Steroid preventer inhalers

If you have asthma, a steroid preventer inhaler lowers your risk of asthma symptoms and attacks. Your GP or nurse will prescribe the lowest dose possible to help you control your symptoms. 

Steroid preventer inhalers contain corticosteroids. The corticosteroids in your inhaler are a copy of the steroids our bodies produce naturally. 

You use your steroid preventer inhaler every day as prescribed. You need a separate blue reliever inhaler to use when you get symptoms or have an asthma attack. 

Examples of steroid preventer inhalers include Budesonide (Pulmicort), Beclomethasone (Clenil modulate) and Fluticasone Proprionate (Flixotide).

Other inhalers containing steroids

Instead of a single preventer inhaler and a separate reliever inhaler, your GP may prescribe a combination inhaler containing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and another medicine to open your airways.

This could be a combination inhaler containing:

• steroid medicine and a medicine called formoterol, which can act quickly to open your airways. These types of combination inhaler are used for MART (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy) and AIR (Anti-inflammatory reliever) treatment plans. If you are on a MART or AIR treatment plan, you do not need to use a separate blue reliever inhaler. Latest guidelines recommend this kind of combination inhaler as the safest one for most people with asthma.
• an inhaled corticosteroid and medicine that keeps your airways open, called a long acting bronchodilator (LABA). If you have this type of combination inhaler, you need a separate blue reliever inhaler to use when you get symptoms or have an asthma attack.  
   

“To lower your risk of symptoms and attacks, you should always have an inhaler that contains steroid preventer medicine. No one with asthma should only be prescribed just a blue reliever inhaler (SABA) on its own.  

If you’ve only got a blue reliever inhaler, your GP can prescribe an anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler (AIR) instead. Asthma guidelines state that this is a safer way to manage your symptoms." Dr Andy Whittamore, Asthma and Lung UK’s GP.
 

Steroid preventer inhalers reduce inflammation and swelling in your airways. 

If you take your steroid preventer as prescribed you should notice that you’re

• less sensitive to your asthma triggers
• not using your reliever inhaler as much or at all
• not waking up at night because of your asthma
• finding it easier to get on with life, including physical activity and exercise without getting asthma symptoms. 
   

Use your steroid preventer inhaler every day as prescribed to prevent asthma symptoms.

Your GP or nurse can write down in your asthma action plan how many puffs of your inhaler you need to take every day. 
 

“You’ll get the full benefits of your steroid preventer inhaler if you get into a good routine of taking it every day. Try taking it at same time every morning and evening, or at the same time as something else you need to do every day.” Dr Andy Whittamore, Asthma and Lung UK’s GP. 

If you’re still getting asthma symptoms, even though you’re using your steroid preventer inhaler as prescribed, speak to your GP or nurse.

They can check your inhaler technique, and talk about any triggers that could be making your asthma more difficult to manage.

Changing your medicines or your treatment may help you to manage your asthma better.

Your GP or nurse may suggest you try a MART inhaler instead. This is a combination inhaler containing a steroid medicine  and a medicine called formoterol which opens up your airways. Find out more about MART

Side effects are more likely if you need high doses of steroid medicine in your inhaler.

Common side effects of taking a steroid preventer inhaler can include a:

•    sore mouth 
•    hoarse voice 
•    mouth infection called oral thrush.

It’s easy to lower your risk of these common side effects by:

•    making sure you use your inhaler correctly 
•    rinsing your mouth out with water after using your inhaler 
•    using a spacer if you have a type of inhaler called a pMDI

Your GP or nurse will always aim to control your asthma at the lowest dose possible.  

If you need to take high doses of your steroid inhaler, over a long time, you may be at risk of other side effects including:

•    bruising 
•    low bone mineral density (thinning bones) 
•    cataracts 
•    glaucoma 
•    infections like pneumonia

Taking high doses of inhaled steroids for a long time can affect your child’s height and weight. Your child’s GP or nurse can check this regularly, and change your child’s treatment if needed.

Steroid emergency card

if you need to take high doses of inhaled steroids for a long time, ask your GP, nurse or pharmacist about a steroid emergency card.  

A steroid emergency card lets healthcare professionals and emergency doctors know you take steroids.  

Find out more about steroids, including steroid tablets.