Seretide.

[Mini1234]

I went to the Asthma clinic this morning, and to collect my prescription for sere tide and ventolin inhaler's. I have been taking ventolin for many years and seretide for the last ten. The nurse who I saw told me I could no longer have the seretide as it was too expensive and my GP has prescribed fostair instead. Has anyother members been told this. Cheers Mini xxxx

[newlands]

I was taken off sere tide the reason they gave me was it can cause pnemoniia !! Think that's an excuse more like because it's too expensive

Take care

Dorothy

[Mini1234 in reply to newlands]

Hi Dorothy, I have heard of that before, but I got on very well with it. I just hope I can do the same with fostair. Cheers Mini.x

[stilltruckin]

prescriber.co.uk/Springboar...

[soulsaver in reply to stilltruckin]

Useful, thanks.

[Mini1234 in reply to stilltruckin]

I have read the article on fostair, thanks for passing it on. I really hope it does it's job, as I won't be getting anymore seretide from my Dr. X

[James48]

I was taken off Seretide too for the association between it and pneumonia. It was my COPD team who recommended Fostair not my GP.

It's just as good as Seretide I find and yes it is cheaper. Seretide is about £60 a go.

James

[Mini1234 in reply to James48]

Thanks James, I hope it works for me.x

[CornishBrian]

I was taken off Fostair and put on Seretide....the reverse of what you have endured. I was a bit peeved abut it because I got on well with the Fostair but there has been no real difference since the change.

[Mini1234 in reply to CornishBrian]

That's good to know Brian. Thanks.

[James48 in reply to CornishBrian]

Seems an odd decision considering Seretide is more expensive and has associations with pneumonia. Were you given a reason?

[CornishBrian in reply to James48]

I'm sorry, I don't prescribe to the "Cheepest drug" line of thought. If my GP prescribed me a cheap drug that may or may not work, it would be counter productive in that I would make more visits to the surgery, take up hospital beds and even worse, die. Once dead, they would make no further money out of me apart from the death certificate.

Drugs are prescribed according to your condition and/or symptoms. Seretide is not suitable for some folk but is better for others but that may also depend on heart conditions, general health etc.

If you go to medicines.org.uk/guides/ser... 500

they list all the reported or expected side effects of Seretide. Pneumonia is not one of them. Most of the possible side effects are also in common with other lung related drugs so you have a choice.....take the drugs with the know risks or struggle on with your condition without them....an individuals choice. Most drugs used to treat COPD, Asthma etc contain one form of steroid or another and it is generally that element that causes the more serious complications.

The reason I was changed was because 20 odd years ago I was on a form of Seretide but it, along with other drugs, got withdrawn because it wouldn't operate in a CFC free container. Fostair was prescribed as a replacement but once Seretide was back in the click, powder form, I was put back on it as it is deemed the best medication for my conditions.

[Offcut]

My Practice will always put me on the cheapest but they have not changed my Seretide?

[joyce741]

I was taken off the seretide inhaler as its was too expensive and put on seretide accure which is round and you pull a lever down the side which give out the dose for you to breath in

[Mini1234 in reply to joyce741]

I was told Joyce that I could not have seretide full stop. If the fostair is as good but cheaper it makes sense. I can only try it and see how I get on. Take care Mini. Xx

[CornishBrian in reply to joyce741]

They changed you over not because of price but because it was being taken off the shelves. The reason was it wasn't suitable in containers that weren't CFC based....the propellant that is. That was the reason for it finishing.

[soulsaver]

I couldn't tolerate Fostair. makes the inside of my lungs feel as if they're cold & running damp with an increase in mucous production. When I said that, they took me off it straight away. ... so now you know what to tell 'em ... if you want to get back to seretide. Good luck, maybe the Fostair will be better for you...

I don't tolerate high dose inhaled steroid, although I wondered why I could take these constituents separately, but Stilltruckin's link clarified that the Beclo is in particles and is equiv of over 3 times the 100 ug MDI Clenil modulate dose.

Appreciated.

[Mini1234]

I will most certainly be knocking on my Dr's door if I get any problems with it. I hope I can get along with it ok though. Cheers Mini. X

[soulsaver]

Yep I hope it's good for you, Mini...

We might want to test this with the BLF, but my belief is you can refuse to move to another drug & insist you stay on your current drug, even the original. I got put back on Lipitor after sides with the generic eqiv of Atoravastatin - and it's 10x the price!