Ventolin on repeat

[NikkiCoppard]

I was at Asthma Clinic last week and was told they are no longer putting Ventolin on repeat as there have been many deaths from mild Asthma where people have been rely on their Ventolin and not their Preventer. They say if you need more than 5 ventolin inhaler in a year you now have to be referred to the respiratory unit at the hospital.

[Troilus]

Hmmm.....Interesting.........Perhaps a better idea would be to invite those not reordering their preventer inhalers to a review.

[NikkiCoppard in reply to Troilus]

Yes that's an idea. X

[WindsweptRissa]

Just had a chest infection/asthma flare-up and have almost gone through one in a week and a half (getting better now though). I don’t normally use it that much though.

[golden-retriever]

Note the following statement from the Asthma UK website, which if true, means your asthma is uncontrolled and you either need preventer medication, or your preventer meds should be adjusted.

“if you notice you’re using your reliever inhaler three or more times a week, or you’re getting symptoms most weeks, go back to your GP or asthma nurse to talk about getting a preventer inhaler too.” asthma.org.uk/advice/inhale...

[Lordtrenchard2005]

They're right, I have to go and see my doctor for a Ventolin prescription. He has told me to use my preventer daily. At first I didnt believe him and felt like he'd just cut my legs off. But once in your system and used regularly, your Ventolin use drops. I still carry Ventolin with me everywhere but am less reliant on it now.

[NikkiCoppard in reply to Lordtrenchard2005]

That's the way it's supposed to be. X

[Lordtrenchard2005 in reply to NikkiCoppard]

👍

[utkmybrthawy]

Ahh! Maybe that’s what’s going on! I JUST Had this conversation today with the pharmacist, who ALSO has Athsma. He was lamenting that my doc still hasn’t sent over an inhaler, and wondering why they don’t come with refills! I hesitate to use the preventer too much, because it gives me thrush.

[Lordtrenchard2005 in reply to utkmybrthawy]

Taking it through a spacer is meant to relieve that. Ask your doc for a spacer.

[Destiny10 in reply to utkmybrthawy]

Hi do you rinse your mouth out after using your preventer ??

It's supposed to stop you getting thrush.

[Missveronica]

This is quite scary for me the reason being ...I have tried different inhalers and have had a bad reaction to them all ...also tried tablets also bad reaction I was told by my doctor and asthma nurse that I could use my blue inhaler as and when I need it ....I use a brown inhaler too and read that taking to much preventer is causing a lot of problems...so you just don’t know what to believe anymore x

[Alauralane in reply to Missveronica]

Hello there, when you say you react badly to the preventer's, may I ask in what way? I too had problems and my asthma got quite bad because of my own non compliance through the side effects. Finally I was changed to flixotide first 50 then 125, so far no side effects, but that is just my experience.

[Missveronica in reply to Alauralane]

I have had very bad side affects from ...as in legs going numb ..insomnia..sickness and the other end lol ...I kept going on each one for a few weeks then went back to the nurse who said as I’ve got older (61) my system has become more sensitive to things even antibiotics.....I can’t remember the name but I know one was a pinkish colour inhaler ....I m glad you have found something that helps xxx

[Alauralane in reply to Missveronica]

Oh poor you, I too had insomnia, nervousness, agitation, they too in the end said I am just very sensitive, laughably I had been telling them that myself. I am sorry I have no advice to offer that you have not already tried. But I do understand the frustration and fear I felt on medication that I reacted badly to, Becotide being one of them. All the best.x

[Wintersbite in reply to Missveronica]

Hi I can't take a proventer as I am allergic to all of them so I only have my ventolin if I am forced to take a proventer I end up having a full blown asthma attack and need to go on the nebuliser. If this is how you get talk to your doctor about possible allergic reaction to the proventer.

[Poobah]

Last May one of the hospital consultants announced that I would no longer have a Ventolin inhaler. After heated negotiation she relented as it's in my asthma plan. She was suggesting that Symbicourt could be used as a reliever.

Since then I Googled this as she was saying that this was a global approach to asthma treatment. All I could find were research papers that suggested that long term/regular use of Ventolin becomes less effective as the lungs produce a reaction that is detrimental to asthmatics. In order words, it makes asthma symptoms worse.

I tried for five months to rely on my Symbicourt and Eklira inhalers alone, increasing the Sym as directed by the consultant. My asthma went dowhhill and I struggled to do anything.

In November I saw the leading consultant in the respiratory team. He said I COULD use my Ventolin. He also said that I don't respond well to steroids. (What?! Prednisone has saved me numerous times).

I must admit that the conflicting statements I get from doctors doesn't fill me with confidence. But I think it's because they treat us as a group and not as individuals.

I've been prescribed a variety of stuff over the years and some work, some don't and some have exacerbated my asthma.

Ventolin (Salbutamol) is a beta-2 agonist. And all our combination inhalers contain beta-2 agonists, allbeit long acting (LABA). The latter should not be prescribed without steroids and so we have combo inhalers to ensure that steroids are taken.

