Spacer: Just wandering, do I need to go... - Asthma Community ...

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Spacer

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Just wandering, do I need to go to the GP to get one prescribed to me? or can i get it direct from the pharmacist? or if not the pharmacist then can i get it on the phone from the nurse ro something?

its just i cant be bothered to go to the doctors AGAIN. im sure you all know what i mean!

Lizzie xxx

11 Replies

Pharmacists will sell you one directly, but you pay considerably more thank picking up a script from docs. My nurse did me a script for my areochamber and got doc sign it there and then! I find that one easier to carry around than a volumatic. Can you get telephone appointments at the surgery?

Em x

angievere profile image
angievere

I often write the GP a letter asking for a prescription - I don't need to make an appointment to ask. If you telephone the surgery and ask to leave the GP a message, I would have thought that would be ok too.

I got my 1st one from asking my GP. Now I get new ones every 6 months or so, GP gives me 2 of each so theres always one at hand everywhere I go

Certainly cheaper getting one on prescription, I don't know how much they are over the counter but you can pick them up on line for about £10

aerochamber

just went to surgery and got receptionist to get my GP to prescribe me an aerochamber so that is sorted now!

Just wandering, why would anyone want a full size spacer, when you can have a small aerochamber instead?... what is the difference?

Lizzie xxx

Lizzie, thats good that you got a new spacer sorted. I have the areo chamber & a volumatic. I actullay prefer to carry the big one round as I can take it in half & make it into a mask when I am really bad.

S.Mama

xxxx

I find that sometimes, I can get a better result with my volumatic rather than my aerochamber but i think its personal preference really.

Saying that, when am really bad, i do prefer to use my neb rather than faff around with inhalers and spacers

angievere profile image
angievere

Spacer versus Aerochamber

Lizzie, My son had the aerochamber after his primary school requested a smaller spacer for when they went on trips (about 4 years ago). We switched full time to the aerochamber and after a while his asthma worsened. At a routine appointment the consultant picked up that we had switched to the smaller spacer and he said to throw it away and go back to using the bigger one. He said that current thinking is that the larger spacer is more effective at delivering meds!! We duly went back to using the spacer and things improved again - we have stuck with it ever since.

i got mine from my doctors

I keep a Volumatic right by the bed (sometimes in the bed with me, cuddled up to it once or twice), they are really much better than aerochambers, although they don't do so well with non- A&H inhalers so for my Atrovent I have to use the Aerochamber

i just wanted one because i am getting a bit of a sore throat from the inhalers. i am perfectly able to take them without a spacer though- i am actually really good at it lol. but like i said it was just to minimize the side effects rather than get them to work better x

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