Relvar ellipta

[poppym12]

Does anyone (UK based) take this inhaler for asthma or COPD?

I became unwell whilst abroad with a severe asthma attack caused by a cold. The doctor at the clinic said that normal blue and brown inhalers usually prescribed are inferior and suggest I try a long acting inhaler, relvar ellipta.

It's been great. I take one puff in the morning and haven't needed to use any ventolin at all as a reliever.

I spoke to my GP's receptionist when I submitted my repeat prescription request and gave details of the inhaler I've been using, asking for my prescription to be changed.

I collected my meds tonight, same old blue and brown inhalers, no relvar ellipta. I'm a bit gutted as I've felt so much better with it but it seems my GP hasn't or won't prescribe it (I'll ring the surgery tomorrow).

I'm wondering if anyone is prescribed the relvar ellipta inhaler in the UK? Maybe it's cost prohibitive?

Yes my DP has it prescribed. Has done for about 4/5 years now.
He has chronic asthma and was hospitalised a few times with it. It was the hospital that actually put him on it and insisted the doctors keep him on it as well as his respiratory outpatient nurse.

He takes it once I think in the morning and uses his blue inhaler as and when he's needed it.

Lots of people use it, but your mistake was requesting it as repeat. No GP will prescribe a change in inhaler with no proper history. You need to request the change through an appointment of some sort.

The combo inhalers with the long acting reliever were a game changer for me. I briefly had relvar but asked to come off it as the risks listed in the leaflet seemed much worse than other inhalers I've tried. Make a GP appointment, they might try their standard combination inhaler first (there's loads of them, I've had seretide and flutiform) but you might get equally good results.

Thank you for the replies. Today's task is to get through to the surgery to make an appointment - challenging.

@jenniferberkley, can I say what the side effects that put you off were?

Sorry, @JenniferBarkley

Can I ask!!!! My brain is obviously not working today

you're obviously in the same mode as me.

I can't remember tbh, possibly something like bone density, but the rates were much lower than on other inhalers I've tried. At the same time, not so scary that I wouldn't have continued if it was the only one for me. I'm sure the patient leaflets are online, might be worth a read so you can discuss with your GP.