Elizabeth: Asthma Control for Better Sleep*
Nighttime asthma symptoms cause daytime problems
Elizabeth just started high school this year, and as a busy teenager, she’s worried about her asthma symptoms affecting her sleep. "I usually did okay during the day," she said, "but sometimes my coughing kept me up half the night."
Nighttime asthma symptoms began to affect Elizabeth's performance at school. "History was the worst," she said. "It would be so hard to keep awake. My mornings would turn into a blur. I couldn't remember what we learned in class when I was trying to do my homework."
Nighttime asthma symptoms may mean lack of asthma control
Elizabeth's doctor recognized that her nighttime asthma symptoms like coughing meant that her asthma wasn't well controlled. "I thought I was fine," Elizabeth said. "That's what I said when my doctor asked me about my asthma. But then we talked more about my symptoms, and my doctor said that I could probably feel a lot better."
QVAR® for asthma control
Elizabeth's doctor prescribed QVAR®. "I take it twice a day, around the time when I brush my teeth. That makes it easier for me to remember. It took a few weeks for me to notice a difference, but since then, my asthma hasn't bothered me as much. I get more sleep, and that just makes me feel better."
*Note: The examples presented here are composite patients. Any resemblance to actual people, living or deceased, is coincidental.
QVAR
® (beclomethasone dipropionate HFA) Inhalation Aerosol is used in the ongoing treatment of asthma as preventative therapy in patients 5 years of age or older.
QVAR
® is also used for asthma patients who require systemic corticosteroid administration, where adding QVAR
® may reduce or eliminate the need for systemic corticosteroids.
QVAR
® does not replace quick-relief inhalers for sudden symptoms.
CAUTION: If you are stopping or switching from an oral corticosteroid to QVAR®, follow your doctor's instructions to avoid health risks. (See WARNINGS, Prescribing Information).
Inhaled corticosteroids may cause a reduction in growth rate, so children taking QVAR
® should have their growth checked regularly. The long-term effect on final adult growth is unknown.
Do not stop taking QVAR
® abruptly without talking to your doctor.
In clinical studies, common side effects included headache and sore throat. These are not all of the possible side effects of QVAR
®. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit
www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call
1-800-FDA-1088.