Symbicort inhaler
Hi I have never been formally diagnosed with COPD but quit smoking 7 months ago at age 73. I am still SOB climbing stairs,and sometimes when walking.I saw MD today and he put me on symbicort inhaler. What can I expect.?wondering what experiences others have had.thanks
I don't know where the sum ivory came from.its symbicort! I should have checked sorry
No worries,
! I fixed it. I hope you don't have COPD, but, if you do, you have already taken the most effective step toward slowing progression by quitting smoking. Congratulations! We know how hard that can be to do. Here is an article that decribes some other ways you can slow the progression of COPDhttps://copd.net/living/slowing-progression. I hope this helps and that you get input from others in the community. Warmly, Lori (Team Member) Thanks.I haven't heard from anyone yet but hope I do.
Everyone is different so it is very difficult to determine what to expect next. Obviously your stopping smoking is paramount. Finding the right medications is a huge help in deterring the progression. I use Symbicort also and it has been my best answer for many, many years now. Others have better luck with other meds. Equally important is an effort to put aside the anxiety that often comes with the diagnosis of COPD. It is not curable but it is controllable but a good attitude is very helpful. Good luck.
Hi thank you for your answer. I do also have depression and anxiety which is not helping lol.I am so anxious about starting symbicort I have not yet started but I will. Also it is expensive which also adds to anxiety, I was trying to see if I qualify for coupon but I don't so I guess I will just go pick it up and hopefully just deal with the anxiety and start it.
Hi! Good job quitting! It is not easy to do and is a daily decision. We understand that and we are here to support you when it gets tough.
Do you have pulmonary function testing scheduled to see if you do have COPD? We have so much information here on the website. You can browse on your own or we can send you some articles if you have questions about something specific.
For now, just know that no matter what happens next, your life is not over. You have done a great thing by quitting smoking and you can continue to take good care of your body with good sleep, eating healthy, and exercising in whatever way is comfortable for you. Being active is hard, but important. For some people, they do chair exercises, use hand weights, or just walk inside the house. All of that is good and makes a difference.For what it's worth, Symbicort can also be prescribed for conditions other than COPD. It's sometimes used with severe asthma, for example. I don't have COPD or asthma, but was given Symbicort in the past while treating a respiratory infection. So try to take it one day at a time, doing the best you can. Best wishes to you, keep us posted! -Melissa, team member
Hi Ian still not sure I'm taking symbicort right,I hope you don't mind but I thought I would ask you because you always answer. I try to aim for my throat but always feel spray either on my tongue or roof of mouth. Am I totally missing throat or could that be overspray. Also at what part of breathing in do I push the button? On you tube some say breath in a few seconds then push,others say push as soon as you breath in.I know I am obsessing over this because of my anxiety. I thought since others ha e been through this they might have ideas.I haven't heard from anyone but you and one person so I thought you might know from taking with others.thank you! I don't mind! 😀 But I'm also not an expert -- a doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider is the best person to teach you good inhaler technique so that they can observe you directly. There's also some variety from inhaler to inhaler about when to push the button and inhale, so that's important to check as well.
Do you use a spacer? This might help you feel less worried about the coordination aspect and help get more meds into your lungs.
Here's an article from our sister site, asthma.net, that offers some good inhaler tips and also a video showing good technique.
https://asthma.net/living/avoiding-inhaler-induced-sore-throat
But, again, the best way to make sure you're doing it right is to ask a professional who can watch you. You might even be able to send a video to your doctor via email or your patient portal, if you have one.
Hope this helps! -Melissa, team member
Thank you
Thanks,I have health anxiety too.I am seeing a therapist, just started I take ativan but it doesn't help.Can you tell me what you take?I will check out the links you sent me,thanks It's tough, because what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Ativan is a type of drug called a benzodiazepine or "benzo," and typically it isn't recommended to take them for more than 2 weeks consecutively because of the risk of tolerance and eventual dependence. If they aren't working for you, it's definitely worth talking to your doctor so that you can either change your dose, try something different or begin to taper off safely with careful monitoring. It's important for your safety to not make any changes without talking to your doctor first.
You could also consider an antidepressant medication as some of them can also have positive impacts on anxiety.
If you're looking for more info about medication options, I would recommend checking out our mental health community. If you need help finding specific articles there, feel free to ask their team! This article is a good place to start: https://depression.mental-health-community.com/treatment
Hang in there! -Melissa, team member
