Asthma Support Group

Asthma is a disease of the human respiratory system where the airways narrow, often in response to a "trigger" such as exposure to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, which respond to bronchodilators.

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htag 09/08/2008

OK guys and dolls, I just received my mail order, and got a TON of paperwork with all my meds! Come to my suprise, the Advair HFA paperwork said not to float test your cannisters to see how much you have left; instead, keep track of how many metered doses you take! I've ALWAYS float tested my cannisters. How else am I supposed to keep track of my rescue inhaler and Combivent!!! Does anyone else use this method to see how much is left in their aerosols?? For those of you who don't know what this is, You a large bowl of water (or fill your sink), and put your inhaler cannister in it (I put mine in plastic wrap or a baggie with no air first), if it's under the water it is full, if it is floating half way under and half way up, you have approx. a half cannister left, and if it's on top of the water, you are empty. Anyone know a better way?

thp636 09/08/2008

The new inhalers say that the float test is not an acceptable way to gauge how much you have left. My emergency inhaler was equipped with a dosage clicker that shows how many puffs are left. I think that all of them should.

deleted_user 09/08/2008

No...i don't do the float test...heard that wasn't reliable. I don't use the rescue inhaler that much, but when it feels light, I'll waste a puff to see if anything comes out. If not, I toss it. If so, I use it. A real scientific method, huh? Haha!

deleted_user 09/09/2008

I use Maxair for my rescue.....My allergist office told me to take the little canister out and give it a shake. You can actually feel how much is in there. Then after you put it back together, you prime it. Usually, I can tell by the taste how close to the end I'm getting.

Robin

htag 09/09/2008

I guess I'm more for Rona's method :( I just got a new Pro Air and couldn't even feel the difference in volume when I shook both of them at the same time! Hmmm. I think they should put counters on all the inhalers too! I know the diskus ones have them, but not the aerosols! I guess I'm to remain clueless on the amount I have! LOL! I'm not going to keep a tally sheet for all 200 doses! LOL! Thanks for your input everyone. I'll just continue to wing it and pray I don't run out! :(

deleted_user 09/09/2008

Advair has a counter on the disket. It is non-arosol. It's a powder. The other inhalers do have a fluid. I shake it by my ear, test spray and am to lazy to water float test.

These companies should put a counter on all of these devices.

I say write to your local FDA.
ROFL

htag 09/10/2008

I have the Advair HFA which is the aerosol version. I couldn't handle the diskus becuase the powder was making my throat too raw and I couldn't even talk. :( This is actually the one they said NOT to float test. Sometimes I miss doses though and don't know how much I have. ICK huh? I wonder how they would be able to put counters on those???....

deleted_user 09/10/2008

Hmm, since this is the HFA, the only thing I can think of is taping a piece of paper around it and do the old 4 slashed down and for 5 slash across the 4. This way every time you take a puff you'll have your count. I think it's important for a steroid inhaler.

htag 09/11/2008

YUCK! I was afraid you'd say that! LOL! I was just saying that I didn't want to do the hash marks on all of my inhalers! Oh well, you are right though, you can't mess around with the metered doses on the steroid inhailers. So, another question then......do you count the times that you have to prime it as doses????

deleted_user 09/11/2008

htag my dear,
Since I did the candida cleanse, I know longer need these meds so the answer is nope. ROFL

When I did use them, I was aware of when I used them and did not forget so I didn't need to hasm mark them. LOL

deleted_user 09/14/2008

Alot of inhalers now ahve a counter on them even the mdi ones. I guess because i ahve been taking them so long i can kind of tell now how much i ahve left in a canister by the weight of it etc.

Also keep two with you. i always ahve a brand new one with me just incase there is a problem with the other one.

Olive

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