Foracort Inhaler 100 Mcg

Description

Same active ingredient (budesonide/formoterol) as Symbicort®, the US brand. Foracort Inhaler 100 mcg is an Indian brand, made and licensed in India. Compare all Generic Symbicort (Budesonide/Formoterol) options.

About Foracort Inhaler 100 mcg

Foracort Inhaler 100 mcg is a prescription metered-dose inhaler containing budesonide 100 mcg and formoterol fumarate 6 mcg per puff, made by Cipla Limited, used as a regular controller treatment for asthma. It is the gentlest strength of the Foracort pressurized inhalers, and each canister holds 120 metered puffs. Doctors tend to choose it for mild to moderate asthma, for children and teenagers, or when stepping treatment down after a spell of good control. It is not the usual strength for COPD, where higher budesonide doses are used.

How does Foracort 100 work?

Each puff delivers two medicines that act in different ways. Budesonide is an inhaled corticosteroid; taken every day, it gradually settles the inflammation and swelling in the airway lining that make asthma flare. Formoterol is a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) that relaxes the muscle around the airways within a few minutes and keeps them open for roughly 12 hours. A LABA should never be used on its own for asthma, which is why formoterol is always paired with a steroid in this inhaler.

How to use Foracort Inhaler 100 mcg

1. Take off the cap and shake the inhaler well. Before first use, or if it has not been used for a week, release one or two test sprays into the air.
2. Breathe out gently, away from the mouthpiece.
3. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece, start a slow breath in and press the canister once.
4. Keep inhaling steadily and deeply, then hold your breath for about 10 seconds.
5. Wait around 30 seconds, shake again and repeat if a second puff is prescribed.
6. Rinse your mouth with water and spit it out afterward to reduce the chance of thrush and hoarseness.

Most people are prescribed two puffs twice a day, morning and evening, although some adults need only one. A spacer makes the technique far easier for children and for anyone who struggles to press and breathe in at the same moment.

Can it also be used as a reliever?

International asthma guidelines allow low-dose budesonide/formoterol to act as both the daily controller and the quick-relief inhaler, an approach known as MART or SMART. Use it this way only if your doctor has given you a written plan with a daily maximum. Otherwise, keep a separate rescue inhaler such as Asthalin Inhaler, which contains albuterol (salbutamol), for sudden symptoms.

What are the side effects?

• Common: a hoarse voice, sore throat, oral thrush, headache, shaky hands and a pounding heartbeat.
• Less common: muscle cramps, restlessness, difficulty sleeping and easy bruising.
• Children on any inhaled steroid should have their height checked regularly, although effects at this low dose are usually small.

Get urgent help if wheezing gets worse straight after a puff, if your face, lips or throat swell, if you feel chest pain or a very irregular heartbeat, or if an asthma attack is not easing with your reliever.

Who should not use it?

Avoid Foracort if you are allergic to budesonide, formoterol or any other ingredient. Tell your doctor about heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, diabetes, low potassium, glaucoma or past tuberculosis. Beta-blockers, including glaucoma eye drops such as timolol, can blunt formoterol and tighten the airways. Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole, itraconazole or ritonavir raise budesonide levels in the blood. Do not add a second LABA such as salmeterol. Budesonide has more pregnancy data than any other inhaled steroid, so if you become pregnant, speak to your doctor rather than simply stopping.

Pack sizes and storage

Each inhaler contains 120 puffs, which lasts about 30 days at two puffs twice daily. It is sold as 1, 2 or 3 inhalers, with packs from $9. Store below 86°F (30°C), away from direct sunlight and frost, and never puncture or burn the canister, even when it seems empty.

Frequently asked questions

How soon will I feel a difference?

Formoterol eases chest tightness within minutes, but budesonide needs one to two weeks of daily use to reach its full effect.

What if 100 mcg is not controlling my asthma?

Your doctor may move you up to Foracort Inhaler 200 mcg. For a breath-activated device with the same doses, there are Foracort Rotacaps 100 mcg.

Where can I compare inhaler types?

Read our guide to asthma inhaler types or browse the asthma category.

For general information only, not personal medical advice. Foracort Inhaler 100 mcg is a prescription medicine; use it only as your doctor or pharmacist directs.