breathing is so fundamental to life. A friend of mine who had a heart attack got similarly wound up about whether his heart was gonna keep beating or not!
polly
thanksfor letting me know that with how many times i have used it it is probably about right! so has put me mind at ease! just want the weather to ease off now! then (from what i read all over the place!) we'll all be better off!
thanks for that information
harriet
I stopped taking mine until i was REALLY bad, and that was soo not funny
this was the point where 2 docs accuse me of underusing while one had accused me of over using as i was so bad, i went through 2 a month. polly is right though at 2 puffs a pop theres only 100 uses out of it and at my dose (avg: 4 times a day) thats 25 days each
If you need it you need it. No reason to worry or feel guily about taking it. It will do your no harm. I wonder though if you really need to take it before going to bed every night if you feel well in the evening (it only last 4 hours so if you were to have symptoms during the night you will get them anyway).
It is definitly worth talking to your gp as using so much reliver may be a sign that your asthma is not as well controled as it could be and you ay benefit from add on therapy like inhaled steroid if you are not already taking it.
It may be also worth to have a spare inhaler. I have about 4 placed strategicaly in different bags, otherwise I would definitly forget to take it with me as I need it maybe once a month this days.
HELP! dr not in on me day off
well! when i phoned thrugh today as it was my day off and i dont have much ventalin left in me inhalour so i do desprately need a new one the receptionest said on the other end that he's not in (shocked) ok there alouwd not to be in and everything but it couldnt come at a more of a worse time! she couldnt give me a repeat of ventalin as my dr needs to see how i'm gettin on and then she said something about a asthma clinic i havent even heard of it didnt even know that there was one avalible so later on when i go down i'm going to ask about this clinc and see what its about and everything! it might just be a nurse that sorts people out with asthma but what if its something more like a group of people that get together with a nurse and says there worries or if they have something they want to ask?
ah well sure i#ll find out one way or another!
got to go my baby's crying (well have left him in his cot while i popped on line!)
Harriet, asthma clinic is a nurse-led clinic at your local surgery. She (or he) is specially trained in asthma care. You are monitored regularly to make sure you are using your medication correctly and see how you are coping with it. She also makes recommendations to the GP if she feels any change in medication is necessary, gives yo utime to chat and ask questions, generally monitors your condition and gives you support. Generally it is a very helpful and useful clinic to attend. When you attend write all your questions down ready to ask then you won't forget them at the last minute.
Hope you find the support you need and get all your questions answered. Ange
well as you all said!
as you all said there is nothing to wory about! i ended up being 5 mins late for my appointment but she (didnt get to see MY dr but the nurse instead!) got me back because me appoinment was at 10:50 i turned up at 10:54 and didnt go in TILL 11:20 that was a shock and i was starting to get really worries as had to be in work for 11:30! but just made it in in time. any ways gave her my peek flow test chart which she was really happy about saying that it's in a nice strate line now and it looks in good order she was happy to give me a new inhalour (thought was only getting an incert thingy but got the whole lot? blue holder an all .... what a waste of plastic! i was just goin to strilize the one that i had and pop the new insert in! so what do i now do with my old one?) so alls fine they also told me that if i need to take it more than once in a day then i have to get in to see them as might need to go on to the steriod one like you all said as well!
If it's a metered dose inhaler (i.e. u have to push down and breathe in at the same time) and you have recycling, why not put the plastic container into the recycling bin?
Every time you recieve a new inhaler, you will get the whole thing. Some inhalers cannot be separated up unfortunately.
I put my canisters in the metals recycling as my Local council takes non-volatile aerosols. Not sure about the plastic casings - will have to check that one - need to know if it is one of the plastics that my council can recycle.
I Think it is the same type of plastic as some shampoo bottles & icecream tubs.
One to find out me thinks.
I think they replace the whole lot as after a while the hole can become a bit clogged and you can't easily clean it - pitty realy! A lot of the powder ones reuse the inhaler device which is more eco-friendly.
Harriet hope you get sorted - perhaps you need a regular inhaler like one of the steroid ones to help with symptoms. This should cut down on the ventolin intake. I does sometimes take a bit of trial & error to get the right combo so hang in there!
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(shocked) ok there alouwd not to be in and everything but it couldnt come at a more of a worse time! she couldnt give me a repeat of ventalin as my dr needs to see how i'm gettin on and then she said something about a asthma clinic i havent even heard of it 
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