meds

[Deleted]

My pulmo has me on Spiriva, foridil, flovent and combivent. Does this sound like a right combination for COPD? I also take toporol xl and dilitigem, both heart meds for fast heart rate. Also on ativan, predinsone, pottasium and hydrotriclorize(? Spelling) I almost feel like I am over loaded with meds. Sometimes I seem to feel worse after I take them all than I do before I take them. Any one has any sort of answers for this? Just curious if others out there are like this too. Sunbeam

[larrynz]

I know where you are coming from, it seems every year that goes past a new one is added.
A while back I had a chat with my doc and dumped some, but talk to your doctor first.

[maryaz]

Hi sunbeam; I cannot help or relate to the heart meds. Hopefully one pharmacy and/or just one doctor prescribes them all or oversees them. I say that so they are aware if any should not be taken together.

Your Pulmo ones are good. However, is the combivent just for 'as need' or regular. Combivent is albuterol and atrovent. Spiriva is like atrovent but Spiriva is long lasting. Most people, not all, generally just use Albuterol as 'rescue' inhaler if using Spiriva. It causes debates because it has never been studied. Just that it is felt the Spiriva might not be quite as effective if use the Atrovent also.

There may be a reason but you are using Foradil and Flovent and that is a long acting bronchodilator and a cortisteroid but in separate inhalers. If, and that is if, your doctor would prescribe it you could ask for Symbicort or Advair.

Advair is Flovent and Serevent. Symbicort is Pulmicort and Foradil.

Each of the combos has a bronchodilator and a cortsteroid. When I was first diagnosed in 2002, I thought I would be taking lots of meds forever but as they got combined it got better.

For long time I used Advair, Spiriva and Albuterol as need. I used nebulizer only when sick or extra breathing problems. Before Spiriva I used the neb more. Now that I changed from Advair to Symbicort recently, I am not using my albuterol much.

Any questions, ask. It can be confusing.

[Deleted]

Basically you are saying that I really don't need flovent and foridil if I am taking Advare. Is this correct? My pulmo doesn't give very good instruction on how or what meds to take and more or less leaves it up to me to decide which I need that works best for me. So sometimes I am totally confused of what goes together and what doesn't. Sunbeam thanks you for your replies.

[maryaz]

Sunbeam. None of us should be saying what you 'need' to take. Only the doctor can tell you. We can share about the medicines so you can learn.

You are right that if you took Advair then you would have the types of medicine that Flovent and Foradil are giving you and you would not need them. Flovent is the cortsteroid that is in Advair and Foradil is the bronchodilator that is in Symbicort.

For a Pulmo Dr to leave it up to you is okay IF you know what your choices are and what they do. In this case, it doesn't sound like it.

Money might be a question. I have no idea what Advair does in Insurance. I think next year it should go generic. You might want to consider the costs too. Just ask and that is how you learn.

sunbeam said:

Basically you are saying that I really don't need flovent and foridil if I am taking Advare. Is this correct? My pulmo doesn't give very good instruction on how or what meds to take and more or less leaves it up to me to decide which I need that works best for me. So sometimes I am totally confused of what goes together and what doesn't. Sunbeam thanks you for your replies.