Ventolin experiencr (allergy, blood tests, health issues, dentist)
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Been recently diagnosed with allergic asthma by my primary care doctor. Have had rare bouts of shortness of breath for years but never went to see anyone about it. But since moving south things have changed. I have had a lot of health issues so do research before taking meds if I have any concerns. My doctor has prescribed Ventolin and after reading all the side effects I’m not sure I should be taking this. I recently developed metallic taste in mouth after floride treatment at dentist and I see one of the most common issues with Ventolin is metallic taste in mouth, I’m afraid this med will make what I already have worse or even permanent. Also I have Tourette’s and side effects of nervousness, jittery listed really scares me. Also being treated for high blood pressure. I know most doctors don’t give a lot of credence to potential side effects but I have to. Anyone have experience taking Ventolin or know of any alternatives. I have appointment with pulmonary specialist in 2 months so I was hoping to hold off until I see her. I’m now taking Claritin and Flonase. Thanks for any input you could provide.
Been recently diagnosed with allergic asthma by my primary care doctor. Have had rare bouts of shortness of breath for years but never went to see anyone about it. But since moving south things have changed. I have had a lot of health issues so do research before taking meds if I have any concerns. My doctor has prescribed Ventolin and after reading all the side effects I’m not sure I should be taking this. I recently developed metallic taste in mouth after floride treatment at dentist and I see one of the most common issues with Ventolin is metallic taste in mouth, I’m afraid this med will make what I already have worse or even permanent. Also I have Tourette’s and side effects of nervousness, jittery listed really scares me. Also being treated for high blood pressure. I know most doctors don’t give a lot of credence to potential side effects but I have to. Anyone have experience taking Ventolin or know of any alternatives. I have appointment with pulmonary specialist in 2 months so I was hoping to hold off until I see her. I’m now taking Claritin and Flonase. Thanks for any input you could provide.
As far as I know, every other asthma rescue inhaler (ProAir, Proventil, etc.) will contain albuterol, just as Ventolin does.
I've had asthma since I was 35. I'm 68 now. I have a rescue inhaler (ProAir) but rarely have to use it as Symbicort does a good job.
I understand you're nervous about a new med and it's especially frustrating when you have to wait to see a doctor. One option you might try would be the telemedicine services such as MDLive and PlushCare. Often same-day appts are available.
Your Symbicort contains a very long lasting (12 hrs +) beta-agonist, while albuterol is a long lasting (6-8hr) beta-agonist....A beta-agonist imitates adrenalin, so potential side effects include all the effects of adrenalin-- rapid heart rate, rise in BP, tremors, etc etc.
If you are using Symbicort and still get an episode of bronchospasm, then you need a rescue dose of albuterol at that time. It's pretty rare for the unwanted side effects to show up in a pt using the recommended dose, so don't avoid using it if you need it. Very little is actually absorbed into the blood where it can cause side effects.
Death rates from asthma attacks are actually higher in those who use inhalers because they get so accustomed and comfortable with their symptoms, they tend to delay seeking emergency care. When you use albuerol, give it 15 minutes to work. ...If it hasn't worked, do it again....If it still hasn't worked after another 15 minutes, take another dose while you're jumping in the car to go to the ER or calling 911.
Asthma is not the only cause of bronchospasm (wheezing). Asthma tends to occur in kids and young adults and ussualy doesn;t appear for the first time in older adullts, so whenever an older pt presented for the first time with bronchospasm, I always looked for other causes-- like CHF or tumors for instance.... Just sayin' ...
Ventolin (a trade name for albuterol) is a short acting beta-agonist and the effects typically wear off after 4-6 hour so even if you do experience a side effect that concerns you, you can stop using the medication and it should quickly resolve. In other words, it might we worth a try without too much of a long term committment.
Equally importantly though is technique! Most of the side effects of inhalers such as Ventolin come from swallowing the medication rather than inhaling the medication. Make sure that someone shows you how to use an inhaler properly and ask for a spacer device such as an Aerochamber to reduce the amount of medication that lands in your mouth and increases the amount of medication that makes it to your lungs. Some people think that spacer devices aren't necessary for adults, but they can be incredibly helpful in avoiding side effects.
Ventolin (a trade name for albuterol) is a short acting beta-agonist and the effects typically wear off after 4-6 hour so even if you do experience a side effect that concerns you, you can stop using the medication and it should quickly resolve. In other words, it might we worth a try without too much of a long term committment.
Equally importantly though is technique! Most of the side effects of inhalers such as Ventolin come from swallowing the medication rather than inhaling the medication. Make sure that someone shows you how to use an inhaler properly and ask for a spacer device such as an Aerochamber to reduce the amount of medication that lands in your mouth and increases the amount of medication that makes it to your lungs. Some people think that spacer devices aren't necessary for adults, but they can be incredibly helpful in avoiding side effects.
