Does anyone find that the Seretide inhaler does not have much effect?

I suppose there is a difference between not reacting well to a drug and not feeling benefit at all. Seretide has good evidence behind its use in COPD patients - the issue is that regular Seretide is not supposed to stop you feeling acutely out of breath but is supposed to control the underlying disease process. If you have a salbutamol inhaler you should use this for episodes of breathlessness. I appreciate it is difficult to rationalise taking a medicine which doesn't make you feel physically any different it will have a positive effect. I think it may be worth considering discussing this with your GP, in particular inhaler technique and the strength of inhaler you are currently on. Montelukast is not licensed for use in COPD and is only used in asthma patients so wouldn't be suitable in this case. It is not uncommon for children with asthma to stop salmeterol and similar medicines if there is no benefit and to start alternatives such as montelukast.

Tarun (hospital pharmacist)

Thank you Tarun, I will speak to my GP when I have my check up in May. I tend not to use the ventolin too often, as my previous GP suggested it would in fact make me worse if I overused it?

I will speak to my GP about it all, I have not discussed it with my new GP since joining a new practice about a year ago, I have only seen the nurse who does my spirometry tests.

Thank you again.

Rob

If you are still having trouble and thinking about Montelukast I would see if your GP will let you try it. I have seen reputable trials that say it works for COPD as well as asthma. I have recently started to use it for asthma and it has reduced my use of ventolin and inhaled steroid. The main issues with it seem to be bad dreams and anxiety if you are that way inclined.

I am on that one and no I don't really find it works do you get a lot of sore throats and are you told to stay away from people with colds just something I was told and wanted to check to see if anyone else has these problems as well 

If you feel your prescribed medication is not helping you, you should return to your GP and discuss alternatives.

However, if you are feeling fine when on the prescribed medication as some people seem to say that they don't need it, then you could consider that it is the drug that is helping you feel fine.

On the other hand these drugs don't cure they just help us breathe easier by opening up the airways and as in the case of steroid inhalers help prevent inflammation.

With COPD we do still get out of breath and have reduced levels of physical activity even when the condition is stable with the medications, the difference is without the inaler medicines for many of us with COPD our breathing and activity becomes more difficult and our condition becomes unstable.

Salmeterol is a broncho dilater, there are many other broncho dilaters, I personally take all my inhalers separately none of them in a combination inhaler.

Can't advise on montelukast.  If your diagnosis is asthma and not COPD or you have both asthma and COPD you may also want to check out the asthma discussion forum:

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/asthma-18

For what its worth these I my views