Symptom controller medications (also called long-acting relievers) help relax the muscles around the airways. They should be taken twice daily, as they work for around 12 hours. They are only prescribed for people with asthma who are already taking regular inhaled corticosteroid preventer medication and still have asthma symptoms.
Note: They can actually make asthma worse if they are taken on their own without the regular corticosteroid preventer medication. To make it easier to take both of these medications, many people who use this medication take it in the form of a combination medication.
Possible side effects may include shaking hands, fast heartbeat and/or headaches.
Serevent
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Serevent 50µg Accuhaler
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This medication contains a drug called salmeterol. It is only available as an accuhaler.
Note: Salmeterol takes some time to have an effect after inhaling the dose, so should never be used as an emergency medication. Salmeterol is also available in combination with fluticasone (a preventer medication) in the combination medication called Seretide.
Oxis, Foradile
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| Oxis 12µg Turbuhaler |
Foradile 12µg Aerolizer (also available in 6µg Turbuhaler) |
This medication contains a drug called eformoterol. It is available in an aerolizer (Foradile) or a turbuhaler (Oxis). Eformoterol is also available in combination with budesonide (a preventer medication) in the combination medication called Symbicort. Because eformoterol acts very quickly there is a special treatment plan (called SMART: Symbicort Maintenance and Reliever Therapy) where you take it as both reliever and preventer. This is only for adults, and is not suitable for everyone. It has to be specifically prescribed for this use by your doctor.