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Steroid Inhaler and COPD: Useful or not?
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cbholder3
Good advisor
cbholder3
Joined in 2020
@Thakera Yes, even on Medicare it was $400+ a month. My Pulmonologist arranged for me to get it with no copay from GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, you can look up their assistance program at https://www.gskforyou.com/ Hope it goes okay for you, I am just in the process fo renewing mine for next year.
GSKForYou | GSK Patient Assistance Program
Learn how our program can assist you if you need help paying for your GlaxoSmithKline prescription medicines and vaccines, whether you have coverage or not.
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Chuck Holder
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Rahul.R
Community manager
Rahul.R
Community manager
Joined in 2022
Hey @lawless
How are you feeling today?
Thank you for opening this discussion. Inhalers definitely play a big role in making breathing easier for those in distress. I shall open this discussion to other members who can share their inputs and thoughts-
@Nathan @Gringa @Valharley @PamelaSue @mikesantiago @meme0923 @pricedavid @Debbesters @candie1961 @Dana499 @alilib2000 @Idon,tknow @ocalagrandma @kdncrafts3250 @Scared @DesertDog @gary.harper61 @Speagle @copd_healing @brthfree @lightening1952 @byumimi @Nancy2020 @Gpacs3 @sandra1999 @LWebb1 @kaderaahin @pu8909 @dunecitymike @Bump123 @challiesasha
What are your thoughts and opinions on the use of steroid inhalers? Have you ever used them? If yes, how was your experience?
Eager to know what you think.
Take care,
Rahul from the Carenity team
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Rahul Roy
cbholder3
Good advisor
cbholder3
Joined in 2020
I use the Trelegy Ellipta inhaler and it works quite well for me
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Chuck Holder
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Thakera
Good advisor
Thakera
Joined in 2022
@cbholder3 This new drug called Trelegy is it expensive?
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Thakera Cast
cbholder3
Good advisor
cbholder3
Joined in 2020
Best comment
@Thakera Yes, even on Medicare it was $400+ a month. My Pulmonologist arranged for me to get it with no copay from GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, you can look up their assistance program at https://www.gskforyou.com/ Hope it goes okay for you, I am just in the process fo renewing mine for next year.
GSKForYou | GSK Patient Assistance Program
Learn how our program can assist you if you need help paying for your GlaxoSmithKline prescription medicines and vaccines, whether you have coverage or not.
See the signature
Chuck Holder
Thakera
Good advisor
Thakera
Joined in 2022
@cbholder3 My goodness gracias, that is so expensive. How can those pharmaceutical companies sleep knowing that they are overcharging ill people. Trust me I do everything I suppose to do to stay out of the hospital. I thank you so much for that information you gave me. the most I thought it would cost would be 100.00 a month. No wonder why I see it all the commercials they could afford to advertise since it is overpriced.
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Thakera Cast
LizziB
Community managerGood advisor
LizziB
Community manager
Joined in 2022
Hi @cbholder3
Thank you for sharing your experiences with Trelegy Ellipta in this discussion. I invite you to leave your opinion about this medication here. This is part of a new feature on Carenity where members can leave a review and detail their experience.
I hope you take advantage of this tool.
Take care,
Lizzi from the Carenity team
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LizziB
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Norine
Norine
Joined in 2020
Yes the inhaler is very helpful but the pills are more helpful but doctors lean towards not giving you the Prednisone unfortunately.
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cbholder3
Good advisor
cbholder3
Joined in 2020
@Norine I am on the Trelegy, Ipratropium nebulizer, Prednisone, Azithromycin, and Levalbuterol tartrate, a rescue inhaler. I know that sounds like a lot, but through trial and error since 2017 it's a combination that seems to work for. We are always revisiting the prescriptions to tweak them if necessary. i hope thins work ouy for you.
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Chuck Holder
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Tricket01
Tricket01
Joined in 2021
If at anytime you need the inhaler stop and administer it and then you should rest before you continue
smccann
smccann
Joined in 2020
not
Rgallagher
Rgallagher
Joined in 2024
Be careful. Steroids make you fat!
smccann
smccann
Joined in 2020
Same with me. I just can't breathe
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CarolSchmidt
CarolSchmidt
Joined in 2020
@KathyA, please read what I wrote above on using oxygen. I am so, so, thrilled to have portable oxygen that gave me more of my life back. I was told in 2011 when I lived in San Miguel de Allende at 6,400 ft altitude that I needed to go on oxygen, but all I saw around town was one woman with the heavy metal canisters in a cart behind her, and that looked terrible. I moved back to near sea level and put off needing oxygen all day for another seven years, just a Bipap at night.
