Seretide

What is Seretide?

Seretide is a purple-coloured combination inhaler that is used for the prevention of asthma symptoms. It contains two different active ingredients, which work in slightly different ways to reduce your risk of an asthma attack.

Seretide inhalers contain fluticasone, a preventer medication which reduces lung inflammation, and salmeterol, a reliever medication that opens the airways during an attack. You can get Seretide inhalers in two forms: an Evohaler (a more traditional aerosol inhaler) or an Accuhaler (a diskus inhaler).

How does Seretide work?

Salmeterol and fluticasone are the active ingredients in Seretide. It’s a double action inhaler - it prevents the symptoms of asthma and gives ongoing relief when used regularly.

The fluticasone in Seretide prevents the cells in your lungs from releasing chemicals that cause inflammation in the lungs; and the salmeterol in Seretide relaxes the muscles in the airways to keep them open and help you breathe easier.

What’s the difference between Seretide Accuhaler and Evohaler?

Both the Seretide Accuhaler and Evohaler deliver a measured dose of their active ingredients into the lungs, but the way they do it is a little different. The Evohaler is a canister filled with liquid, while the Accuhaler contains dry powder. And the way you administer them is slightly different too. With the Evohaler, you need to manually push down on the canister to release the spray. But the Accuhaler is 'breath-actuated'. There’s a lever that you slide on the inhaler to prepare it, and you can then inhale the dose from there.

Are there different Seretide doses?

Seretide comes in a range of strengths, and the right dose for you depends on the severity of your asthma. Our clinician can advise you on a suitable dose and explain how often you should use your inhaler.

Seretide Evohaler doses

Seretide 50 is the lowest dose of Evohaler and contains 25mcg salmeterol and 50mcg fluticasone.

The middle dose of Evohaler is Seretide 125, and contains 25mcg salmeterol and 125mcg fluticasone. This is used in mild asthma.

Seretide 250 is the highest Evohaler dose, and contains 25mcg salmeterol and 250mcg fluticasone. This is used in moderate to severe asthma.

Seretide Accuhaler doses

Seretide 100 is the lowest dose of Accuhaler, and contains 50mcg salmeterol and 100mcg fluticasone.

If you have mild asthma you might be prescribed the middle dose of Seretide Accuhaler, Seretide 250. This contains 50mcg salmeterol and 250mcg fluticasone.

The highest dose, Seretide 500, might be recommended if you have moderate to severe asthma. This dose of Accuhaler contains 50mcg salmeterol and 500mcg fluticasone.

How to use Seretide

Seretide inhalers come with an information leaflet that explains how to use the diskus' version of Seretide (Accuhaler) and the more  traditional aerosol inhaler version (Evohaler).

It’s important to learn how to use your inhaler properly. If you’re unsure on how to use Seretide, our clinician can help. Just sign in to your account and send them a message.

Seretide Accuhaler instructions

• Hold the outer case in one hand, and put the thumb of your other hand on the thumb grip
• Push your thumb away until you hear a click
• Slide the lever away from you until you hear a click and see the dose counter decrease by ‘1’
• Put the mouthpiece to your lips and breathe in through your mouth
• Remove the accuhaler from your mouth
• Wait 10 seconds before taking another dose
• After the final dose, rinse your mouth with water

Seretide Evohaler instructions

• Breathe slowly
• Stand or sit upright
• Remove the mouthpiece cover
• Check that the mouthpiece is clear
• Shake the inhaler four or five times
• Hold the inhaler upright with your thumb at the base of the mouthpiece
• Breathe out as far as possible
• Place the mouthpiece between your teeth and seal your lips around it
• Breathe in through your mouth as you press down on the top of the canister
• Hold your breath for a few seconds
• Wait 30 seconds before taking another dose
• After taking the final dose, rinse your mouth with water

How long does Seretide take to work?

It should start working within a few hours, but Seretide can take two to four weeks to become fully effective. In clinical trials, 50% of participants achieved a ‘well controlled’ week after 16 days of treatment with Seretide. For those steroids alone in the same study, this was 37 days.

If you’ve been using Seretide for a while and don’t think it’s helping to improve your symptoms, it’s best to let your clinician know, so they can look at tweaking your dose or suggest a treatment that works better for you.