I'm wondering if anyone here uses Symbicort, and if so, do you have good results with it. I was recently put on it when my asthma flared up and have had good results. Is it something I can use 'forever' or is it likely my doctor will take me off it now that I'm settled down again.

I am on symbicort -- be prepared for a lot of people on healthboards to not know what it is since it isn't marketed in the USA.

It works like a dream for me. I haven't had a single bad thing go wrong with me except for when I was first put on it and I got some wicked leg cramps -- they eventually sorted themselves out and now as long as I am careful to take my requisite dose a day, I'm golden.

I take a bit higher of a dose than most people take -- 2 puffs twice a day (which works out to 12/400, not a huge dose at all at the end of the day.) It's certainly better than taking three hits from two different inhalers twice a day -- the one inhaler really does it for me.

There's a good chance you'll get left on it 'forever', though he might take down your dose a little bit after the flare-up calms down if you're not already on the smallest dose possible already. There's no point really in being taken off medication that's controlling your asthma, and letting your asthma get all out of control, just so you can be put on high-doses of loading steroids to get yourself back down to 'manageable' again.

Thank you so much for responding. I didn't know Symbicort isn't sold in the USA .. aren't we lucky! I've been on it for almost a month and it has been truly wonderful. I haven't used my ventolin once in that time, and at the peak of the forest fire season this summer here in B.C., I began using it two or three times a day, then started waking up wheezy in the night too. I really became concerned when the ventolin didn't give me that complete relief that it used to. Prior to all this, my ventolin inhaler usually expired before I used it all. I'm on the 100/6 strength of Symbicort, two puffs twice a day. I haven't had any side effects that I've particularly noticed. I feel very lucky. I see my doctor on Thurday - she wants to listen to my lungs again now I've been on it a month, and I guess we'll discuss options at that time. Thanks again for your response, and continued good luck with Symbicort!