Hey all!<br><br>I've seen so many symbicort commercials on tv lately and have been considering asking my doc about it. I know some of you are on it instead of advair. I searched for a previous topic about it and found a few where just about everyone said they liked it and thought it worked better than advair. My doc has always tried to put me on advair as a long term med, and if I don't refuse it right away, I end up stopping it shortly after starting. I find that I ALWAYS need albuterol. I neb it morning and night and sometimes puff it during the day...this is with or without using advair. I've always been advised not to use albuterol so much with advair because that's overkill since advair contains some albuterol (fast acting situations are ok with advair but nebbing albuterol, too, is not a great idea), but I find I still need it. Would I be in the same situation with symbicort or could I still use this much albuterol with it if I needed it? Currently I'm on flovent and don't see any difference in breathing...my inflammation is extreme and very hard to battle.<br><br>thanks!<br>
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symbicort
- Thread starter ej0820
- Start date
Hey all!<br><br>I've seen so many symbicort commercials on tv lately and have been considering asking my doc about it. I know some of you are on it instead of advair. I searched for a previous topic about it and found a few where just about everyone said they liked it and thought it worked better than advair. My doc has always tried to put me on advair as a long term med, and if I don't refuse it right away, I end up stopping it shortly after starting. I find that I ALWAYS need albuterol. I neb it morning and night and sometimes puff it during the day...this is with or without using advair. I've always been advised not to use albuterol so much with advair because that's overkill since advair contains some albuterol (fast acting situations are ok with advair but nebbing albuterol, too, is not a great idea), but I find I still need it. Would I be in the same situation with symbicort or could I still use this much albuterol with it if I needed it? Currently I'm on flovent and don't see any difference in breathing...my inflammation is extreme and very hard to battle.<br><br>thanks!<br>
Hey all!<br><br>I've seen so many symbicort commercials on tv lately and have been considering asking my doc about it. I know some of you are on it instead of advair. I searched for a previous topic about it and found a few where just about everyone said they liked it and thought it worked better than advair. My doc has always tried to put me on advair as a long term med, and if I don't refuse it right away, I end up stopping it shortly after starting. I find that I ALWAYS need albuterol. I neb it morning and night and sometimes puff it during the day...this is with or without using advair. I've always been advised not to use albuterol so much with advair because that's overkill since advair contains some albuterol (fast acting situations are ok with advair but nebbing albuterol, too, is not a great idea), but I find I still need it. Would I be in the same situation with symbicort or could I still use this much albuterol with it if I needed it? Currently I'm on flovent and don't see any difference in breathing...my inflammation is extreme and very hard to battle.<br><br>thanks!<br>
cnsky54RRT
New member
Advair, Symbicort and Flovent are twice-a-day meds that are meant to build up a useful amount in your system and maintain you at a therapeutic level. None of them are for fast relief of shortness of breath, so taking them when in need won't work, and taking them now and then doesn't build up a good level, so that doesn't work either. Do them twice a day as instructed.
Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
cnsky54RRT
New member
Advair, Symbicort and Flovent are twice-a-day meds that are meant to build up a useful amount in your system and maintain you at a therapeutic level. None of them are for fast relief of shortness of breath, so taking them when in need won't work, and taking them now and then doesn't build up a good level, so that doesn't work either. Do them twice a day as instructed.
Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
cnsky54RRT
New member
Advair, Symbicort and Flovent are twice-a-day meds that are meant to build up a useful amount in your system and maintain you at a therapeutic level. None of them are for fast relief of shortness of breath, so taking them when in need won't work, and taking them now and then doesn't build up a good level, so that doesn't work either. Do them twice a day as instructed.
<br />
<br />Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
<br />
<br />Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
<br />
<br />Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
<br />
<br />Albuterol works within 20 minutes for quick airway opening, and holds them open four to six hours. In the hospital we give it four times a day so it has long-term benefit to patients. Some people use this routine at home, others carry it for emergency airway distress. If it seems like you use too much, check into Xopenex (pro Zo-penex), a highly-refined albuterol that can be taken every 8 hours with no jittery nervous symptoms. Using it more often than Q8 doesn't make it work any better. We give it to asthmatic kids who need a lot of airway opening but can't tolerate the jitters from constant albuterol. Another good long-term bronchodilator that we nebulize is Brovana twice a day. Attaches to the same receptors as albuterol, but lasts a long time in your system.
