My Inhaler is Empty? When Did that Happen?

One of the most common things I see when I am helping families with asthma is expired inhalers or empty inhalers.

Check yours now. Go ahead.....I'll wait.

Well? What was the date?

Was it expired?

Was it empty?

It's one of those things you don't think to check. I just carry my inhaler around all the time in case I need it and don't think to check the number of doses left or the expiration date. I just assume it will always be there when I need it.

And I LOVE that they put counters on the back of inhalers, but you actually have to LOOK at it!

I was on a work trip out of state and my lungs weren't feeling well. I chalked that up to the Texas humidity. But I just didn't feel right. 

I happen to check my daily controller inhaler - but it was empty! I don't even know how long it was empty, but the counter was at 0. That would explain the cranky lungs!

I have had families that were surprised that their inhaler was on 0. They will try a puff in the air and then look at me as if to say, "See? It still has medicine in it!"

ConsumerMedSafety says"

"... the medicine often runs out before other substances that are used to make the medicine come out of the container. So what you hear, see, or taste might only be these substances, not the medicine. Breathing these substances without the medicine could cause your symptoms to worsen." 

 So, just because something comes out of the inhaler when it's on "0" doesn't mean that it's medicine.  Some still have propellant, but no medicine.

So take a peek at your rescue inhaler and your controller inhaler or diskus.

You want to make sure it's not expired or empty when you need it. 

Because nothing is scarier than needing an inhaler and finding that it is expired or empty! Yikes!!