So on the one hand Ventolin is for occasional use but combined inhalers are for regular use, but both contain beta-2 agonists. Mmmm?

Back in the 1990s when the LABAs were first launched, some asthmatics had very bad reactions, including me. The American FDA insisted that they weren't prescribed for children after asthma related deaths shot up. The drug companies said the problem was down to patients not taking their steroid inhalers and relied too much on the LABAs. So they combined the two medications, ran trials and got the green light.

I can only go by my experience, Ventolin relieves my shortness of breath, Symbicourt made my asthma worse as I increased the dosage, steroids continue to subdue asthma flare ups.

My personal view is, if you're taking the combination inhaler as prescribed and it isn't controlling your asthma and you need Ventolin every day, it's not the Ventolin that's the problem.

I'm now on Fostair but won't take more than minimum dose. I've been able to persuade my asthma nurse to let me have a Becotide (steroid) inhaler so that I can increase my steroids without increasing the LABA. So far, so good, but it's early days.

My friend has done really well on her combination inhaler and now never uses her Ventolin. We're all different and need to find the right medications for us.

[NikkiCoppard]

That's right we are all different. I have just been put on Symbicort 200/6 from 400/12 as its a really strong dose. But I still got a couple of the strong ones just in case. I think it's conflicting as for so long you were told that ventolin was good for Asthma and now they say it may not work if you take it too often then need it when you have an attack.

[rfir6]

What i read on this forum is that people have had flare ups due to other illneses such as cold, flu, infections. This shows that even if you are not like wheezing or crawling on the floor cos you cant breathe, it doesnt mean that you then dont need a blue inhaler. It is absolutely essential that people who have asthma, even mild have a blue inhaler to hand. Especially bearing in mind viruses like corona virus that can lead to complications. What i read online is that asthamatics along with the elderly are an 'at risk' group. Im making this issue as i was refused a repeat prescription for a blue inhaler by GP and also refused emergency supply by 3 chemists in Blackburn. So if anyone has the same issue do not take no for an answer, its your health, some of these 'professionals' really dont do their job professionally, they dont even follow their own regulations. So tell then you will complain to NHS etc.., ask to speak to their seniors, make sure you get your medications!

[daleboy3]

Hello to people on Ventolin & preventer inhalers, I used to use mine daily in the morning when I lived in oxford, Now I’m living in ( Somerset ) by the sea my asthma has almost disappeared it’s the clean air also the water here is fantastic no ( Scale ) in the Kettle after 4 yrs use. IF YOU CAN MOVE NEAR TO THE COAST for your Health.

[Babbela in reply to daleboy3]

I have heard this before as there been any research going on anywhere about asthmatics living near sea .

[Hidden in reply to daleboy3]

I think that depends on the asthmatic and whereabouts on the coast. The best my asthma has ever been was when I was based about five miles inland from the Kent coast. Right on the coast might well be a different story though - higher levels of humidity are not good for my asthma. For the same reason the western side of the country (and that would include Somerset) would not be an ideal location for me, even away from the coast, the climate is just too damp. For short holidays in the summer - fine. But to live there - probably not.

[daleboy3 in reply to Hidden]

What I have noticed where I live in Somerset is that only 2 or 3 aircraft pass near my home in a day whereas in Oxford there were so many aircraft passing overhead the exhaust gases made white clouds form especially in the morning when air is cooler but it don’t end there as the exhaust gases also had fine particles of carbon & Co2 which polluted the air below which I was breathing in & whilst there I had to use both inhalers twice a day. The good news today is that Co2 levels around the world have fallen by 50% today as a direct result of manufacturing & aircraft reduction, check this on today’s news

[Hidden in reply to daleboy3]

The one I saw talked of emissions of carbon monoxide (mostly produced by cars) being down by 50% in New York when compared with last year. CO2 over New York was down by 5 - 10% (and that will still mostly be ground traffic related). No doubt many cities will have similar reductions in pollution as a result of the current situation.

[daleboy3 in reply to Hidden]

75% of British airways & virgin planes are grounded so air quality will go up in London & other airports in the uk, its good news for asthma sufferers as aviation fuel for one aircraft alone is around 20,000 litres so all that exhaust fumes is drastically reduced

[Hidden in reply to daleboy3]

Every little helps - but in the bigger picture airplanes actually only account for 2% of CO2 pollution. Cars are a much, much, much bigger problem.

I will acknowledge though that a reduction in air traffic also results in a large reduction in ground traffic around the airports.

[Nutzs47]

My dr prescribes me 4 salamol inhalers at a time which usually last me over a year but im on fostair 100 4 puffs daily ,spiriva respimat,monteluckast and a nasal spray which along with a generic antihistamine tends to keep it controlled although im having a flare at mo which is usual for me at this time of year so after increasing my fostair and taking my reliever more than 4 times a day im now on my emergency preds fingerscrossed I’ll be showing an improvement in symptoms by the end of the week 😟😟