When was the last time you changed or tried a new asthma medication?
Finding the right asthma treatment can be a windy and confusing path. One minute, you're on a treatment regimen with better asthma control and the next, you have to add something new to your arsenal because a medication is no longer working!
When was the last time you switched medications or added something new to your treatment plan?
The last time I switched medications was in October 2023. I was using a QVAR redihaler as my controller medication but I was seeing that the inhaler really stopped working for me even though there was supposed to be about 60 doses of the inhaler left and it stopped working for me so I switched to Symbicort, which has worked well for me, but now I am on Breyna, which is a generic form of Symbicort. The Breyna appears to be good for me as I seem to be able to be more active without feeling tight or short of breath.
It certainly does take time to adjust to a new med. So glad to hear that you feel more comfortable and confident using it. Seeing good results is definitely a motivator. Do give yourself some grace during this transition. We are rooting for your success with the new medication regimen. Rebecca (team member) Hi Rebecca. I do give myself some grace while the new medication does what I hope it will do. I don't expect to be perfect for a week or so but long term is more of the hope to breathe better.
At the beginning of this year (first week of January 2024), I went from:
1) not needing any controller medication to very short of breath and being put on a mild controller for my allergy induced asthma and exercise induced asthma, made worse by a respiratory virus turned bacterial infection.
2) I experienced bad side effects so switched to another.
3) I ended up in the emergency room and I was switched to yet another (not covered by insurance and almost $300/month which worked for about 2 weeks before the inability to sleep at night and elevated heart rate caught up with me and I got arrived at my scheduled appointment with a pulmonologist)
4)The pulmonologist took me off the steroid inhaler and put on just Sprivia (as a stand alone... coupons made it free!),
5) I was still having a lot of allergy issues and accompanying asthma so I was sent to an allergist beginning of May who put me on Trelegy 100,
6) 3 months into allergy shots, I was still uncontrolled and I was nearly immediately approved for Xolair by insurance in August (only biologic I qualify for). Xolair was a slow build up and not an immediate miracle drug.
7) End of September, I was bumped up to Trelegy 200 with Xolair after needing another round of prednisone.
It's now been 11 months since my asthma spiraled out of control and I can finally say after a long struggle we MIGHT finally have found a combination that is working. I didn't realize how uncontrolled my asthma was for years and how I much I had limited my activities to match my asthma believing my asthma was controlled. Subconsciously , I had been opting for routes with less stairs and more gradual slope rather than going the more challenging direct routes and opting for the elevator rather than the stairs when going up 1-4 flights of stairs. It was not a drastic overnight improvement. It was a slow change from needing rescue meds 1-2 times a day to not having to use it for about 3 weeks now (beyond the exercise induced pre-exercise puffs that don't get 'counted'😉. Now I wait for the January allergen to arrive to see if the allergy shots are working and if I can hold stable!What a journey. Understandably, you want to see if next January the allergens shots are helping. The change in symptoms and treatment regimen seems a positive step and that you are moving in the right direction toward better health. It is a struggle to find the right treatment plan. You are not alone. Sometimes it can take years. It's incredible how much of an impact uncontrolled asthma can have on our day-to-day lives. We often don't fully realize until later after adjusting activities to what we thought was control; a common urge to desire safety and being comfortable. I can only imagine the relief and hope you must feel as you start to regain some freedom with your activities. I hope you continue to find more moments of ease and enjoyment in your daily life. Thoughtfully, Rebecca (team member)
About two months ago on a scheduled visit to my Respirologist here in Canada, he was concearned that he could hear my 'wheezing' (I could not even hear it and thought I felt great) and after much discussion over my current regime....Advair for prevention twice a day, Ventolin as rescue inhaler...... he suggested a new inhaler he wanted me to try. (A few months ago he was hoping to get me onto a study which was being done on an injectable treatment but during the applying process, the study was concluded, and no more patients accepted.) So he prescribed Enerzair Breezhaler, which I take once a day. I have been on the inhaler for almost two months now and can't honestly say that I have seen much difference. I am still using the Advair inhaler twice per day. However my husband tells me that he can't hear me wheezing now, so I'm taking that as a sign that the new inhaler is working! Just wondered if anyone else has experience using Enerzair Breezhaler?
thanks for asking. I have an appointment to see my Lung Therapist (a qualifed therapist that works in my family Doctor's clinic, and she reports back to my Doctor and Respirologist) in December, then an appointment with the Respirologist in February! We live in a small town and my Respirologist is in our nearest city 45 mins. drive away so having the Therapist who checks my breathing (breathing tests) and works with the Respirologist is very useful. 
I'm glad you have your follow up appointments scheduled! Please check back and let us know how you make out. It's promising that already your husband has noticed a positive change. All the best, Lauren (team member)
I added Fasenra shots to my regimen in January 2023 and it has been life-changing! I have severe, persistent asthma and have gone from 4-6 serious flare-ups a year to ONE in the last year and a half. I am so grateful that my allergy/asthma specialist encouraged me to try it after having had a severe inflammatory reaction to Dupixent in 2022.
Oh wow! I'm so happy to hear that Fasenra has worked so well for you. In addition to decreasing your flare-ups, did the medication help to decrease the severity of the one flare-up you had? Just curious. Thanks for sharing your great news. -Lauren (team member)
