To much Albuterol ?

cupcake118

It's not dangerous to use albuterol that much. However if you are using it that much your asthma isn't well controlled and you should probably put in a call to your doctor or ask to see a pulmonologist.

jerrie97

I agree with cupcake. If you're not already on a preventative inhaler like Advair, Flovent, Qvar, Pulmicort or something, I think you need one.

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Rachel

reader1

I agree with the previous posters. I've used my albuterol inhaler - 4 puffs 4-6 times per day - in situations where I had no other option and needed lots of albuterol - e.g.,no power to run the nebulizer.

cshore

Just curious.....Why can't people just take Albuterol as needed instead of Advair?? It is so much cheaper 20.00 compared to 100.00 per mos... and It is good if you don't want to depend on something everyday.
Also if Albuterol says 200 meters does that mean that you can get 200 inhales out of each bottle.

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C.

cupcake118

Cshore there are some asthmatics that dont need a daily controller med like advair but those are only the really mild cases. Advair has to parts to it serevent which is basically a long acting albuterol and flovent which is a steroid to help with the inflimation, so if you were to stop taking the advair and just use albuterol as needed your lungs would become very inflamed rather quickly and you'd be using the albuterol a lot more.
and yes if an inhaler has 200 metered doses it means you get that many doses out of that inhaler

jerrie97

As cupcake said, Advair is to get rid of the inflammation. There have actually been studies done that say using simply albuterol as needed without a steroid inhaler, will put you at more of a risk for airway remodeling and more severe asthma attacks. I've also heard that albuterol alone, when used frequently, can cause inflammation.

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Rachel

cshore

I was diagnosed last Year with Mild asthma, and before that diagnosis I didn't even know I had it. I only had shortness of breath a few times before that.. I don't cough, and the wheezing isn't noticable to me, but my drs can hear it alittle bit. These past couple of weeks I have had more bouts with shortness of breath... and that is why I would rather just take the Albuterol when needed. The advair since once opened, goes bad if not used all the time, isn't a good option for me. I used Singulair and I thought at first it was working, but I quit taking that since I don't think it was doing anything postive anymore. Thanks for all your imput, and also for letting me know that 200 meters is 200 times that the Albuterol can be used before it it is empty. I wasted a alot of squirts because the meds land on my tongue, but I had a spacer called in today, so that should help me get my correct dosage. BUT what is the deal with having to get a RX for a piece of plastic??? Does anyone know how much they are... my RX was not in yet when I went to pick it up today. I would think it would only be a few dollars.

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C.

cupcake118

If you are having more shortness of breath in the past few weeks you most definatly need to be on a controller med like advair, because unless you are severe which you said you weren't you should only be using your albuterol about 2-3 times per week or not at all if your asthma is controlled. I know the advair seems like a pain, but it will help prevent airway remodeling and possibly prevent your asthma from getting progressively worse. Take it from me, I used to have mild asthma and felt the same way about taking my advair but please if your doc has perscribed it, you need it and if the doc can hear you wheeze you really need it. About the spacer, pretty much anything related to your lungs requires a perscription you can't even get saline for nebulizer dilutions without a perscription. If i remeber correctly when i got my spacer i think the out of pocket coast was like $15-20, but most insurcance plans will cover it.

Blondee15

actually my insurance plan doesn't cover anything like nebulized medication, peak flow meters, etc.. it sucks so bad when i'm having an attack.. it's so EXPENSIVE for my poor parents. the only thing they cover are inhalers, medicine in a pill/liquid/tablet form & the nebulizer itself.
but about the albuterol. 4-6 times a day isn't much, BUT over time it can raise your blood pressure. and like others have said you probably need a preventative inhaler-may seem cheaper to use albuterol right NOW.. but the damage you will have done will cost you later.

cshore

I am waiting to see a Pulomologist.... I was on Advair a couple of weeks ago for 2 weeks... that was all I was told to do from my GP and it didn't work... I still had shortness of breath. I was also on it for about 2 mos last year, I think it worked then, but then I went off of it. When I get in to see my Dr. and if he prescribes the Advair again, I will do it again. I am thinking that I will need the stronger stuff this time so that I can get this thing under control.
Thanks again for all your help!!
C

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C.

cupcake118

I think it's great that you're seeing a pulmo, because even if you are mild now it's better to get things under control and attempt to ward off future issues. What dose of the advair were you on? I was on advair for about 5 years until I finally found a dr that would listen to me and let me basically self-perscribe my meds and I made the switch to foradil and Qvar and I love the Qvar which is an ICS, but the foradil doesn't seem to do much for my numbers. IMO Qvar is the best ICS out there because of it's smaller particle size.