Relaxation Breathing Techniques at Home | SYMBICORT® (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol

Preserving Your Energy at Home

Spending time at home can be just as hectic as being at work, so it helps to take a balanced view and not expect to get everything done perfectly.

Take a calm and methodical approach to activities, and sit down and rest for a few moments or practice a breathing technique when you need to.

A little bit of planning can go a long way

Plan your day

Think about which tasks are essential and which could be left for another day so that you have more energy to do something that gives you pleasure. Try the Trade-Offs Suitcase activity if you need help with this.

Be calm and considered

Do activities slowly so you exert less energy. And why not get organized and put items that you need in a place that’s easy to reach to prevent you from going to and fro?

Take the weight off

When you’re doing the laundry, spending time in the garden or doing anything that requires lifting, use a trolley with wheels to take the weight. You could also ask for help moving things around in your house so that you won’t need to climb stairs and reach quite so often.

Do a little zen shopping

There’s no need to make any unnecessary trips to the mall. You can go online for most things, from groceries to managing your banking. That way the energy you save can be used for the things you love, like seeing friends or spending time outdoors.

BREATHE

Try the pursed-lips technique. Take a slow, gentle breath through your nostrils, and then slowly and softly breathe out through pursed lips, as if you’re whistling or blowing a candle out. Practice this as often as you can, and when you’re finding breathing difficult.

SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
- Your breathing problems worsen
- You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
- Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
- Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
- Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
- Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
- Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
- Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
- Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
- Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
- Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
- Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
- Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
- Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
- Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
- COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
- Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat

APPROVED USES

COPD: SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is used long-term to improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for better breathing and fewer flare-ups.

Asthma: SYMBICORT is for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older whose asthma is not well‐controlled with an asthma-control medicine such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose asthma warrants treatment with both an ICS and a long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonist (LABA).

SYMBICORT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace a rescue inhaler.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, and discuss with your doctor.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products by clicking here.

SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
- Your breathing problems worsen
- You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
- Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
- Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
- Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
- Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
- Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
- Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
- Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
- Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
- Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
- Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
- Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
- Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
- Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
- COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
- Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat