Description
Same active ingredient (budesonide/formoterol) as Symbicort®, the US brand. Foracort Forte Inhaler is an Indian brand, made and licensed in India. Compare all Generic Symbicort (Budesonide/Formoterol) options.
About Foracort Forte Inhaler
Foracort Forte Inhaler is a prescription metered-dose inhaler containing budesonide 400 mcg and formoterol fumarate 12 mcg per puff (as the strength is usually listed), made by Cipla Limited, used for severe persistent asthma and, in some adults, COPD. It is the highest-strength Foracort pressurized inhaler. Always confirm the strength printed on your canister and carton, because the dosing guidance below is based on that composition.
How is Forte different from Foracort 400?
Both give 400 mcg of budesonide with every puff. The Forte version doubles the formoterol, so one puff supplies as much bronchodilator as two puffs of the standard Foracort inhalers. That lets a doctor provide a high steroid dose and a full bronchodilator dose with fewer puffs, but it also means that extra puffs quickly bring you toward the daily formoterol limit.
How does it work?
Budesonide dampens the airway inflammation behind asthma symptoms and attacks, building up its effect over one to two weeks. Formoterol relaxes the airway muscles within minutes and keeps them relaxed for about 12 hours, which helps with night-time waking and early-morning tightness. For asthma, formoterol must never be taken without an inhaled steroid, and this combination makes sure the two always arrive together.
How to take Foracort Forte
- Asthma (adults and adolescents 12+): usually one puff twice daily; a doctor may raise this to two puffs twice daily in adults for a period.
- COPD (adults): one puff twice daily.
- Do not exceed the prescribed number of puffs, and never use Forte for quick relief of symptoms.
- Shake the inhaler, breathe out, then press once as you begin a slow deep breath; hold it for 10 seconds.
- Use a spacer if coordination is difficult, and rinse your mouth afterward.
Keep a separate fast-acting reliever such as Asthalin Inhaler (albuterol, also called salbutamol) for sudden breathlessness, and tell your doctor if you need it more than twice a week.
What are the side effects?
The higher formoterol dose makes tremor, palpitations, headache, nervousness and muscle cramps a little more likely than with lower strengths. Budesonide can cause thrush, hoarseness and throat irritation, and at this dose long-term use may affect bone density, the eyes and the adrenal glands. Formoterol may lower blood potassium and raise blood sugar, which matters if you have diabetes or heart disease. In COPD, inhaled steroids increase the chance of pneumonia.
Call for emergency help if your breathing worsens immediately after a dose, or if you develop a rash with facial swelling, chest pain, or a heartbeat that is very fast or irregular.
Who should not use it?
This strength is not intended for children under 12. It needs caution in people with coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, QT prolongation, severe high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, pheochromocytoma, diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts or untreated infections, including tuberculosis. Avoid other LABA inhalers (salmeterol, vilanterol, indacaterol) and non-selective beta-blockers, and let your doctor know if you take ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir or cobicistat. Ask your doctor before use in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Pack sizes and storage
Supplied in 120-puff canisters, sold as 1, 2 or 3 inhalers, from $21. At one puff twice daily, a canister lasts about two months. Store below 86°F (30°C), out of direct sun, and warm a cold inhaler in your hands before use.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a capsule form of Forte?
Yes, Foracort Forte Rotacaps are used with a dry powder device.
What if I need less formoterol?
Foracort Inhaler 400 mcg keeps the steroid dose with half the formoterol per puff.
Where can I see other controller inhalers?
Browse the asthma category.
Educational content, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Foracort Forte Inhaler is a prescription medicine; confirm its strength and dose with your doctor or pharmacist.
Helpful guides
- Asthma vs COPD: What’s the Difference? Causes, Tests and TreatmentAsthma often starts in childhood and its airway narrowing largely reverses with treatment, while COPD usually follows years of smoking and causes…
- Foracort vs Symbicort: How These Budesonide/Formoterol Inhalers CompareForacort and Symbicort both combine budesonide with formoterol. Compare makers, strengths, devices, dosing, reliever (SMART) use and side effects.
- Types of Asthma Inhalers: Relievers, Preventers and How to Use Them CorrectlyLearn the types of asthma inhalers (relievers, preventers and combination inhalers), how each one works, and step-by-step tips for correct inhaler technique.