When I was first diagnosed with asthma, the doctor had me depress the inhaler in front of my mouth then had me breathe deeply, instead of putting it in my mouth with my lips closed around it. That was a long time ago, maybe there weren't spacers then.
When I was first diagnosed with asthma, the doctor had me depress the inhaler in front of my mouth then had me breathe deeply, instead of putting it in my mouth with my lips closed around it. That was a long time ago, maybe there weren't spacers then.
Your doc almost had it right-- hold it an inch away from your open mouth--then start to inhale--as air starts moving in, hit the inhaler so the spray of med gets caught up in the flowing air stream....It takes 3 or 4 seconds to suck in a load of air, but the blast from the inhaler is just a split second long.
Your doc almost had it right-- hold it an inch away from your open mouth--then start to inhale--as air starts moving in, hit the inhaler so the spray of med gets caught up in the flowing air stream....It takes 3 or 4 seconds to suck in a load of air, but the blast from the inhaler is just a split second long.
Give the first hit a minute work, then repeat.
Good reminder. I'll practice that. Or I could just use a spacer but that wouldn't be as much fun.
Update…Went to pulmonary specialist, had breathing tests done, had allergy blood tests which came back negative which surprised me, diagnosed with dysfunctional breathing pattern and asthma. Prescribed Symbicort and breathing exercises. Now going back and forth with insurance, Symbicort brand is $435 per month, are they kidding??? Can’t afford it. I’m waiting to find out what generic costs and if insurance will pay any if it or possibly GoodRX? I am still not convinced asthma is what I have. A 74 year old non smoker develops asthma??? I read asthma is misdiagnosed quite frequently. Keeping my allergist appt in 2 weeks to see what they come up with. anyone know of alternatives to Symbicort for those who can’t afford it?
Update…Went to pulmonary specialist, had breathing tests done, had allergy blood tests which came back negative which surprised me, diagnosed with dysfunctional breathing pattern and asthma. Prescribed Symbicort and breathing exercises. Now going back and forth with insurance, Symbicort brand is $435 per month, are they kidding??? Can’t afford it. I’m waiting to find out what generic costs and if insurance will pay any if it or possibly GoodRX? I am still not convinced asthma is what I have. A 74 year old non smoker develops asthma??? I read asthma is misdiagnosed quite frequently. Keeping my allergist appt in 2 weeks to see what they come up with. anyone know of alternatives to Symbicort for those who can’t afford it?
Here's how it goes-- A pt goes to the doc complaining of bouts of shortnes of breathe....The doc listens to the pts lungs-- If he hears wheezing, then he take steps to find out why-- tumor/foreign body?...excessive mucus
(as in COPD)?...asssociated with edema and heart abnormalities (CHF)?...allergies & or air quality issues?..,If breathing and pulm function tests are normal in between episodes of SOB, and the abnormal PFTs & wheezing are reversed by use of albuterol, then the dx of "asthma" is made.
Wheezing can be associated with various heart and lung diseases. If no heart or lung disease is found, then it's called asthma...You're right -- asthma usually (but not always) starts earlier in life, and most cases are not caused by allergy.
How aggressive the treatment is depends on how bad and frequent the episodes are-- if you only have occassional episodes of wheezing, then you only need occasional treatment with an albuterol inhaler...If you seem to need the inhaler 3 or 4 times a day, then maybe a long-lasting inhaler is in order---but that has its own set of side-effects and we're really only talking about a matter of convenience, not "better" treatment....If your asthma was found not to be allergic in nature, is an inhaled steroid justified?
I've found that steroids help when used occasionally, not continuously-- but that's based on general impressions, not data systematically collected and criticaally analyzed.
Update…Went to pulmonary specialist, had breathing tests done, had allergy blood tests which came back negative which surprised me, diagnosed with dysfunctional breathing pattern and asthma. Prescribed Symbicort and breathing exercises. Now going back and forth with insurance, Symbicort brand is $435 per month, are they kidding??? Can’t afford it. I’m waiting to find out what generic costs and if insurance will pay any if it or possibly GoodRX? I am still not convinced asthma is what I have. A 74 year old non smoker develops asthma??? I read asthma is misdiagnosed quite frequently. Keeping my allergist appt in 2 weeks to see what they come up with. anyone know of alternatives to Symbicort for those who can’t afford it?
Wait, you're 74? Don't you have Medicare and a Part D prescription plan?
I was a 35 year old never-smoker and I developed asthma.
There is now a generic for Symbicort but it's made by AstraZeneca, the makers of Symbicort. I don't find that it's much cheaper. With my Medicare Part D prescription plan, I'm paying $285/month for Symbicort, and it will go down to $90/month in April. You might try GoodRX. Can't hurt. Maybe your allergist will have samples.
Good luck!
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