Orange accuhaler, Purple accuhaler.

[MeganHelen]

What's the difference between the orange and purple accuhaler other than the colour. I've tried to search the difference but I cannot find anything because when I type in the name of the orange accuhaler it comes up with seretide but that's the purple inhaler?

[Hidden]

An Orange accuhaler is used for flixotide, which consists of the steroid fluticasone only. I believe purple accuhalers are used for seretide which is a combination of fluticasone and the long acting reliever medication salmeterol. So the same steroid component is used for both, which might be causing confusion.

[GarryS]

I use seretide 250 but originally had the two medications as separate blue and orange inhalers.

[Hidden in reply to GarryS]

Do you mean blue? The blue inhaler is salbutamol (aka ventolin) and is a fast acting reliever. This is not the same as salmeterol, which is a slow acting reliever. It's important to understand the difference between the two. Salmeterol, being a slow acting reliever, will not help you in the case of an acute asthma attack; you need a fast acting reliever medication, such as the blue salbutamol inhaler, for that.

[GarryS]

Not Ventolin blue more a turquoise which is the longer acting bronchodilator. I use Ventolin too.

[Hidden in reply to GarryS]

Ah - understood

[sharshy]

Every winter I get a cold then it turns into a chest infection then chronic cough and Asthma. I am now on my 3 lot of antibiotics and on a brown turbo inhaler and a blue turbo inhaler. I dont understand why the blue reliever inhaler is not doing its job. The brown steroid inhaler should be enough so I dont need to use the blue inhaler but I dont know what I should be using instead. I wonder how long a chest infection lasts its been 3 weeks now, any advice would be appreciated.

[Hidden in reply to sharshy]

Getting over chest infections can take a while, even if your asthma remains fairly well controlled. That said, if you are still having problems and are concerned go back to your doctor. Do you have a peak flow metre?

[sharshy in reply to Hidden]

yes

[MeganHelen]

So the purple and orange accuhaler are different right?

[Hidden in reply to MeganHelen]

Yes. The purple one is a combination inhaler (fluticasone and salmeterol) and the Orange is just fluticasone. If you're going on flixotide you should get an orange one.

[MeganHelen in reply to Hidden]

I've got the purple evohaler already and getting the orange accuhaler one tomorrow.

[freefaller in reply to MeganHelen]

Gosh you are taking both? I was taken off the orange - taken twice a day and put on the purple one once a day. No longer on that as other medication dictates it cannot be used. Didn't know you could take both. You learn something new every day.

[MeganHelen in reply to freefaller]

Not yet I'm not but was ment to be on it like 2 weeks ago when I got amitted but no one said anything but I got told for the first time to go to my doctors so I did and they mention it that it was on my discharge notes on the medication but that the flixotide one was added but I hadn't got given it. I've got my consultant tomorrow so ill see what she says.

[freefaller in reply to MeganHelen]

I have had that. Was told to take half dose of one inhaler when diagnosed with Bronchiectasis 5 years ago with a view to going on a combined inhaler - seretide purple accuhaler. I halved the inhaler they said but that never got on to my prescription and also never got the accuhaler until recently and it has changed again now. I actually forgot the consultant had said they would change to the combined inhaler. Now I get copies of all hospital letters sent to me so that I know what they say and then go to the GP to discuss them. It seems the only way.

Sian xoxoxo

[freefaller]

Orange is Flixotide surely?