<br />
<br />Extra albuterol is only 'overkill' if you don't really need it and are just puffing away at it so symptoms won't ever come along. I have seen people use a whole inhaler in a day that way! You don't want to build a tolerance to it. If you have been getting good relief from the Advair or Symbicort, then the albuterol may not be needed as much, but don't hold back if you are short of breath! That's what it is there for! Do all meds as prescribed, and if they don't do what they are supposed to, let the doctor know and he/she can adjust dosages. (There are three strengths of Advair that we use in the hospital for example)
<br />
<br />Are you getting any steroids for the inflammation? Yes, Prednisone is lousy, but it can be useful!
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering though if albuterol can be taken as much as I take it if I were on symbicort. I've tried advair (all three strengths) before and needed albuterol just as much while on it or off. I always take what I'm prescribed when I'm supposed to. I've stopped advair before (per my CF doc) because it wasn't doing anything. I found the same thing to happen with xopenex...it doesn't help me. I was told by my doc that that much albuterol on top of advair (because advair, while I understand is not fast acting, does contain albuterol in it) is too much albuterol in a day. Is this the case with symbicort, too, even though it's a different mixture of bronchodialators than advair?
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering though if albuterol can be taken as much as I take it if I were on symbicort. I've tried advair (all three strengths) before and needed albuterol just as much while on it or off. I always take what I'm prescribed when I'm supposed to. I've stopped advair before (per my CF doc) because it wasn't doing anything. I found the same thing to happen with xopenex...it doesn't help me. I was told by my doc that that much albuterol on top of advair (because advair, while I understand is not fast acting, does contain albuterol in it) is too much albuterol in a day. Is this the case with symbicort, too, even though it's a different mixture of bronchodialators than advair?
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering though if albuterol can be taken as much as I take it if I were on symbicort. I've tried advair (all three strengths) before and needed albuterol just as much while on it or off. I always take what I'm prescribed when I'm supposed to. I've stopped advair before (per my CF doc) because it wasn't doing anything. I found the same thing to happen with xopenex...it doesn't help me. I was told by my doc that that much albuterol on top of advair (because advair, while I understand is not fast acting, does contain albuterol in it) is too much albuterol in a day. Is this the case with symbicort, too, even though it's a different mixture of bronchodialators than advair?
Before using symbicort, I used albuterol about 4x daily. I tried Advair and seemed to do worse, also pulmicort. Perhaps it was the dry powdered inhalation business, I don't think it agrees with me.
After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
()
After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
()
Before using symbicort, I used albuterol about 4x daily. I tried Advair and seemed to do worse, also pulmicort. Perhaps it was the dry powdered inhalation business, I don't think it agrees with me.
After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
()
After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
()
Before using symbicort, I used albuterol about 4x daily. I tried Advair and seemed to do worse, also pulmicort. Perhaps it was the dry powdered inhalation business, I don't think it agrees with me.
<br />
<br />After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
<br />
<br />My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
<br />
<br />I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
<br />
<br />()
<br />
<br />After a few weeks on symbicort, I stopped needing albuterol every day. I use it maybe 2x a day for week of each month--around my time of the month, and I use it when I am exposed to a trigger, and when I am having an exacerbation. I would say my use of albuterol has been 1/8'ed. I list it as one of my current meds and say "as needed" and no dr has told me to stop.
<br />
<br />My issues with rapid HR are gone now. I never felt I responded well to zopenex. I'd get a headache from coughing the plug that stayed plugged.
<br />
<br />I would give Symicort a try. Inhaled steriods take a couple weeks to take effect, but the whole point of them is to reduce inflammation, making the bronchodilator less imperative. If you found that in maybe a month, you couldn't wean off the high albuterol use, you could reevaluate the symbicort. You can always do tons of albuterol with a separate inhaled steroid, like pulmicort, if you felt the long acting bronchodilator did nothing for you.
<br />
<br />()
Per the manufacturer you should not use albuterol & Symbicort at the same time w/o significant medical justification. This is a question for the prescribing doctor to decide if it is safe.
The documented interactions are:
Increased blood pressure & heart rate
Decrease potassium levels.
The documented interactions are:
Increased blood pressure & heart rate
Decrease potassium levels.
Per the manufacturer you should not use albuterol & Symbicort at the same time w/o significant medical justification. This is a question for the prescribing doctor to decide if it is safe.
The documented interactions are:
Increased blood pressure & heart rate
Decrease potassium levels.
The documented interactions are:
Increased blood pressure & heart rate
Decrease potassium levels.
Per the manufacturer you should not use albuterol & Symbicort at the same time w/o significant medical justification. This is a question for the prescribing doctor to decide if it is safe.
<br />
<br />The documented interactions are:
<br />Increased blood pressure & heart rate
<br />Decrease potassium levels.
<br />
<br />The documented interactions are:
<br />Increased blood pressure & heart rate
<br />Decrease potassium levels.