Finally I was huffing and having to stop every few feet even near sea level, but I still didn't want to be lugging a heavy canister behind me. I ran into an old friend who was always really active, ballroom dancing, hiking, fly fishing in rivers. And there she was with an Inogen in a backpack, doing everything she'd always done!
She showed me all about hers and the total package with machine, extra 8-hour battery, two battery chargers for house and car, carrying case, and extended warranty, was around $3,300!
Finally I saved enough for it and have loved it every minute since. I started on 2 for almost a year but had to go to 3 for every day. I switch to 4 liters a minute several times a day when I still get winded bad, and have gone up to 5 for stair climbing. I worry that I will need to go higher than 5 eventually, but I hope by then there will be sronger machines developed that go higher, though then the $500 batteries only last a few hours before needing recharging, instead of 6-8.
The portable ones now are breath-operated--you have to be breathing into the nose cannula for them to work. And my BiPap at night requires continuous flow, which the big oxygen machine Medicare covers provides, so I need both machines. Some day they may all be continuous flow and still portable.
There are cheaper, refurbished units available from the Inogen factory, too. After 1 1/2 years mine started sending strange messages and I called the factory and they sent a new one out the next day! I sent them the old one back no charge. So I am pleased with service, too.
Hope this helps you accept your machine. I am so, so happy I got mine and wish Medicare paid for everyone who needed one.(I understand in a few cases they will pay for one now, but not my particular Cigna Medicare Advantage plan.)
I bet when you go to your reunion you won't be the only one on oxygen! And everyone will be so old! The ones who are already dead and not there are the ones to think about--how many of them had COPD? Fourth leading cause of death in the US before Covid, so now we're fifth. Be glad for all the help you can get! I hope you have a wonderful reunion!
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CarolSchmidt
CarolSchmidt
Joined in 2020
@KathyA, please read what I wrote above on using oxygen. I am so, so, thrilled to have portable oxygen that gave me more of my life back. I was told in 2011 when I lived in San Miguel de Allende at 6,400 ft altitude that I needed to go on oxygen, but all I saw around town was one woman with the heavy metal canisters in a cart behind her, and that looked terrible. I moved back to near sea level and put off needing oxygen all day for another seven years, just a Bipap at night.
Finally I was huffing and having to stop every few feet even near sea level, but I still didn't want to be lugging a heavy canister behind me. I ran into an old friend who was always really active, ballroom dancing, hiking, fly fishing in rivers. And there she was with an Inogen in a backpack, doing everything she'd always done!
She showed me all about hers and the total package with machine, extra 8-hour battery, two battery chargers for house and car, carrying case, and extended warranty, was around $3,300!
Finally I saved enough for it and have loved it every minute since. I started on 2 for almost a year but had to go to 3 for every day. I switch to 4 liters a minute several times a day when I still get winded bad, and have gone up to 5 for stair climbing. I worry that I will need to go higher than 5 eventually, but I hope by then there will be sronger machines developed that go higher, though then the $500 batteries only last a few hours before needing recharging, instead of 6-8.
The portable ones now are breath-operated--you have to be breathing into the nose cannula for them to work. And my BiPap at night requires continuous flow, which the big oxygen machine Medicare covers provides, so I need both machines. Some day they may all be continuous flow and still portable.
There are cheaper, refurbished units available from the Inogen factory, too. After 1 1/2 years mine started sending strange messages and I called the factory and they sent a new one out the next day! I sent them the old one back no charge. So I am pleased with service, too.
Hope this helps you accept your machine. I am so, so happy I got mine and wish Medicare paid for everyone who needed one.(I understand in a few cases they will pay for one now, but not my particular Cigna Medicare Advantage plan.)
I bet when you go to your reunion you won't be the only one on oxygen! And everyone will be so old! The ones who are already dead and not there are the ones to think about--how many of them had COPD? Fourth leading cause of death in the US before Covid, so now we're fifth. Be glad for all the help you can get! I hope you have a wonderful reunion!
See the best comment
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lawless
lawless
Joined in 2018
I have switcehed to a healthier diet and improved my lifestyle to accomodate more walking and movement and although it was hard initially; my health did feel better after a while. I have been doing it for a year but recently I have been feeling weak and tired. My regular inhaler seems to be of no good and I can barely walk a few metres before I am huffing and puffing and I seem to have more flare ups than usual. Do steroid inhalers help in this regard? I am reading a lot of articles where it seems to have done some good but I am also wary about the side effects. Is it a feasible option? Any help is appreciated!