Has your doctor prescribed a new type of breathing device for your asthma or breathing discomfort? You might find that this inhaler feels quite different from the standard puffers you used before. This device is called a Flexhaler, and it is a type of dry powder inhaler.
Learning how to use this device might seem a bit tricky or confusing at first glance. Once you learn the correct steps, it becomes very simple and easy to do. Let us walk through everything you need to know to use your Flexhaler correctly every single time.
Key Takeaways for Your Flexhaler
- Your Flexhaler delivers dry powder medicine directly into your lungs using your own deep breath.
- Always prime a brand new inhaler twice before your very first use to ensure correct dosing.
- Take a strong, fast, and deep breath when inhaling to pull the medicine down into your airways.
- Always rinse your mouth and gargle with water and spit it out after every single use to prevent oral thrush.
- Never wash or shake your inhaler, and keep it in a dry place at room temperature.
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What is a Dry Powder Inhaler?
Put simply, certain asthma medicines do not come as a liquid spray. Instead, they come as a very fine dry powder. The small device used to carry this dry powder medicine into your lungs is called a dry powder inhaler, or a DPI for short.
The biggest difference with this device is how it delivers the medicine. Unlike a standard puffer that squirts out a mist of medicine using pressure, a DPI works differently. Your own breathing speed and strength pull the dry powder medicine deep into your lungs.
Because of this unique design, you must take a deep, strong, and steady breath when you use it. This ensures the medicine travels all the way down into your small airways where you need it most.
Learn More About Your Flexhaler
A Flexhaler is a specific type of dry powder inhaler that contains a medicine called budesonide. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine to you under the brand name Pulmicort. This inhaler usually contains either 60 or 120 medicine doses when you get it new.
If you look closely right below the mouthpiece, you will see a tiny window. This window is your dose counter, and the numbers are marked in steps of ten. When you take a single dose of medicine, the counter does not change right away.
Do not panic or worry when you take a few doses and see the counter staying still. Usually, after you take about five doses, you will notice the counter move forward to show how many doses remain. The most important thing to remember is when the number zero reaches the middle of the window, your medicine is completely empty.
Once the counter hits zero, the inhaler will no longer deliver medicine and you must stop using it. At that point, you should throw away the old inhaler and start using a fresh new Flexhaler.
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Check Availability →How to Prepare a Brand New Flexhaler Before First Use
You are getting ready to use a brand new Flexhaler for the very first time today. Before you use it to take your medicine, you need to perform a quick preparation step known as priming. Please remember that you only need to prime a brand new inhaler on your very first use, and you never need to repeat this step for that specific inhaler again.
- Step 1: Hold your inhaler upright with the brown grip pointing straight down toward the floor.
- Step 2: Twist and lift off the white protective cover cap.
- Step 3: Hold the inhaler firmly in the middle, and twist the bottom brown grip as far as it will go in one direction. Then twist it fully back in the opposite direction until you hear a clear click sound. It does not matter whether you twist it to the right or left first.
- Step 4: Repeat that exact twisting motion a second time. Twist it fully in one direction, and then twist it back until you hear that second click sound.
Your brand new Flexhaler is now fully primed and ready for use. This means your first dose is loaded and prepared for you to breathe in.
How to Load a Dose and Inhale Correctly
This is the most important part of your daily routine. To make sure your medicine goes deep into your lungs where it works best, you must follow these exact steps in order.
| Step | What You Need To Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Loading the Dose | Hold your inhaler upright. Twist the bottom brown grip fully in one direction, and then twist it back until you hear a click sound. This loads your medicine dose. Never shake your inhaler after loading your dose. |
| 2. Breathing Out | Turn your head away from the mouthpiece, and breathe out gently to empty all the air from your lungs. |
| 3. Placing in Mouth | Place the mouthpiece gently between your teeth, and close your lips tightly around it to make a secure seal. Do not bite down hard or block the opening with your tongue. |
| 4. Breathing In | Take a fast, strong, and deep breath through your mouth. Fill your lungs completely and quickly with air. |
| 5. Holding Your Breath | Take the inhaler out of your mouth, and hold your breath comfortably for about 10 seconds, or for as long as you safely can. |
| 6. Breathing Out and Cleaning | Breathe out slowly and gently. Wipe the mouthpiece clean with a dry tissue or cloth, and put the cap back on. |
A Very Important Step!
If your doctor has told you to take more than one dose at a time, you must repeat all of the steps above from step one through step six for your next dose.
There is one final action you must always perform after finishing your medicine. You need to rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean water, gargle in the back of your throat, and spit all the water completely out. Never swallow the rinse water.
This step is critical for your health. Because this medicine contains a steroid, tiny powder particles can stay behind in your mouth and throat. Over time, leaving these particles behind can cause a fungal infection in your mouth known as oral thrush. Rinsing your mouth every single time stops this from happening.
How to Care For Your Flexhaler Properly
Your inhaler needs proper care so it continues to work safely and effectively whenever you need it.
- Always store your inhaler in a dry place at normal room temperature. Never keep it in a damp bathroom or a humid kitchen.
- Never place your inhaler into water, and never try to wash it with liquids.
- Never shake your inhaler after you have loaded a dose of medicine.
- Never breathe out or blow air into the mouthpiece of your inhaler.
- You do not need to use a spacer device with your Flexhaler.
Sometimes you might not taste any medicine powder at all, or you might only notice a very slight sweet taste. This is completely normal and you do not need to worry. If you followed all the steps correctly, your medicine has gone right where it needs to go in your lungs.
If you still feel unsure or have any doubts about how to use your device, never hesitate to ask for help. Speak directly with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist during your next visit so they can check your technique.
When to Seek Emergency Medical Help
Using your inhaler correctly is vital, but asthma emergencies require immediate action. Call 911 (US/Canada), 999 (UK), or your local emergency number right away, or go to the nearest emergency department if you experience any of the following red flags:
- Your rescue inhaler does not relieve your breathing trouble, or shortness of breath gets rapidly worse.
- You experience severe difficulty breathing, making it hard to walk, speak full sentences, or catch your breath.
- Your lips, tongue, or fingernails turn a bluish or grayish color due to a lack of oxygen.
- You experience severe chest tightness, wheezing, or confusion during an asthma attack.
💡 Take-Home Message
- Your Flexhaler is a dry powder inhaler that relies on your own breathing strength to deliver medicine deep into your airways.
- Prime a brand new inhaler twice before your very first use, but do not prime it again after that.
- Always rinse your mouth and gargle with water and spit it out after every use to prevent oral thrush from steroid medicine.
- The dose counter moves slowly and will not change with every single dose, which is completely normal.
- Never shake your inhaler or wash it with water, and always keep it stored in a dry place.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your inhaler technique if you ever feel unsure.
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