Confused about asthma inhalers!

[clovesofwine]

Does anyone know the difference between brown and pink inhalers?!

I know that it’s a different medicine in it- I think brown is steroid and pink is steroid and a dilator (fostair), but what I mean is, when would one be given over the other? Is there one that’s better acting or stronger than the other and better in? Would brown be tried first and then pink or vice versa? Or does it just depend on the individual asthma symptoms for which inhaler is picked?

When I got my fostair inhaler, I got to choose the inhaler it was put in, as I didn’t like the white inhaler I went for the red one that I found easier ti take.

it’s not the style ir colour of the inhaler but the name.

can you give the name if the two inhalers drugs?

patient.info/chest-lungs/asthma-leaflet/asthma-inhalers

www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/

Steroid inhalers (‘preventers’) are used everyday, regardless of symptoms.

Relievers (e.g. salbutamol) are taken on an as-required basis.

They do different jobs, so it’s hard to compare in terms of better/stronger - the aim of good asthma control is that you wouldn’t need to use your reliever regularly, but the reliever is the one you’d want if you were to have an asthma attack.

Fostair is a preventer which should be taken morning and night and should mean that no other inhaler is required if it suits your needs. I take that but still have a blue venting pump as really cold or hot weather can get to me during the day. Does your surgery or pharmacy have an asthma specialist? I was really bad until I saw one and got it properly controlled.

Fostair is a preventer inhaler containing a steroid and a long acting beta agonist (basically a longer acting version of the ‘reliever’ drug salbutamol/ventolin). It’s for asthma sufferers who aren’t adequately controlled by inhaled steroid alone so an additional step on the asthma treatment ladder.

You'd usually be put on brown inhalers as a first treatment, depending on the severity of your asthma. Fostair (pink inhaler) is for asthma that needs additional treatment and may be used in conjunction with other inhalers.

Please, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Asthma kills. People think that’s it’s just an inconvenience. And people with mild or moderate asthma are at higher risk. It’s vital to have treatment right, and to know how to take your medication properly.

Ah I must have misunderstood, I was assuming the colours meant some kind of code in strength or type lol. I’ve been on fostair for a little while and it’s in a pink inhaler, but I have friends who are on different ones that are brown. Obviously what we are all on works for each of us but I posted because I was just a bit curious and confused about the different types and what the colours etc meant so brown vs pink.

I was put on the brown inhaler once diagnosed but quickly moved to Fostair and then Montelukast tablets as well as my asthma is difficult to control. I now have a consultant plus my asthma nurse at the GP surgery.

I use the Fostair for both preventer and reliever but also have ventolin (blue inhaler) for asthma attacks and for when I need more than the max 8 puffs of Fostair a day.

It's all about finding which medicine works best for you.

Ah I must have misunderstood, I was assuming the colours meant some kind of code

when I went to see the consultant at hospital, he got out a selection of different shaped and coloured inhalers, without any medication inside and asked me to try them. I did and we settled on a while twisting inhaler for the fostair.www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/turbohaler/
I then returned for a follow up appointment and explained I wasn't getting on with the inhaler case and he swapped it for another stylewww.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/nexthaler/ - which I find much easier to use.

So same medicine but different inhaler case

They typically put you on the brown one first, next they put you on a pink or white one. The strongest is usually the grey one- which I’m currently one. I believe the brown ones are not steroid inhalers, but the pink, white and grey ones are. The blue ones are seperate inhalers as they are relievers, whilst the aforementioned ones are all preventers.

@clovesofwine hi ya, I'm a respiratory specialist nurse. Fostair contains the same type & dose of steroid as the "brown" inhaler, but the particle size is smaller, giving it the ability to get deeper into the lungs. In addition, fostair also contains a long acting bronchodilator - similar to the blue salbutamol inhaler but works for 12 hours.
Normally you will be prescribed fostair as a "step up" if the brown inhaler isn't controlling symptoms.
It can be used as a preventer and a reliever, meaning hopefully you wouldn't need the blue as well, although sometimes people do.

Please feel free to ask me any more questions.

@summerlovingvibes

thanks, I didn't know that fostair was a steroid, I have been much better since taking it and use it two puffs a day