Enough meds through the spacer? - Asthma Community ...

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Enough meds through the spacer?

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Just started salmeterol and it gives me a sore throat and so whilst I don't particularily mind it stops

me wanting to take the meds coz it really hurts when I've already got a sore throat from previous doses. If I take thesalmeterol last, through the spacer, then drink, brush my teeth, have a shower in a steamy room then take the tablets and so drink more I tend to not get a sore throat. Wierdly I've found that if I take multiple small breaths which I find easier I get a sore throat but one breath doesn't but I'm worried that coz my breaths are not consistant I might not be getting enough of the meds, does anyone have any ideas? Thanks for any tips!

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4 Replies

using a spacer is proven to increase the effectiveness of the meds. Which method you use, the single big breath or several smaller ones doesn't make much difference. I've always used a spacer and it was my decision to use one, but I take two or three big breaths for each puff of the inhaler, holding between each breath.

I used to take 1 big breath and hold as long as I could, then depending on how long take abot 3 smaller ones holding he last one slightly, just can't really do that with these ones! Will it be better than direct even if I can't hold my breath very long then? And does anyone have a spacer smaller than the huge volumatic ones? Thanks for the reassurance tho woody :)

I think no matter how you use a spacer they are more effective, but this the that AUK page on their use.

tinyurl.com/ykhwxh5

Yes you can get smaller spacers, a paediatric volumatic, but the Aerochamber aerochambervhc.com/

is a smaller tubular style.

Regarding the sore throat, I find I get that as well but sucking on a foxes glacier mint or antiseptic sweet in winter to be quite effective. I presume you now take salmeterol and a separate steroid inhaler. It may be possible to get those in a combination inhaler, I used to use one and the sore throat is reduced with the combi, I think purely due to not breathing in two separate lots. See how the salmeterol goes and then you may be able to switch to the combi inhaler.

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angievere

Smaller volumatic spacer

About 4 years ago, my son's school asked me to get a smaller spacer for him to use on a school residential trip. Accordingly I obtained a paediatric version and son carried on using it after the trip. We noticed a marked deterioration in his asthma after a while, and consultant put it down to his use of small spacer and told us to go back to big spacer. He said research had shown smaller spacers, although more convenient, were far less effective in delivering medication.

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