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Medications: had to try many inhalers till I found one that one worked
Asthma & Allergy | Last Active: 12 hours ago | Replies (8)Comment receiving replies
@chuckstran - well, a "hot-dog sized plastic thing" certainly is more colorful and interesting than "aerochamber," though, I have to say.
An aerochamber kinda looks like something that could be over-the-counter, but it does need a prescription. I just mentioned in a portal message to my allergist that a pharmacist had told me it could be really helpful. The allergist said "sure" and prescribed it.
chuckstran, about the whistle in between inhaling the medication you mentioned that warns if you're sucking the medicated air in too fast: I will say that the first aerochamber I had did not have a whistle. I was quite alarmed the morning after I got my second aerochamber when it started whistling while my husband was still asleep on a Sat. morning, and I was using the inhaler in the master bathroom. No one at the pharmacy had mentioned this whistle feature. Of course, the whistle was giving me a useful message to change how I was using it.
So, if you have a situation where you would awaken someone with the aerochamber's whistle, that is something to be aware of.
@jc76 - Do you experience any side effects when you use the fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder, USP (Wixela)?
Replies to "@chuckstran - well, a "hot-dog sized plastic thing" certainly is more colorful and interesting than "aerochamber,"..."
@lisalucier
Lisa, No did not have any side affects.
I did not think I was going to find an inhaler that worked but Wixela (at least for me) does.
Those fast acting inhalers I was asked to try and use prior to doing a Sprint Triathlon (I was getting short of breath during swim). I would use it and did seem to dealy the onset of the symptoms but would just get them later in the swim. Atrovent would made me start coughing more and immediately after using.
I did not find any of them (except Wixela) worked well when sympstoms would start up on normal non race days where sinuses and bronchial area I could feel was irritated causing wheezing and coughing. I would use Wixela on those days and did work after about 30 minutes and lasted throughout the day for me.
The Wixela I don't ever see mentioned other than me. I thought I could mentioned it as another inhaler to asked your medical provider about. It does take about 30 minutes to work but after that it really brings me relief. I think like you mentioned having to keep trying to find something that works for you and your symptoms
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I think we need to distinguish between emergency inhaler and inhalation therapy.
Some inhalers are emergency inhalers (albuterol, etc.) and intended to provide immediate relief during an asthma attack or to ward one off. I'll also use mine when I'm a little wheezy and anticipating that exertion might trigget an attack before a gym workout, fishing a trout stream or hiking.
Advair discs, synthetic steroid inhalers and others are meant to provide some sort of therapy to the lung or bronchia tissue and the relief doesn't occur until after the change prrovided by the therapy has taken place.
I've been to docs who simply say, "Inhaler, ty this for your asthma," without specifying what the purpose of the inhaler is. Up to us to read the fine print on the back side of the leaflet to find out what's going on, or press the doc for clear instruction on what it's for.