Re: Spiriva

[Guest guest]

Hello Royal,

My doctor had me start Spiriva about 2 years ago. I have never noticed any

side effects.I think I remember her mentioning that it did not have major side

effects. I would take it mid morning. It wasn't necessary to take at same time

as other meds. I ended up taking it then just so I didn't have to inhal so many

meds at once. I think it seemed to help. I'm not taking it now cause I'm doing

much better since I started Xolair.

Spiriva is used primarly with copd which I don't have. My doctor told me it

has been helpful for patients with severe or persistant asthma as well.

If you have not seen it yet it a capsle you put in this little egg shaped

dispenser and inhal.

Best to you and your breathing,

Laurie

royalashtonvp <Oneroyal@...> wrote:

My dr. has suggested that I add Spiriva to all my other asthma meds.

Questions: any side effects? When do you take it? Before/after inhaled

steroid & foradil in the morning? She didn't tell me much about it. Has

it helped anyone?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I am currently on Spiriva and have been for about 13 months. My

doctor added it because I told him that I kept waking up in the

middle of the night and also because I respond so well to Atrovent

nebs (which is almost the same medicine). I do Atrovent nebs a lot

(q2-3h) b/c the Atrovent inhaler doesn't work well for me and before

bedtime, I take all my pills (Theo-24, Singulair, Pseudovent, and

Prevacid), then I do my nasals (Astelin & Atrovent), then my

Pulmicort, then Spiriva, then about 20min. later when I'm ready to

get into bed I do 1 last Atrovent neb then the Spiriva takes over and

usually makes it so I can at least get a few hours of sleep before I

wake up tight and need to neb. I have very weird asthma, I clamp-down

further with inhaled bronchodilators so probably no one else doses

Spiriva the way I've been told to, but it does work for me, and I

have not experienced any side-effects from it.

Meagan

> My dr. has suggested that I add Spiriva to all my other

asthma meds.

> Questions: any side effects? When do you take it? Before/after

inhaled

> steroid & foradil in the morning? She didn't tell me much about it.

Has

> it helped anyone?

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join 's

user panel and lay it on us.

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- In , " royalashtonvp " <Oneroyal@...>

wrote:

>

> My dr. has suggested that I add Spiriva to all my other asthma meds.

> Questions: any side effects? When do you take it? Before/after

inhaled

> steroid & foradil in the morning? She didn't tell me much about it.

Has

> it helped anyone?

>

I have used spiriva for several years for my severe cough variant

asthma. Spiriva is basically a long-acting form of atrovent, both

anti-cholinergic bronchodilators. It is more typically used for

people with COPD, but seems to help some asthmatics. For me,it seems

to help suppress the hacking little cough that remains even with high

dose inhaled steroids, allowing me to avoid prednisone. My pulmo and

allergist disagreed about using it initially, since it is not commonly

used for asthma, with one for and one against, but since it clearly

helped, they have had me continue it.

The only side effect I have experienced is dry mouth, which is fairly

common, as anti-cholinergic drugs also dry secretions. My doctor told

me to take it in the morning, as I believe it can cause jitteriness in

some people that might interfere with sleeping. It's effects last for

24 hours. I take it after my asmanex and advair, but the doctor

didn't give any suggestions about what order to take it in. The side

effects are so minimal compared to most of the other drugs we all take

that it would be worth a try to see if it helps you.

I was not able to continue xolair, but have continued to follow

everyone's questions in the forum, and it is cool to see how much it

is helping everyone. I wish you the best of luck.