Luforbec®

What is Luforbec?

Luforbec is an inhaler that helps make breathing easier for you if you have asthma.

It’s a combination inhaler, since it contains two active ingredients: beclometasone and formoterol fumarate. Beclometasone is a type of steroid that helps calm inflammation in your airways, while formoterol is a a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), which relaxes the muscles around your airways.

Asthma inhalers come in all shapes and sizes, so knowing where Luforbec fits in can help you figure out if it’s the right option for you:

• It can be used as both a reliever and a preventer, as part of what’s called MART (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy). This means you can use it daily to keep your symptoms under control, and also take it when you feel symptoms flaring up.
• It can also be prescribed ‘as needed’, whenever your asthma flares up, or if you know you’re about to face a trigger. Using Luforbec this way is known as AIR (anti-inflammatory reliever) therapy.
• Luforbec is a pressurised metered dose (pMDI) inhaler – also known as a “puffer”. Each time you press down on it, it delivers a set amount of medication straight to your lungs.

Is Luforbec the same as Fostair?

Yes, Luforbec and Fostair are essentially the same (they’re bioequivalents). They contain the same active ingredients in the same strengths and are used the same way.

Luforbec is a branded generic of Fostair, so it’s usually the more cost-effective option. But it works just as well.

Does Luforbec contain a steroid?

Yes. One of Luforbec’s active ingredients, beclometasone, is a type of corticosteroid. These medicines help reduce inflammation, calming the swelling in your lungs and making it easier for you to breathe.^[1]

You shouldn’t confuse them with anabolic steroids though, sometimes used to help increase muscle mass. They’re completely different drugs and work in very different ways in the body.

What is Luforbec used for?

Luforbec is used for asthma and COPD.

For mild asthma, your clinician might ask you to use Luforbec as-needed when symptoms flare up—so you won’t need a separate (rescue or reliever) inhaler. If you use it in this way, it’s important to keep it with you at all times.

Or, if you have frequent asthma attacks, you might need to use it daily to control your symptoms and prevent flare-ups.

It’s also used to treat COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), a long-term lung condition usually caused by smoking.

How to use Luforbec

Your clinician will advise you on how to use Luforbec, but it’s usually prescribed in the following ways:

• For daily use: Take one or two puffs twice daily, with a maximum of four puffs a day.
• For sudden asthma symptoms: use one puff and wait a few minutes. If you still don’t feel better, take another puff. But don’t exceed six puffs in a day.

Before your first use, release three puffs into the air. If you haven’t used the inhaler for two weeks or more, release one puff to ensure it’s working properly.

Then, follow these steps:

1. Remove the cap and check that the mouthpiece is clean.
2. Stand or sit upright. Shake the inhaler well before using it.
3. Breathe out gently.
4. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth, and seal your lips around it. Don’t bite it, and keep your tongue flat.
5. As you start to breathe in slowly, press down on the inhaler to release one puff. Keep breathing in steadily for 3–5 seconds.
6. Take the inhaler out, hold your breath for about 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly. But don’t breathe into the inhaler.
7. If you need another puff, wait half a minute and repeat.
8. Put the cap back on once you’re done.

After using your inhaler, give your mouth a quick rinse or brush your teeth to help prevent dryness, sore throat, or infections.

If you find it challenging to press and breathe in at the same time, a spacer can make using your inhaler easier, help the medicine reach your lungs better, and reduce side effects. Ask your clinician if it might work for you.

Does Luforbec need to be kept in the fridge?

Luforbec needs to be stored in the fridge before it’s dispensed by the pharmacy. But once you’ve got it at home, you can store it at room temperature.

That’s because it contains beclometasone in an extra-fine particle form, which is more potent than the version used in older inhalers.^[1] But this also means that, to keep it stable, Luforbec has to be refrigerated until it’s handed over to you.

How long does Luforbec take to work?

Luforbec can start working really fast, in just two to three minutes, when used for sudden asthma symptoms, and the effects can last up to 12 hours.^[2]

But when used daily as a preventer, it takes time to build up. You may notice some improvement within three to seven days, but it often takes a few weeks to experience the full benefits.

Keep using your medication daily as directed, even if you start feeling better.

And if your symptoms don’t get better after a week or start to worsen, make sure to reach out to your clinician.