Patient leaflet - SEREVENT EVOHALER 25 MICROGRAMS
1 What Serevent Evohaler is and what it is used for
- Serevent Evohaler contains the medicine salmeterol. It is a ‘long-acting bronchodilator’. It helps the airways in the lungs to stay open. This makes it easier for air to get in and out. The effects are usually felt within 10 to 20 minutes and last for 12 hours or more.
- The doctor has prescribed it to help prevent breathing problems. These could be caused by asthma. Taking Serevent Evohaler regularly will help prevent asthma attacks. This also includes asthma brought on by exercise or at night.
- Taking Serevent Evohaler regularly will also help prevent breathing problems caused by other chest illnesses such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
- Serevent Evohaler helps to stop breathlessness and wheezing coming on. It does not work once you are breathless or wheezy. If that happens, you need to use a fast-acting ‘reliever’ medicine, such as salbutamol.
- Serevent Evohaler is supplied to you in an inhaler. You breathe the medicine directly into your lungs.
- Serevent Evohaler contains norflurane. This is less harmful to the environment than older inhalers. Older inhalers may taste differently to Serevent Evohaler. This will make no difference to how your medicine works.
If you are being treated for asthma, you should always be given both a Serevent and a steroid inhaler to use together.
2 What you need to know before you use Serevent Evohaler
Do not take Serevent Evohaler if:
you are allergic (hypersensitive) to salmeterol or to the other ingredient norflurane (HFA 134a).
Take special care with Serevent Evohaler
- If your asthma or breathing gets worse tell your doctor straight away. You may find that you feel more wheezy, your chest feels tight more often or you may need to use more of your fast-acting ‘reliever’ medicine. If any of these happen, do not increase your number of puffs of Serevent. Your chest condition may be getting worse and you could become seriously ill. See your doctor as you may need a change in asthma treatment.
- Once your asthma is well controlled your doctor may consider it appropriate to gradually reduce the dose of Serevent.
- If you have been prescribed Serevent for your asthma, continue to use any other asthma medication you are already taking. These could include a steroid inhaler or steroid tablets. Continue taking the same doses as before, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Do this even if you feel much better. Do not stop taking your steroid inhaler (or any steroid tablets) when you start using Serevent.
- Your doctor may want to check your health regularly if you have an overactive thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus (Serevent may increase your blood sugar) or heart disease, including an irregular or fast heartbeat.
Other medicines and Serevent
- Tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines. This includes those for asthma or any other medicines obtained without a prescription. This is because Serevent may not be suitable to be taken with other medicines.
- Inform your doctor before using Serevent if you are currently being treated for any fungal infections with medicines containing ketoconazole or itraconazole, or if you are being treated for HIV with ritonavir. These medicines may increase the risk of you experiencing side effects with Serevent, including irregular heart beats, or may make side-effects worse.
- Beta-blockers should be avoided when taking Serevent, unless your doctor tells you to take them. Beta-blockers, including atenolol, propranolol and sotalol, are mostly used for high blood pressure or other heart conditions. Tell your doctor if you are taking beta-blockers or have recently been prescribed betablockers as they may reduce or abolish the effects of salmeterol.
- Serevent can reduce the amount of potassium in your blood. If this happens you may notice an uneven heartbeat, muscle weakness or cramp. This is more likely to happen if you take Serevent with some medicines used to treat high blood pressure (diuretics) and other medicines used to treat breathing problems such as theophylline or steroids. Your doctor may ask for you to have blood tests to check the amount of potassium in your blood. If you have any concerns discuss them with your doctor.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
The possible side effects associated with Serevent are unlikely to affect your ability to drive or use machines.
3 How to use Serevent Evohaler
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
- If you are being treated for asthma, you should always be given both a Serevent and a steroid inhaler to use together.
- Use Serevent every day, until your doctor advises you to stop.
- You will start to feel your medicine working within the first day of use.
Serevent is for inhalation by mouth only.
Adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with Asthma
- The usual starting dose is 2 puffs twice a day.
- For people with more severe asthma, your doctor may increase your dose to 4 puffs twice a day.
Children with Asthma
- In children aged 4 to 12 the usual dose is 2 puffs twice a day.
- Serevent is not recommended for use in children below 4 years of age.
Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) including bronchitis and emphysema
- The usual starting dose is 2 puffs twice a day.
- Not applicable for children and adolescents.
Instructions for use
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist should show you how to use your inhaler. They should check how you use it from time to time. Not using the inhaler properly or as prescribed, may mean that the medicine will not help your asthma or COPD as it should. The medicine is contained in a pressurised canister in a plastic casing with a mouthpiece.
Testing your inhaler
When using your inhaler for the first time, test that it is working. Remove the mouthpiece cover by gently squeezing the sides with your thumb and forefinger and pull apart.
not used the inhaler for a week or
To make sure that it works, shake it well, point the mouthpiece away from you and press the canister to release two puffs into the air. If you have
more, also release two puffs of medicine into the air.
Using your inhaler
It is important to start to breathe in as slowly as possible just before using your inhaler.
1 Stand or sit upright when using your inhaler.
Remove the mouthpiece cover (as shown in the first picture).
Check inside and outside to make sure that the mouthpiece is
clean and free of objects.
Shake the inhaler 4 or 5 times to ensure that any loose objects are removed and that the contents of the inhaler are evenly mixed.
Hold the inhaler upright with your thumb on the base, below the mouthpiece. Breathe out as far as is comfortable.
5 Place the mouthpiece in your mouth between your teeth. Close your lips around it. Do not bite.