Seretide inhaler (purple asthma one) - a few questions?

[TheArmadillo]

I've been put on a seretide inhaler and am a bit confused by it (I was on becotide before).

I am wheezy most the time at the mo (am also on steroid tablets at moment). So when I come to take my seretide (its the 250 one and I'm on 4puffs 2x day) and I'm wheezy can I take my ventolin at the same time? Or because it contains a reliever will it relieve it anyway?

Am taking ventolin at least once every 2 hours (sometimes more) and am quite shaky with the high doses and don't want to take it with seretide if seretide will help by itself.

Does anyone know?

Hi I am on Seretide 250, and take two puffs morning and night, I must admit I thought that was the maxium dose.
Anyway, as far as I know you can take ventolin on top when wheezy. YOu shouldn't need to do this for long periods of time, when you are having acute asthma symptoms it is fine to do it.

thanks - good point about taking the ventolin first, hadn't thought about that.

I am better than I was (can actually talk now), and I know I'm taking a lot of ventolin. I have an infection at the moment that is affecting my asthma. This is my second set of steroid tablets in about a month .

Finding seretide confusing cos of the preventer plus reliever thing.

I think they'll take the dosage down when I'm feeling better. Haven't even really had to use my ventolin in the past few years.

So long since I've had to think about all this that it gets confusing.

Are you also taking inhaled steroids?

ds wasn't controled on his blue reliver.....he was having to take it too often IYSWIM. They put him on a bown steroid inhaller, which does the job very well.

(sorry if this is old ground to you)

sorry, just saw you are on steroid tabs. Ignore me i am an idiot

Seretide is a mixture of serevent which is a long term reliever and flixotide which is a preventer so if you are still having problems you need to take your Ventolin as this will act immediately. Of course if this isn't working or you need it too often you need to get medical advice.

yes the seretide is inhaled steriods, but its a (reasonably) new type that is a preventer (like my becotide- brown inhaler) was but also has a reliever in. I didn't get on very well with brown one.

Not even asthma society place has stuff on it. Am quite confused by whole thing (would help if my brain was functioning properly )

Thanks for replies.

x-posts.

Thanks fuchsia.

So severent different to ventolin in the way that it acts?

my ds is only just two and takes serevent 2 puffs morning and night and also 2-5 puffs of ventolin four times a day. Hope that helps

Hi Armadillo I have some knowledge in this area - let me try and help - hopefully without confusing.

Becotide is a steroid - acts a preventer - some people are resistent to its effects
Ventolin is a fast acting bronchodilator which should be used for acute attacks, but its effects don't last particularly long hence it is a reliever.
Serevent - is a bronchodilator but although it acts for a long time (12hrs) it doesn't act quickly enough to relieve the symptoms of an acute asthma attack - hence it is a preventer
Seretide - contains serevent (slow onset, long acting bronchodilator) and a steroid - Hence is a preventer and should not actually be used as a releiver.

Advice from New Zealand patient information leaflet - (I couldn't get the UK version to open)

"Seretide should not be used to relieve a sudden attach of breathlessness or wheezing.

If you get this sort of attack you must use a quick acting inhaler (eg. Ventolin) also known as a reliever puffer."

BUT Ventolin and Serevent do exactly the same thing to the lungs and an overdose is what causes your shakes - so IMO I would try not to take them too close together, although as others have suggested it maybe of benefit to try and open the airways with ventolin before using Seretide - Maybe the ventolin 1st and then leave it an hour or so if you are still feeling the benefits of the ventolin after an hour?

HTH - please ask if you need clarification.

thanks for that.

That's made it much clearer as to what each is for - am not so confused now.

seretide is a preventor and I still have to take ventolin as a reliever. I have always taken ventolin first to open airways then taken the seretide.