Asthma inhaler effectiveness
Hi everyone - really wanted to seek out answers first hand from this community … how long did it take for your preventative inhalers to finally take control of your asthma symptoms ? By “take control” I mean you go through days, weeks, and even months without any shortness of breath, basically feeling like you’re back to normal.
And have you weaned off it? Or still on it (but in lower doses perhaps?)
I’m currently on Breo for about 6 weeks. Still feeling chest tightness every morning when I wake up. I just figured it would’ve reached full effect by now….
Hey, Erin. I know how tough it can be waiting to see if medication works! While I'm not an asthma expert, I do have some basic thoughts. It would be helpful to know a little bit more about your situation -- when and what were you diagnosed with? What medication are you on? Is this the first medication you've tried?
Generally, it can take several weeks for a medication to get into your system and start working -- but it's also about finding the right combination of drugs that works for your body. So don't lose hope. I would definitely stay in open communication with your doctor if you're still not feeling right, you know yourself best.
Also bear in mind that asthma control isn't always perfect, and that there is no cure. Even our respiratory therapists that have asthma sometimes have flare-ups that require rescue treatment, in addition to a regular medication regimen that helps maintain good control.
Looking forward to hearing more from you. We'll support you as best we can! -Melissa, asthma.net team
I was diagnosed with moderate asthma, symptoms (shortness of breath, chest tightness) started nearly two months ago and it’s been constant. I’m on Breo Ellipta for the past 6 weeks with little relief. My ultimate goal is to be able to breathe normally again without the help of preventative meds.. is that an impossible task for us asthmatics? I know so many asthmatics would “recover” and stay symptom free for months, even years before another episode.
Hi Melissa, I’m currently on Breo for the past 6 weeks… I cannot tell if it’s really working because there are days where I feel OK and some days when I still feel shortness of breath, it’s never consistent. I just figured after this long it would’ve stabilized me more and kept the symptoms at bay, and my doctor thought so too, but every morning I still wake up with a tight chest. I really don’t know what to do, the next course is to take prednisone but I am terrified of the side effects and who knows if that will even work, or would it cause dependency and I’ll end up having to take it for long term. I honestly think my doctor’s starting to lose patience for such a fussy patient, but what else can I do? Hi Leon, thanks, I’m just frustrated and impatient, as many are. I want to return to my normal self again, I am really missing being able to breathe normally. There’s not a day that goes by when I wake up hopeful to take a normal breath, and when it doesn’t happen I lose hope day by day… 
I hear you, Erin, I do!
It can be challenging, frustrating, exasperating and even demoralizing, living with this condition. I get it! One wonders if breathing will ever return to what it once was. I remember long, exhausting days (and nights), over the years, waiting for my medication to kick in. Waiting for prednisone to knock out the exacerbation. It can become very wearing!
However, there should be light at the end of the tunnel. For me, I never gave in, never gave up! My asthma condition, as a child, a young teen, and then in my later teen years, was debilitating, that is for sure. And then, through many strokes of luck - it turned into a profession and a lifelong
I feel like it took a full Summer before I was breathing better. It takes time to figure out just what inhaler/inhaler routine works right. Keep the communication open with your doctor and work together to find out what works best for you. May I ask, what are you using currently? Doctor prescribed me Breo and Incruse. If this doesn’t work I feel he will just offer me prednisone as a last resort and I don’t want to take systematic steroids… Initially it was Advair, then even though I thought I felt fine I was given Incruse too based on my spirometry results. At first it seemed ok, but I kept feeling worse as the weeks went by and the PA at the office took me off the Incruse but did not add anything. Also was put on a strong antibiotic for the horrid cough I had. At my next appointment with my doctor, I was scolded for stopping the Incruse but I refused to take it again because I felt and still feel pretty certain something about it made it harder for me to breathe and I kept coughing. So my doctor told me there were other similar medications and had me start Spiriva Respimat which was a game changer for me. I rapidly was breathing better and the cough cleared up. At that time my combo was using Symbicort and Spiriva Respimat but now I use Advair and Spiriva Respimat. I have very good control now to the point I start to question even having asthma (until I have a mild flare-up). My spirometry results improved too. I don’t think doctors just throw people on long term steroids. There are so many options for asthma control. Talk over your concerns with your doctor and ask about what options you have. I really think it just takes time to find out what works best for your asthma. Thanks for sharing, and I’m so glad you finally found the right inhaler pairing and that’s it’s helping you feel like yourself again! Do you think you will take this long term? Or are you feeling so much better that you feel you can wean off it eventually and go completely preventative inhaler-free? (Of course the rescue inhaler will ALWAYS still be around) I always wonder what to do when you start feeling normal again.. do you wean or do you have to stay on these meds. Cuz to be honest, there’s long term side effect concerns!
