How many puffs of Ventolin is safe?

While many Ventolin users are able to remember the exact details of their action plan, there are many people who understandably forget the course of action prescribed by their doctor.

This can even include how many puffs of Ventolin is safe or best for your needs. Yet, this is a very important part of your treatment as an asthma sufferer. Thus, we felt we should provide you with a refresher course in the best way to take your Ventolin inhaler.

What Is Ventolin?

Ventolin inhalers are the aerosol form of Salbutamol, also known as Albuterol. While other forms of Salbutamol include capsules, pills and syrups, Ventolin works by being inhaled into the lungs, through the mouth.

When inhaled, it relaxes the muscles surrounding your airways, allowing those who suffer with breathing and lung problems to be able to inhale and exhale more clearly. This makes Ventolin inhalers one of the fastest acting – and therefore one of the most popular prescription treatments for people with asthma in the UK.

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How To Take Ventolin

Ventolin inhalers can be used with a spacer or straight from the inhaler itself. For those who have never used a Ventolin inhaler, you should know that it is important to prime your Ventolin inhaler, first. To do this, start by taking off the cap which covers the mouthpiece, before shaking the inhaler.

Once the Ventolin has been shaken, you should face the inhaler away from your face and spray the canister up to three times, or until the spray is consistent. If your inhaler has a counter, then you can spray your Ventolin under the counter reads either “200” or “060” depending on the type. After this, you can place your mouth around the inhaler mouthpiece and spray, while inhaling through your mouth, simultaneously.

It is important to inhale at the same time as you spray the medicine to ensure that the medicine reaches the lungs.If you are not sure about how you should be taking Ventolin, speak to your GP or asthma nurse for advice.

How Many Puffs Of Ventolin Is Safe?

The number of puffs that are deemed suitable depend on a few key factors. To start, the dose prescribed by your doctor should be known. This vital information can make a huge difference in the sprays of Ventolin that are considered safe. Otherwise, the general guidelines are as follows:

• Adults should be able to inhale their inhaler a maximum of 4 times a day (for every 24 hours), regardless of how many puffs you take each time.
• During an asthma attack, you can take a puff of your inhaler every 30-60 seconds, up to a maximum of 10 puffs.
• You can repeat this dose, during an asthma attack, 10 minutes later, if you symptoms do not improve.
• If you find you need to use your inhaler more than 4 times for every 24 hours, you should book an appointment with your doctor, as this is a sign your asthma is getting worse.

Read more: What to do after an asthma attack?

Once you have taken one or two puffs of your Ventolin inhaler, it should get to work within or around 15 minutes. The effects of the inhaler normally last around 5 hours, which should give you a little extra leeway in terms of the timing between each dosage.

Of course, the final consideration as to how many puffs of Ventolin are safe can change depending on your own circumstances, and you should always take the advice of your GP, asthma nurse or pharmacist, first and foremost.

Sources

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/salbutamol-inhaler/

https://www.ventolin.com/about-ventolin-hfa/how-to-use.html

Authored & Reviewed By

Mohamed Imran Lakhi

MPharm - Lead Pharmacist

Imran Lakhi is the superintendent pharmacist and founder at Prescription Doctor. He has been at the core of our team.

Published on: 15/10/2019 Reviewed on: 12/06/2020