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Thanks caftan, terence. The one I have been prescribed is Salbutamol 100mcg (container is blue). On the chemist's stick-on label it says 'inhale 2 doses as needed'. Difficult to know how to interpret this when the instruction leaflet says 4 hours between doses - reason I wanted to know how long a dose lasted.

Terence, do you give yourself two puffs daily as a routine? I was under the impression that you only had to take it when you felt the need to.

caftan. I don't know what a GTN spray is, so no, I do not.

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Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Now that the chemotherapy has ended I am virtually back where I was before; being normal and not really aware of my cancer condition except for little things that

Right then Miducks. Today my Cardioligist has given me the news I didn't dare hope for. All of my tests results are good and I start reducing a lot of the Heart Meds over the next two weeks. Starting

My last report (page 31, post 770) had my PSA number down to 10.7. It had shot up to 61 before the horse pills (Enzalutamide) arrested its upward trend. Today I went for a routine visit to oncology at

Chulla, in my talks with doctors who have prescribed inhalers for my asthma, COPD, i am told all inhalers are taken as routine, the idea is to prevent attacks so only taking them when you feel you need them is not helping in the long term to prevent asthma attacks, air pollution and quality effects greatly people with breathing difficulties so taking your inhaler as routine helps the airways in your body to cope with bad air, also, if you only take the inhalor when you think you are getting breathless you might be already on the way to an attack and the period, usually app. 15-20 minutes it takes for relievers to work is not long enough so taking them as a routine day and night helps prevent any attack and breathlessness.

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Why don't you have a chat with your friendly neighbourhood pharmacist? (Not the person on the till!) They are very knowledgeable and will give advice on your meds and minor ailments. They will tell you when you need to see a doctor and when something can be treated without a visit to the surgery. At least that's the case round here...

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terence, I do not suffer from asthma. I only get breathless when I exert myself. Normally, in the house, or walking on level ground I am OK, but give me an incline or a flight of stairs and I become breathless. Also, as soon as my legs detect they are going uphill they get tired and very soon I am trudging slowly - carry on and it becomes very slowly. So, I do not have 'attacks' - the problem is only when I exert myself, I said to the doctor I would only need to have a puff when I was about to get undertake an exertion, and she agreed. Thanks for your response.

Yes Margie, but my surgery is aware of my breathing problem, and as the inhaler is classed as a drug it has to be prescribed.

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What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of Ventolin can be fatal.

Overdose symptoms may include nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, chest pain or heavy feeling, rapid or uneven heart rate, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, dizziness, seizure (convulsions), feeling light-headed or fainting.

Got the above from here: https://www.drugs.com/ventolin.html

Don't want to scare you but I'd be careful Dave.

My daughter is asthmatic and normal dosages never caused her problem. But a work colleague used Ventolin (Salbutamol) too much (many more than the recommended doseage) and his heart rate went dangerously high.

Given you already have heart issues I'd consult the pharmacist as Margie advises.

May not be at all related, but I found that coming off my statin (Atorvastatin) improved my breathing on hills. But then our heart conditions are different.

Good luck Dave!

Col

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I have a young grandaughter aged 8 now, but she has grown from a baby having severe asthma and allergy problems, she has been hospitalised more times than we can count and exists on steroids (prednisone) and ventolin puffers, during attacks.

Her hospital file paperwork is over 2" thick I kid you not !

When it hits her she can spiral down very quickly and if left can and does end up in pediatric ICU, where even sometimes they have to intubate her till she stabilizers.

My main reason to post this is she sometimes can take up to 20 puffs of ventalin via a spacer to stop the attack getting worse.

When I queried this large dose they said the alternative would be far far worse, yes you can overdose I suppose but I've physically seen her take the puffs one after another, and then gradually her oxygen levels come up as the airways open up.

So for general use Chulla I wouldn't worry re overdose, unless it was to react with any other medications you may be taking.

Again genetically I suppose It's my fault as I was an asthmatic as a child too, and still carry ventolin and salbutumol with me wherever I go, but now I find I only really suffer when I get a bad chest cold or flu, then it's the steroids too.

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  • 1 month later...

Just back from an appointment with the oncologist. My last one was on August 11th, when he told me the good news that my PSA had come down from 28 to 15.7. Now it is 14.5. Not so much of a drop but he was happy about it and said 'more of the same' (horse pills), and see you in a month's time.

 

Got home to find a letter from Cardiology Dept with an appointment for an echocardiogram. I saw the cardiologist last week - told him that my breathlessness is getting worse, hence new test.

 

I am wearing a groove in the road between the house and the hospital, and am keeping the black pudding factory going in blood.

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And from me Chulla.........pleased your PSA is down a bit.........had my PSA blood test yesterday (6 monthly) and as you know,its fingers crossed again until results come back.........as me Dad would say ''bleddy game int'it'.............

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It's that new avatar Dave!  It's taken years off you...

 

Whoever took that must be a very very good photographer....  ;)

 

Col

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Its actually pretty hard to overdose with a salbutamol inhaler. The dose is regulated by each press. You can only overdose by pressing it multiple times. Even then it would take a lot before it got to harmful levels (more than 20 presses) 

 

What is important is to hold the breath in and let the salbutamol do its thing. 

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  • 1 month later...

Went to see the oncologist yesterday. Told me that my PSA score had come down five points to 10.7. So, the horse pills are still doing their stuff. Wants me to go 12 weeks before next visit instead of usual 4 weeks because the Xtandi capsules have got a grip on the situation. I said make it 8 weeks and if progress still evident then will go to 12  weeks in future. He agreed.

 

Don't think the inhaler is having any effect on improving my breathing. Am seeing the doctor today - she might try me on something else. The heart consultant at the City took me off the beta blocker and put me on another tablet to see if that would help. It turned out to be a tiredness tablet - I was getting my head down twice a day. Have stopped taking them and the tiredness has mainly gone.

 

Went for the ECG, just wondering if the doc will have the result for me today. The consultant says he doesn't want to see me for two years, so it looks like they cannot do anything much to improve my breathlessness  and I will be stuck with it for the rest of my life.

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Pleased to see that your horse pills are still having such a good effect Chulla. The doc will probably have other options for you to try if the inhaler isn't helping. Breathless and tiredness, are problems that I have discovered are effects you get with heart problems, your doc will probably have a list of pills and potions for you to try yet.

 

Chris was once put on a tablet called Enalapril, it caused him to have a nasty cough and breathing difficulties, as soon as he was taken off it,the problems cleared up. I only tell you this to show that certain meds can cause these problems, and your doc will have alternatives.

 

Hope all is OK with your ECG results Miduck.

 

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Just want to wish Chulla, Carni and everyone else well.

 

I too have experienced breathlessness and tiredness from heart problems. Some are no doubt from the actual condition, but others seem to sometimes be from the prescribed drugs.  I suppose that it's always a balance between the benefits and the downsides of the pills.  When I was first put on beta blockers, I could barely climb stairs as my ticker just wouldn't speed up to meet the demands I was making on it.  But, I soon got used to it.

 

I think the main thing is to keep waking up in the morning...  ;)

 

Col

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  • 2 weeks later...

I went for my pre-med at New Cross yesterday. I was a bag of nerves before I got there; only to discover that I now have two procedures on Friday. As an after thought following my last visit with my surgeon, they are now going to perform a "TOE" sound like the lower end of the body, but it is the opposite. It is usually done under sedation but I will be out of it anyway so it will be done prior to the Ablation for Tachycardia.. Really getting the Jitters now. I have a permanent feeling inside of being on the "Pepsi Max" at Blackpool. Not that I have been on it, just to watch from the ground is enough for me. lol :mellow:

I have been told that I might have a sore throat from the "TOE". GREAT.Get to eat lots of lovely ice cream!:)

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After reading this topic, and also the Ailments, Aches and Pains one, I've reached the conclusion that if some members were racehorses, they'd have been put down ages ago. Thankfully, euthanasia is not enforced here. To all sufferers...... Get well soon.

I'm relatively lucky, other than a 'pain in the neck ' I'm ailment free. 

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