Question:
use brochodilators as needed (unless otherwise directed by your MD) use steroids every day
Ah, there’s the rub. Too damned many doctors are still only prescribing bronchodilators and not inhaled steriods. How the hell do we educate the patients if we can’t educate the MD’s????? Loki
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – use brochodilators as needed (unless otherwise directed by your MD) use steroids every day Ah, there’s the rub. Too damned many doctors are still only prescribing bronchodilators and not inhaled steriods. How the hell do we educate the patients if we can’t educate the MD’s????? Loki
Good question. Being a doctor does not mean that you have all the answers, like most people expect. Everyone must take responsibilty for his/her own health and educate themselves. The should go to a library, ask the librarian to teach them how to use the search engine for professional literature and research the research. bill
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, if a bronchodilator is used more than twice per week, an anti-inflammatory drug should be in the preention program.
Most people take anti-inflammatory drugs in addition to 1 or 2 puffs of Ventolin a day….many just to open the airways a little so anti-inflammatories penetrate better. I find the "used more than twice a week" statement a little on the ambiguous side in that many docs will prescibe Serevent to ease the Ventolin use, and Serevent seems to trigger many more cardio-vascular side effects that Ventolin. .This is not to say that Ventolin (and similar drugs) will definitely bring on a heart attack. But, it does increase the odds for one.<
Possibly true, but the strain on your heart caused by trying to draw a breath has got to be worse. I guess you have to do what is best for you. Asthma is not easy, and a lifetime of taking meds has got to have an effect on your body…..but I do believe that 1 or 2 puffs of Ventolin a day is of little significance considering that the recommended dosage is 2 puffs every 4-6 hours. Good breathing to you!
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed? Good Day. That depends on whether your inhaler is a bronchodilator or an anti-inflammatory medicine. Generally, bronchodilators should only be used when needed. Anti-inflammatory drugs need to be taken regularly, as they treat the underlying problem of asthma, inflammation of the airways. Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack. While it is more important to breathe now than worry about future problems and risk death from a serious asthma attack, minimizing your use of bronchodilators by using other treatments, in addition to them is now commonly accepted as the best approach. Donald Hellen (Note: Anti-Spam Measure… remove the "1" in front of our address to reply by email.)
use brochodilators as needed (unless otherwise directed by your MD) use steroids every day bill
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Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed? Asthma medication are now considered to be in one of two classes: Quick-Relief medications and Long-Term control medications.
<snip I have both types of medication in identical Turbohaler delivery systems. The preventative (a steroid) has a brown ring on the bottom, the reliever a blue one. I believe this form of colour coding is usual in the UK. Preventers are taken on a regular basis however well you are feeling. Relivers are taken ‘as needed’ which hopefully isn;t very often. If you have any doubt about your drugs & how to use them I suggest you go back to the doctor who prescribed them. — Surfer! To e-mail change ww to w in ‘Reply to’
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Hmmm….maybe most people have minimal side effects, but one puff of MaxAir makes me shake so bad that I dan’t take notes in class, and my heart rate goes up to about 150. So the amount of side effects depends on the person and the specific formulation of the bronchiodialator.
That’s why the latest information indicates that asthma is an inflammatory condition, and, if a bronchodilator is used more than twice per week, an anti-inflammatory drug should be in the preention program. This is from the National Institute of Health’s latest paper on the subject. This has been the position of experts in the field for several years. Now, many family practicioners are joining forces with these experts and ading these drugs to their treatment regimen. This is not to say that Ventolin (and similar drugs) will definitely bring on a heart attack. But, it does increase the odds for one. Much like smoking increases the chance of cardiovascular and lung problems. Not for sure, but very likely, over the long term, for a significant percentage of those using them. Donald Hellen (Note: Anti-Spam Measure… remove the "1" in front of our address to reply by email.)
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Here’s a quote from the online Merck Manual on the dangers of bronchodilators like Ventolin: When symptomatic, patients with mild intermittent asthma may be successfully managed with beta2-agonists given from a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). If symptoms become persistent, adrenergic aerosols may be required on a regular basis in a dose of 2 inhalations tid to qid. A recent well-designed study in New Zealand suggests that regular use of inhaled beta2-agonists may increase the morbidity of asthma. Note that it can increase the chances of death (morbidity.) For more information, go to this site (the search is already done for you.)
Please not the disclaimer on the Mereck Manual web site that the information is from 1992 and may be outdated. More recent research has determined that increased bronchodilator usage is not the cause of asthma deaths, but a warning sign of uncontroled asthma. In addition It was noted that New Zealand (in an effort to decrease medical care expenses) placed bronchodilators on a ‘nonrestricted’ list where asthma patients could purchase them without being examined by a doctor. In addition bronchodilators are considered safe for use in persons without heart problems. If you have both heart problems and asthma then you should make sure that the doctor is aware of this.
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Hmmm….maybe most people have minimal side effects, but one puff of MaxAir makes me shake so bad that I dan’t take notes in class, and my heart rate goes up to about 150. So the amount of side effects depends on the person and the specific formulation of the bronchiodialator. Needless to say, I avoid it at all costs. I think when the prescription runs out (or the expiration date on my MaxAir passes) I’m going back to Ventolin. I don’t have nearly as much problems with it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack. This is news to me. I asked my doctor this exact question and was told it was safe to use. What do people with heart conditions and asthma use? If you take 1 or 2 puffs a day of Ventolin, according to my doctor, you should have minor or zero side effects……wether you think you need it or not.
