The Art of Learning if a Medicine is Working

Ever wonder if an asthma medicine is working for you? This was the topic of a discussion I had today with an asthmatic coworker. We concluded that the best way of learning if a medicine is working is when you stop taking it.

I am not advocating for you to stop taking your medicine. Although, if you want to try this strategy, you should and can talk to your doctor. Because that is what I do. So I suppose I owe you some examples.

Singulair

For most of my life, my allergies and asthma were miserable in the spring and summer. I started taking Singulair and this made it so I could make it through spring and summer with no issues at all, and my asthma became very well controlled.

Fast forward ten years. Singulair at that time was nongeneric. It was costing me $1 a pill. Plus, at this time, my asthma was very well controlled for quite some time. It was to the point I was rarely using my rescue inhaler.

One day my doctor said, “Most of my patients on Singulair say it’s useless. So, you can quit taking it if you want." And, as though not remembering how miserable I was before I started taking it, I agreed to stop taking it.

I did fine for a while. I did fine for almost a year, actually. Then my allergies were horrible the next spring and summer. I never even gave it a thought that it was because I was off Singulair. To treat the horrible allergy symptoms, I was taking Sudafed. It seemed to be the best medicine for drying up my sinuses and nasal passages. At times, I would go through 1-2 boxes a week.

And then one day I woke up in the middle of the night. I was miserable with allergies. I went to my medicine cabinet to get some Sudafed. I was out. I had to work the next morning and knew if I did not do something I would not be able to sleep. So, in desperation, I took a Singulair from the bottle I saved. I was not expecting it to help. But, then my symptoms cleared up within 15 minutes. Of course, I credited Singulair with saving the night.

I talked to my doctor about this. He said I should start taking it daily again. And I have never stopped taking Singulair since. I have not had springtime allergy or asthma symptoms since. So, by quitting I learned how much I need Singulair.

Lisinopril

This is not an asthma medicine, but this is another good example to show what I am saying here. I took a low dose (0.5 mg) of this blood pressure medicine every day for several years. And my doctor referred me to an ENT because I was complaining about a chronic cough. My ENT said he figured the lisinopril was causing this. So he said I should talk to my primary care physician (PCP) about trying a different blood pressure medicine.

When I talked to him, my PCP said I was taking a very low dose of lisinopril. He said I could just stop taking it. So I did. Within a week my cough cleared up. But, my blood pressure shot up as well. In fact, it got up to almost 200/100. So, I decided I needed lisinopril. I talked to my PCP, and he said I should definitely continue taking it.

I did try some other blood pressure medicines. And each time I did my cough subsided but they also caused unwanted side effects. So, now I am back on lisinopril and my blood pressure is controlled. I still cough, but I decided this is a good trade-off for normal blood pressure.

Symbicort

I have taken this or a similar medicine for well over ten years now. And, like Singulair, this has been a game-changer for me. And I did not need to stop taking it to know how well it works for me. But, still, sometimes I get busy and forget to take it. And sometimes I lose my Symbicort and have to go without it for a week or two. And, when I do, my chest gets tight and I find I need to use my rescue inhaler with increased frequency.

So, by quitting, I remind myself how much I need this medicine.

How do you know if asthma medicine is working? 

My asthmatic friend gave me some similar experiences of her own, and it is experiences like this that remind us that we are not alone in our asthma experiences. It reminds us how much we benefit from our current asthma regimen. So we work hard to try to find strategies to help us take our medicine as prescribed.

Although, from time to time, when my asthma is well controlled, my doctor and I talk about stepping down treatments. So far, though, as you can see by my examples, I have not had much luck with stepping down. Still, it can be something worth trying from time to time.

Disclaimer (Updated July 26, 2022 - 2:30 PM ET):Singulair has a boxed warning, the strictest warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It has this warning because it may cause mood or behavior changes. Because of these possible changes, the benefits of Singulair may not outweigh the risks in some people. Singulair should only be used by people with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) who have not responded to or cannot take other treatments. If you have any mood or behavior changes when taking Singulair, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor right away. For more information about Singulair and to access prescribing information, please visit this page.¹