How to Use Symbicort® Turbuhaler®

Watch our step-by-step video to learn how to use your Symbicort® Turbuhaler® correctly.

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Safety Information

Symbicort® Turbuhaler® is used to treat asthma in adults and children 12 years and older and COPD in adults 18 or older. If you are between 12 and 18 years of age, your growth should be monitored regularly by a doctor.

The most commonly reported side effects of Symbicort® Turbuhaler® are headache, trembling, sensation of heartbeat, cough, irritation of mouth and/or throat and hoarseness. If any of these side effects concern you, do not stop treatment, but tell your doctor about them.

Patients with COPD have a higher chance of getting pneumonia (a lung infection). Tell your doctor right away if you suspect even a mild chest infection.

Drugs that may interact with Symbicort® Turbuhaler® include beta-blockers (propranolol, atenolol, timolol), ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, diuretics (or “water pills”), antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

If you had been taking oral corticosteroids to treat your asthma and you suddenly have a severe asthma attack when starting Symbicort® Turbuhaler®, contact your doctor immediately.

When LABA medicines are used alone without an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), they increase the risk of hospitalization and death from asthma problems. Symbicort® Turbuhaler® contains both an ICS and a long-acting ß2-agonist (LABA). Studies showed that when an ICS and LABA are used together, there is not a significant increased risk in hospitalizations and death from asthma problems.

If you experience warning signs that your condition is worsening (such as the following), you should tell your doctor right away or go to the nearest hospital.

  • After using your fast-acting reliever you don’t feel any better or have shortness of breath/wheezing that suddenly gets worse
  • Your peak flow meter is <60% of personal best
  • Your pulse is >120 beats per minute
  • You have breathlessness at rest

In patients with COPD, you should tell your doctor right away if you notice the following warning signs, which indicate your condition is worsening:

  • Unusual increase in the severity of the breathlessness, cough, tiredness, or wheeze
  • Unusual colour, level, consistency, or stickiness of phlegm
  • Symptoms of a chest cold and/or chest tightness (e.g. indicating a chest infection)
  • Unexplained swelling
  • Unexplained fever

REFERENCES:
Reference: 1. Symbicort® Turbuhaler® Product Monograph. AstraZeneca Canada Inc. February 8, 2021.