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Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack. This is news to me. I asked my doctor this exact question and was told it was safe to use. What do people with heart conditions and asthma use? If you take 1 or 2 puffs a day of Ventolin, according to my doctor, you should have minor or zero side effects……wether you think you need it or not.
I think we need to be somewhat careful about believing everything we hear on the "health news." Too often, these items are touted for the sake of building up an audience for the spot, or filling up time. Many such reports are based on confusing correlation with causation — for example, people who are good at math tend to wear larger shoes than people who aren’t very good at math. (Because the "good" group tends to be adults and the "not so good group" tends to be children.) The two facts go together, but bigger shoes don’t make people better at math. Just try buying your 5-year-old adult-sized shoes and see if that helps with long division. Reporters pick up on correlational findings and rush to proclaim a new cause/cure for a condition. The New England Journal of Medicine had an excellent article on this very topic a couple of summers ago. Another problem can occur when the media learn of what is probably a very rare death and then exaggerate the amount of risk encountered by the average patient who is following recommended dosages under a doctor’s supervision. Everyone knows that all medicines can have side effects. The bronchodilators are known to have the potential for increasing heart rate. Indiscriminate overuse of these drugs, or use by people who should not be taking them, can of course be dangerous, and even deadly. However, if your doctor says that 1 or 2 puffs of Ventolin a day are safe for you, you can be reassured that thousands of asthma patients — including this writer — have taken that dose daily under a doctor’s supervision for many years with no problems.
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Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed? Good Day.
That depends on whether your inhaler is a bronchodilator or an anti-inflammatory medicine. Generally, bronchodilators should only be used when needed. Anti-inflammatory drugs need to be taken regularly, as they treat the underlying problem of asthma, inflammation of the airways. Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack. While it is more important to breathe now than worry about future problems and risk death from a serious asthma attack, minimizing your use of bronchodilators by using other treatments, in addition to them is now commonly accepted as the best approach. Donald Hellen (Note: Anti-Spam Measure… remove the "1" in front of our address to reply by email.)
Response:
Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack.
This is news to me. I asked my doctor this exact question and was told it was safe to use. What do people with heart conditions and asthma use? If you take 1 or 2 puffs a day of Ventolin, according to my doctor, you should have minor or zero side effects……wether you think you need it or not.
Response:
Bronchdilators have come under attack in the news recently, as they increase your risk of heart attack. This is news to me. I asked my doctor this exact question and was told it was safe to use. What do people with heart conditions and asthma use? If you take 1 or 2 puffs a day of Ventolin, according to my doctor, you should have minor or zero side effects……wether you think you need it or not.
Here’s a quote from the online Merck Manual on the dangers of bronchodilators like Ventolin: When symptomatic, patients with mild intermittent asthma may be successfully managed with beta2-agonists given from a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). If symptoms become persistent, adrenergic aerosols may be required on a regular basis in a dose of 2 inhalations tid to qid. A recent well-designed study in New Zealand suggests that regular use of inhaled beta2-agonists may increase the morbidity of asthma. Note that it can increase the chances of death (morbidity.) For more information, go to this site (the search is already done for you.) http://www.merck.com/!!tvPhK3rWytvPhK3rWy/htbin/search_mmanual/?term=… This is not to say that they shouldn’t be used. Not at all! They have their place in management of attacks. For prevention, inhaled steroids are the preferred treatment now. Asthma is now considered an inflammatory condition, so steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs are useful in the management of asthma. These have a good safety record (particularly the inhaled ones) in both Canada and the U.S. over the last 25 years or so. They do not completely eliminate the use of Ventolin, just decrease the need for it. They do not stimulate the heart, so there are no cardiac side effects. People with heart problems and asthma are much more at risk using bronchodilators. But, remember, breathing now and living outweighs the longer-term side effects, don’t you agree? No doctor will say that they are completely safe. All drugs have a benefit-to-risk ratio, even OTC drugs. The term "safe" is a relative one here, so your doctor isn’t lying to you. If you were to visit an allergist or a doctor who stays abreast of recent developments, you would likely find that, if you use your inhaler more then 2-3 times per week, they would prefer to put you on an anti-inflammatory drug for maintenance to minimize your use of Ventolin. You would still use Ventolin or some other drug to manage attacks. Donald Hellen
Response:
Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed?
Asthma medication are now considered to be in one of two classes: Quick-Relief medications and Long-Term control medications. Current medical doctrine for your ‘inhaler’ (a quick-relief medication) is that it should be only used on an ‘ass-needed’ basis. The 1997 asthma treatment guidelines discuss this and can be found at: JAMA html 97 asthma treatment guidelines http://www.ama-assn.org/special/asthma/treatmnt/guide/guidelin/guidel… Downloadable 97 asthma treatment guidelines http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/lung/asthma/prof/asthgdln.htm ‘Reply to’ address changed to foil email spammers.
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It depends on what tpye of inhaler it is. Preventative inhalers should be used all the time even if you feel better in order to prevent problems. Hope this helps. Hannah – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed? Good Day.
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Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed? Good Day.
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Hi, Is it a good idea to use your inhaler on a regular basis (even if you feel well) to prevent future attacks? Or should you only use it when needed?
It depends on which inhaler and on your doctor’s instructions. I use all my asthma meds regularly, day in, day out, and have a Ventolin Rotacaps (dry powder) which I use prn (when needed, which isn’t too often, fortunately). As a general rule, corticosteroid inhalers such as Azmacort or Flovent will NOT work on an as-needed basis — they do not give relief in a few minutes like Ventolin or other beta-agonists. — David Matthews, Boston University
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— Lisa 