Albuterol and Symbicort are two different medications. Symbicort is a combination long acting beta agonist and inhaled corticosteroid and albuterol is a short acting beta agonist. Symbicort is considered a maintenance medication, for which you won't see immediate change, although some people do say they can tell immediately that they've taken something that improves their breathing. Some people don't respond to all medications, and sometimes the response changes over time. When I was first diagnosed in 2000, I had a reaction to albuterol; now I don't respond much at all unless I nebulize it.

I have taken symbicort for years for asthma. Before this recent minimal emphysema thing, it was working really well. It keeps your airways open. Personally, I'm not concerned about being reliant since it helps me to breathe better and not use my rescue inhaler as often. Good luck!

Not all medicines are effective for all versions of our breathing difficulties, @A MyCOPDTeam Member. Do you have your pulmonary function test results (both before and after Symbicort test results), so that you can measure the results?

In my case, my lungs only improve 3-7% with any kind of inhaler, so I used my own test results to argue with my pulmonologist that the amount of improvement gained was not worth the side effects.

As for dependency on any drug, unless is specifically says that you will build up a tolerance and need more and different drugs because it impacts your body’s ability to generate its own healing agents (example, histamines) or has an increased risk of death by suppressing normal crisis responses if you are struggling to breathe, you should find the drugs efficacy specific to you, and continue with the care plan from your respiratory therapist or pulmonologist until you’ve had a chance to argue your case with him or her.

None of us are doctors, so this isn’t medical advice. If you’re going to change or not take your meds, that’s between you and your doc. Good luck !

Sunday night, 28-MAY-23

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A MyCOPDT...

Thank you!!

Thank you !!