Change of inhalers.

[Jujubee74]

For many years I have been taking Seretide as my preventer inhaler and it works well for me and even when I've got cough and cold viruses. I had to change GP surgeries earlier this year as mine closed. There no query on my prescription of Seretide when I change surgeries but after my asthma review 2mths ago the nurse said I couldn't have Seretide as it was too expensive to prescribe! So she changed my inhaler to Symbicort, which doesn't contain either of the mediates in Seretide. I now find that Symbicort is useless at controlling my asthma, I have been back to the asthma nurse who told me to "give it time" and I would get used to it! I now have a cough and cold and pretty much permanently have my Ventolin in my hand. Has anyone else been in this situation and does anyone know if I am entitled to ask to have Seretide prescribed again? Why take away an inhaler that has worked for many years, I just don't get it.

[elanaoali]

Hi i would ring asthma uk helpline and tell them what happened nd what state you are in now let them enpower you UK last year I wasn't better but t told I was fine Rang asthma uk who told me to go back and tell them asthma uk told me to. No one should be taking that much ventolin and it'so ook with there asthma. Be brave be strong you know your body.

[Jujubee74 in reply to elanaoali]

Thanks. I'll give them a call.

[Hidden]

Sadly there have been several cases on the forum of asthmatics being taken off seretide. Not that this is going to be of much comfort to you, but at least your practice is being honest about cost being the cause. Other practices/doctors/nurses etc, seem to have come up with a variety of excuses in order to avoid the real reason.

You could try discussing what has happened with one of the GPs rather than trying to get the Asthma nurse to switch it. If they still say no, ask about flixotide, which is the medication I'm on. Flixotide uses the same steroid - fluticasone - as seretide but without the salmeterol (but at least you'll have one of the components). I believe that it's cheaper than seretide, but still may be more expensive than the symbicort. The type of inhaler might make a difference too. I use an accuhaler (which, personally, I prefer though I know that is not the case for everyone).

As a final point, many years ago I was switched on to a very low dose (the lowest there was) of becotide (beclometasone) by a consultant when the medication I was on no longer seemed to be as effective as it had been. There weren't the range of tests then that there are now, and he decided that my asthma was mild. I started to have problems with my asthma pretty much at once. Like you I was told to give the new medication a chance to work, then was told my inhaling technique was obviously wrong and so it had to be corrected, etc. Nothing worked. Eventually I gave up going to the GP because no-one seemed to be listening. I started to get secondary infections when I got colds (something that hadn't happened since I had been an undiagnosed asthmatic as a young child), and then finally I got an infection that was so bad that within 48 hours I went from having a tight little cough to being admitted to hospital with pneumonia aggravated asthma. At that point the consultant got involved again, admitted that the medication I had been put on was not sufficient and put me on to a stronger version. So whatever you do, do not give up!! If symbicort is not working, keep pushing for a change.

Good luck.

[Jujubee74 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the advice. Gonna make an appointment to see GP.

[Lisa_G]

I was taken off Seretide as well. I was put on Flutiform which the pharmacist told me was the nearest to it. I spoke to an Asthma UK nurse at the time & she said most people do well on Flutiform.

I have been bad on and off but I'm not sure it is connected to the change of inhaler...think my asthma has changed over the years anyway.

Hope you get it sorted.

[Jujubee74 in reply to Lisa_G]

Thanks, hope your asthma settles soon.

[Jems1995]

I was also taken off of seretide. However, I was put and still as on Sirdupla which contains both the same medications in seretide but it's cheaper for the NHS to prescribe.

[Jujubee74 in reply to Jems1995]

Thanks for replying, it's useful to know what inhalers other people use, so I can go to my GP armed with information 😊

[Rose15]

Hi, there was a similar decision at my surgery a couple of years ago but luckily when I next saw my GP (before I had started the new inhaler) he straight away put me back on Seretide as he felt that my asthma was potentially too unstable to change inhalers when seretide suited me. Maybe you need to make an appointment to discuss with your GP? If the new one is not suiting you then in the long run they are going to spend more money on you by having to treat you with other additional asthma medications?

[Jujubee74 in reply to Rose15]

Thank you 😊

[angievere]

I have been changed from Seretide to Flutiform as well. Hasn't made any difference.