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My Lungs Matter

When it comes to your COPD inhaler, you might have more choice than you think. To help narrow down these options, we’ve created a discussion guide with questions you can ask your doctor to help get the most out of your conversation.

Explore questions to ask your doctor

See what a patient has to say about their experience with COPD and inhalers

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SUPER:
My Lungs Matter

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SUPER:
Paddy, 65. Toronto, Ontario
My name is Patrick, but everyone calls me Paddy.

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I’m semi-retired but worked in IT for 35 plus years.

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I’ve always had allergies, so when I’d work downtown, I used to go for walks every day at lunch, just to clear my head.

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I started noticing I was having some breathing problems – lots of wheezing, feeling out of breath when I’d walk up stairs, that sort of thing.

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I kept thinking “this is probably way worse than just allergies”.

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But there was also this part of me that was hesitant, that thought this was just a part of getting older.

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After a while, though, I just couldn’t ignore what my body was telling me.

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And sure enough, my body was right. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with COPD. This was in 2013.

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One of the first words I heard was “incurable”.

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You never want to hear your doctor use that word, ever, and it really set me back. Put me in a bit of a panic.

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But once I learned more about what my options were, I understood “incurable” doesn’t mean “unmanageable”.

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It means you’re going to have good days and bad days,

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but hopefully if you’re doing the right thing, being proactive and following your treatment plan, the good days outweigh the bad ones.

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I like to live an active life – 11,000 steps a day, go to the gym, play hockey.

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To me there’s nothing better than skating for an hour, then hanging out afterwards with the boys and having a beer.

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I didn’t want to lose that entirely, so better breathing became my priority.

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I knew I needed to be proactive, which is why I speak regularly with my doctor.

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There was a bit of trial and error at first – trying different inhalers, different combinations,

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until eventually my doctor prescribed something that seemed to work for me.

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Being open to trying new things and learning how to better use my inhaler were huge in helping manage my breathing.

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Don’t be embarrassed. If you were a smoker in the past, it’s in the past.

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Your doctor won’t judge you, they’re on your team.

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I’d encourage everyone who has COPD to take an active role with your lung health and speak up.

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My Lungs Matter
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Know your inhaler device

Many medications for COPD use inhaler devices to deliver medicine to the lungs.

Depending on the medicine your doctor prescribes, not all inhaler devices may be an option. Some medications may only be available in certain formats.

Explore the different inhaler device types that are available, below.

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Soft mist inhaler

 

How is the medication delivered? 

Uses energy produced by a spring to create an inhalable cloud, delivered propellent free as a soft mist. 

Medication delivery requires you to coordinate when you activate the device to release medication as a soft mist and when you inhale. A dose is released by pressing down on a button on the inhaler device.

Note:
To get the most benefit from any inhaler it is important to use the correct technique.

Here are a few things to be mindful of when using soft mist inhalers:

  • Hold the device in the proper position when activating the dose
  • Don’t cover air inlets with your lips
  • Be careful not to breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth
  • Be careful not to get the mist in your eyes
  • Ensure you correctly insert the cartridge and prime the device before the first use
  • Clean the mouthpiece at least once a week
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Dry powder inhaler (DPI)
 

How is the medication delivered? 

When you breathe in, the medication is separated from a powder (usually lactose).

Medication is delivered as a powder by breathing in. This doesn’t require you to coordinate when you activate the device to release medication and when you inhale. 

Note:
Some inhaler devices come pre-filled with medication while others require that you load a capsule filled with the medication into the device before activating.

To get the most benefit from any inhaler it is important to use the correct technique. 

Here are a few things to be mindful of when using dry powder inhalers:

  • Hold the device in the proper position when activating the dose
  • Don’t cover air inlets with your lips
  • Be careful not to breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth
  • Take the appropriate number of breaths required to get the full dose from a capsule
  • Don’t swallow the capsule instead of inhaling it
  • Dry powder devices can get clogged if breathed into regularly, if the cap is left unsealed or if stored in a humid environment
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Pressured metered dose inhaler (pMDI)

How is the medication delivered? 

Uses an aerosol spray with a propellent to create an inhalable cloud. 

Medication delivery requires you to coordinate when you activate the device to release medication and when you inhale. A dose is released by pressing down on the canister in the inhaler.

Note:
To get the most benefit from any inhaler it is important to use the correct technique. 

Here are a few things to be mindful of when using pressured metered dose inhalers.

  • Hold the device in the proper position when activating the dose
  • Be careful not to breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth
  • Be careful not to get the aerosol in your eyes
  • Always shake the inhaler before use
  • Don't press the inhaler two times during a single inhalation. If you need to take multiple puffs/doses, make sure you wait 30 seconds between puffs.
  • pMDIs can get blocked, especially where the medicine sprays out, so they need to be cleaned weekly
Discuss your options

Discuss your options

Now that you have a better idea of your inhaler options, the next step is having an informed discussion with your health care provider (such as your doctor, pharmacist, or respiratory specialist) about which inhaler might be most appropriate for you.

As mentioned above, to help narrow down these options, we’ve created a discussion guide with questions you can ask your doctor to help get the most out of your conversation.

Explore questions to ask your doctor