Optimum ways to treat asthma vary. Individuals distinctively react to asthma requiring alternating forms of medication. Sometimes symptoms are delayed, and it takes awhile to figure out the root causes. If you have allergies to common irritants, asthma can occur. By noting what gives you allergies, asthma episodes can sometimes be avoided. The top three asthma treatment plans that work to overcome negative effects are Flovent (corticosteroids or steroid hormones), Albuterol (short-acting beta agonists or rescue medicine), and Xolair (subcutaneous or short needed) for people with allergies and severe asthma. For any treatment options, please check with your physician.
Quick relief inhalers should be carried at all times or be available at school for children. Patients using Xolair should carry medical information, and have an available epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) if they require immediate attention.
Flovent and Albuterol can be taken together. Flovent prevents asthma attacks, but also makes the attack less severe. Albuterol can be taken with Flovent as prescribed. Flovent controls asthma but does not stop attacks. Flovent must be used daily for the best effects. It does take 2 to 3 weeks for the medication to work properly.
Treatment can include up to 3 medications. Flovent is an inhaler, Albuterol can be inhaled, but it also has a syrup and tablets. Xolair is only given by injection. Much depends on the type of allergies a person has for the intercession of asthma. Your physician can determine what treatments are best.
Flovent is around $118.00 per month. Albuterol averages $45.00 per month, and Xolair is the most expensive, averaging $1,623.50 monthly. However, a discount coupon for 80% or more is available on drugs.com. A permanent discount card is also available, which is sent by snail mail.
The website RxAssist has a patient assistance program for Flovent and for Albuterol. Flovent is not sold in generic form for asthma. Albuterol is generic for Proventil, ProAir, and Ventolin and has many generic forms with many discounts. Xolair also does not come in a generic form and is highly regulated. The discount card above does help with up to $10,000 over 12 months.
Out of 5 stars, the effectiveness of Flovent on WebMD for asthma is 3.53 for effectiveness, 4.06 for ease of use, and 2.76 for satisfaction. The effectiveness for Albuterol for asthma is 4.19 for effectiveness, 4.56 for ease of use, and 4.0 for satisfaction. The effectiveness for Xolair is 4.30 for effectiveness, 3.92 for ease of use, and 4.25 for satisfaction.
Flovent is mainly for long-term asthma control and has minimum side effects. Albuterol is for quick interaction. Xolair is used for those susceptible to allergies and is delivered as an injection every 2 to 4 weeks. Asthma can differ over time and medications need adjustments or changes.
As with any drug Flovent, Albuterol and Xolair can cause common side effects. Common side effects of Flovent are cold symptoms, fever, cough, chest pain, voice change, mouth sores, headaches, nausea. Common side effects for Albuterol are nervousness, shaking, headaches, nausea, cough, muscle pain. Common side effects for Xolair are itching, joint pains, nausea, dizziness, cold symptoms, and ear pain.