Symbicort Turbuhaler Patient Counseling Information

Preparing your new Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler: Before using your new Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler for the first time, you need to prepare it for use as follows: Unscrew the cover and lift it off. You may hear a rattling sound.
Hold your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler upright with the red grip at the bottom.
Turn the red grip as far as it will go in one direction. Then turn it as far as it will go in the other direction (it does not matter which way you turn it first). You should hear a click sound.
Do this again, turning the red grip in both directions.
Your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler is now ready for use.
How to take an inhalation: Every time you need to take an inhalation, follow the instructions as follows.
1. Unscrew the cover and lift it off. You may hear a rattling sound.
2. Hold your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler upright with the red grip at the bottom.
3. Do not hold the mouthpiece when you load your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler. To load your Symbicort Turbuhaler Inhaler with a dose, turn the red grip as far as it will go in one direction.
Then turn it as far as it will go in the other direction (it does not matter which way you turn it first). You should hear a click sound. Your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler is now loaded and ready to use. Only load your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler when you need to use it.
4. Hold your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler away from your mouth. Breathe out gently (as far as is comfortable). Do not breathe out through your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler.
5. Place the mouthpiece gently between your teeth. Close your lips. Breathe in as deeply and as hard as you can through your mouth. Do not chew or bite on the mouthpiece.
6. Remove your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler from your mouth. Then breathe out gently. The amount of medicine that is inhaled is very small. This means you may not be able to taste it after inhalation. If you have followed the instructions, you can still be confident that you have inhaled the dose and the medicine is now in your lungs.
7. If you are to take a second inhalation, repeat steps 2 to 6.
8. Replace the cover tightly after use.
9. Rinse your mouth with water after your daily morning and/or evening doses, and spit it out.
Do not try to remove or twist the mouthpiece. It is fixed to your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler and must not be taken off. Do not use your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler if it has been damaged or if the mouthpiece has come apart from your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler.
As with all inhalers, caregivers should ensure that children prescribed Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose use correct inhalation technique, as described previously.
Cleaning your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler: Wipe the outside of the mouthpiece once a week with a dry tissue. Do not use water or liquids.
When to start using a new inhaler: The dose indicator tells you how many doses (inhalations) are left in your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler, starting with 60 doses when it is full.
The dose indicator is marked in intervals of 10 doses. Therefore, it does not show every dose.
When you first see a red mark at the edge of the indicator window, there are approximately 20 doses left. For the last 10 doses, the background of the dose indicator is red. When the '0' on the red background has reached the middle of the window, you must start using your new Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler.
Note: The grip will still twist and 'click' even when your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler is empty.
The sound that you hear as you shake your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler is produced by a drying agent and not the medicine. Therefore, the sound does not tell you how much medicine is left in your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler.
If you load your Symbicort Turbuhaler 80/4.5, 160/4.5, or 320/9 μg/dose Inhaler more than once by mistake before taking your dose, you will still only receive one dose. However, the dose indicator will register all the loaded doses.