Spiriva inhaler

[Tweety78]

Hi all can someone help with spiriva inhaler I have been taking this for a week and it don't last 24 hours this morning it was 4 hours short I had a bad attack this morning it in turn give me a angina attack some advice would be nice thank you all there is some very nice people on this site.

[Hidden]

Hi I am a bit confused by your post. Spiriva as far as I know is a long acting bronchiliater which helps strengthen your lungs. It is usually taken once a day and has plenty of doses in.

Are you talking about your salbutomel blue ventolin? This is a reliever which you take as and when you are feeling extra breathless.

[Tweety78 in reply to Hidden]

Yes I am confused to if it last 24 hours I should not need to take ventolin I can understand if your having a bad attack but this is 4 hours short every day for a week l have heard in the us some capsule are empty strange

[Hidden in reply to Tweety78]

I don't get this coz when I was prescribed spiriva I was given enough capsules for a month. Do you only get a weeks supply at a time? How can it be 4 hours short a day for a week when you only take it every 24 hours?

[Tweety78 in reply to Hidden]

Hi this is the 7 days today I have taken it so 7 times I have bad breathing each time about 4 hours less than 24 hours so it is not doing what is said on the packet.

[newlands in reply to Tweety78]

I think what you are saying is,you take the spriva and it's not lasting 24 hrs so you have too take ventolin,and it has been doing this for a week now

I sometimes have this problem but not everyday,check wth your doctor or pharmacist It's strange you should bring spiriva up cos a letter has just arrived to tell me mine is been changed too braitus ,no doubt it's cheaper, I'm fed up have having inhalers swapped

You take care

Dorothy

[carotopgal in reply to newlands]

This happened to my husband too! He was on Spiriva and was doing well. Then in Dec his insurance company sent a letter saying they would no longer pay for Spiriva and he would need to be changed to Combivent Respimat (you have to use this 4 times a day vs just once a day with Spiriva). It's an older drug and not as effective in my opinion. I'm sure the insurance company cut a deal with the pharmaceutical company for this cheaper drug (although we had to pay the same amount for it as the Spiriva!). My husband has been coughing more on the Combivent. So I decided to order outside the US and asked the doctor for another script for the Spiriva (way cheaper this way!!). It's supposed to arrive in the next week or so. It's a shame what the insurance companies here in the US get a way with.

[newlands in reply to carotopgal]

That's really sad,I lived in the states and know how expensive health care is ,hope your husband gets sorted soon

Take care

Dorothy

[mrsmummy]

It will probably pay you to discuss this with whoever prescribed it. There are a number of long-acting inhalers and another may suit you better.

[soulsaver]

You could use Ventolin to bridge the feeling that Spiraiva isn't working for the last 4 hours. Spiriva effectiveness builds over time so you may want to give it a week or 2 longer if its working well for 20 hours?

Still worth a discussion with your Resp nurse and/or GP.

[2greys in reply to soulsaver]

Yes, my GP said it would take a while to build up, perhaps a month. He was right, it took a month with me.

[stone-UK]

Hi

Long acting inhalers build up in your system. So in effect your daily dosage is just a top up. Recommended that you take at same time each day.

Do you also have a another long acting inhaler with steroid, such as Seretide or Fostair.

Have you been shown the correct technique, pharmacy can help with that.

Is the breathlessness whilst still in bed? may be better sleeping raised up.

If you do feel is not effective than a word with your GP will be in order to find a more suitable alternative.

General rule is all inhalers are suitable for COPD, some are more suitable for Asthmatics.

Could also try using your Ventolin two puffs,four time daily, morning, noon, teatime, and bedtime.(recommended by my respitory team)

[Hidden]

I understood that I was to use my Spiriva once in the morning, with Fostair twice a day, and Sabutamol up to 4 times every day.

[fernway]

Is it the Spiriva Respimat as opposed to the capsules.

The advice I was given was that you should take two doses per day at the same time. Then only use my Salamol Rescue Inhaler as and when required, usually after trying to do something more strenuous.

My experience of Spiriva Respimat was that I used to use it straight after breakfast, then give it 30 minutes or so to 'kick in', then usually good for the rest of the day.

I have now stopped using any inhalers now as I find they all just give me a persistent dry cough which makes any normal breathing almost impossible.

Sadly the only response I ever get from my GP, COPD nurse or Specialist is that I should carry on using the Spiriva, despite the fact that the cough it produces is more debilitating than the symptoms it is supposed to suppress.

[Tweety78 in reply to fernway]

Hi fernway I take the capsules when they say two doses at the same time they only say that in case you don't get all the powder but you would have to have very poor lungs not get the full dose on thirst inhale thanks for the post bye.

[ingridfk in reply to fernway]

Hi ! I stopped using Spiriva because of the swollen ankles and chronic fatigue it gave me. Just using my Ventolin inhaler now, when I feel the need for it. I told my GP I'd stopped taking it and why, his response was just " okay" he didn't prescribe an alternative. I wasn't aware that Spiriva's benefits 'build up' in your system

[Lozza17]

I've been on this for over 12 months now , but only have this once in morning but my inhaler as many as 6 times a day , I've got heart desease and I'm back at cardio dept tomorrow for echo and 24 hr tape , that's causing me problems at moment but spiriva is good

[Tweety78 in reply to Lozza17]

Hi lozza17 it seems you have the same promlems as me I have had 2 triple by passes and a stent at papworth so far spiriva has not cause me any promlems here hoping all the best.