DP went to drs yesterday to be told they're stopping making his inhalor

[ilovecaboose]

dp went for checkup at drs yesterday and was told the NHS is changing the inhalor he is on (diskhalor- powder not aerosol).

I'm worried about how it will affect his asthma. It is very different and wondering if it will take time for him to get used to it and what will happen in the meantime.

Also worried about how easy it is to tell when it is running out. ITs easy to tell and judge how much medicication dp needs at mo as he goes through roughly 1 disk (8 doses) per day at normal times (though more if he is ill).

Does anyone know anything about the new inhalors they are bringing out or where I can find out. Dp not really bothered, but never is and I know its me that has to call ambulance if he gets ill and has to sort out how much medicine he has left and keep an eye on all that cos he is crap about it (he's very disorganised).

IT'll probably be fine, but I like to be prepared in advance for anything. The smallest thing can upset his asthma, even something like having to cope with new inhalor (though this won't affect him till it arrives).

does this link to NICE help at all?

no personal experience, sorry.

thanks for that - didn't have information I needed but gave me ideas of where to look.

Just realised its gonna mean both his reliever and preventer will be changed.

Pissed off even more now as have found out they're stopping making it not cos they've made a 'new and improved' model, but cos they want to concentrate on other stuff.

So he's gonna have to rely on another product already on the market that will be completely different from what he's using now.

Dp's asthma has been really well controlled over the past couple of years - b4 he ended up being rushed to hospital quite a few times over a couple of years and they eventually suggested getting a nebuliser for home. He got better though and I don't want him to go back like that when all his medication changes.

Oh and they want all the inhalers changed by end of September and we've only just found out about it. This really pisses me off.

oh no. dh has/had asthma (i say had as he hasnt needed his inahlors since his LVAd op which is odd) and used the diskhalors. i think i just returned 3 boxes to the chemist.

dont mean to hijack but want to vent!
went to docs yesterday to get dhs repeat prescription for his insulin and she only gave me a couple of boxes of cartridges.
when i questioned her she said they will only issue one months supply of medicines from now on due to wastage.
wtf?! a diabetic wasting insulin? he doesnt have much choice but to use it!
they used to give it to him in a three month supply.
what a load of sh1t I say.

I would have thought that diskhalers will be being d/c by the manufacturers - nothing to do with NHS! Although can't be sure and can't see anything on GSK website.
Has your dp been given new inhalers - the accuhaler is the nearest design to a diskhaler (it probably is the new and improved diskhaler, the diskhaler is very rarely recommended now as other inhalers are much better at delivering the drug to the lungs)- it is drypowder and has a counter on it. It may mean changing the steroid but that shouldn't make a huge difference aslong as the dose is converted correctly - usually the drug companies bring out dose conversion charts.
HTH

surely it depends what is in it rather than the kind of inhalor?

I have asthma and have been prescribed turbohalors and aerosol inhalors and they have had the same thing in them at the same dosage

Thanks for all the replies.

JuA - thanks for that information that has been very useful. One of my main worries was how the new inhalor would work/how you would be able to see the levels in it.

I have text Dp's mum to talk to her about it - she has obviously had lots more experience of DP asthma.

Think his preventer will have to change as it is only available as a diskhaler as far as I can tell - I know there is a least one other that didn't do much for him.

A couple of years ago his asthma was terrible and there were several times I had to rush him to hospital. It has been mostly good over the past 2 years and I don't want anything to upset it again.

I'm asthmatic myself and use the same inhaler, but mine is mild and won't suffer any upset from this - dp on the other hand is a different case.