Skip to main content

How to use: Spiriva Handihaler®

Spiriva Handihaler® consists of the anticholinergic drug tiotropiumbromide. This medicin is used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, most often abbreviated as COPD.

Pharmacology: tiotropiumbromide is a long-acting anticholinergic drug. It blocks the muscarin receptor. This way, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine will not be able to bind on this receptor. The result is a relaxation of the bronchialic muscle tissue.

Always use this medication as your doctor/pharmacist advises you. The most commonly used therapy is the inhalation of one capsule a day, on the same hour each day.

How to use the Handihaler:
Step 1: It may sound logical, but open the cap and the mouth piece.



Step 2:
Gently take a Spiriva capsule. Place it in the open space. Close it off with the mouth piece until you hear a soft click. Press the green button FULLY on the side only once. By pressing this button, the capsule will be "pierced", creating small openings in the capsule, ready to inhale.



Step 3:
- Fully breath out as much as possible. Note: away from the Handihaler! We do not want the Handihaler to be humidified by the breath.
- Place yourself in a straight position, tilt your head a little bit backwards (this will open up the lungs, and this will prevent the drug to be stuck in the throat.
- Place your mouth on the mouth piece: place it between the teeths and enclose it with your lips.
- Breath in as hard as you can! Not through the nose however, watch out with that. While breathing in, you will hear a small zooming sound. This is the capsule spinning, making it possible to extract the drug out.
- Remove the Handihaler from the mouth. Try to keep in your breath for 5-10 seconds. Then, breath out slowly.

Repeat step 3 a second time: this will make sure all medicin is inhaled.

Step 4:
- Close off the Handihaler with the protection cap.
- Rinse your mouth with water! If a small fraction of tiotropium is left in the mouth, this could give a dry mouth, with possible complications. Always make sure to rinse your mouth with water after EVERY application.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coca-Cola: Life - myth or truth?

"Coca-Cola Life" Recently the Coca-Cola company released a new beverage: the Coca-Cola Life drink. It should contain less sugar than the normal Coca-Cola drink; a part of the sugar is replaced with the recently approved sweetener from the Stevia plant (stevioglycosides). It's being sold as a 'natural' drink, but those stevioglycosides are as natural as the chemical sweetener aspartame found in Light and Zero drinks. However it is true that the amount of sugar is much lower (being reported as 33%, some say it's around 20%); yet approximately still 3-4 sugar cubes / 33 cl can (5-6 in a normal can). I bought it myself and found that the flavor has not really changed from the original Coca-Cola, however it does taste more "flat" - but definitely true it yourself. The outside of the can has the colour green. I personally do not associate this "healthy - natural" colour with Coca-Cola, but it's growing on me. In sum...
1 comment
Read more

Alkynes: addition of H2 gas and Lindlar catalyst

Alkynes: addition of Hydrogen gas (H2) Performing a catalytic reduction on an alkyn will result in giving an alkane. The alkene intermediate will be formed in the process, but will immediately react into an alkane. The end result is just the formed alkane, without stacking of the alkene intermediate. The Lindlar catalyst In theory this is a "poisoned or defected" catalyst. If you use a normal catalyst you will get the above effect with your alkyne. The Lindlar catalyst contains Palladium combined with Calcium-carbonate and treated with Lead. Palladium is the actual catalyst, the calcium carbonate is the carrier of the substance and the lead is the poisonous compound. Using the Lindlar catalyst instead of another catalyst together with Hydrogen gas, will lead into forming the cis-alkene intermediate instead of the forming of the corresponding alkane. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Painkillers: brand names for paracetamol (= acetaminophen) in foreign countries

Do you ever need a medication when in a foreign country, but in this country the medication you need is not available under a certain name? It's useful to know the active compound of the medication! In this case, I will present to you a list of brand names which contain paracetamol (= acetaminophen) throughout the world. When you are in the local pharmacy, ask about the active compound ("paracetamol" or "acetaminophen") and they will know immediately what you mean! If you talk about a brand from your own country it can take a while until the pharmacist knows what you mean. Useful : in almost all countries, generic brands are available, usually under the name of the active compound, so just ask for "paracetamol" or "acetaminophen" if you would like the cheapest product. Paracetamol = Acetaminophen EUROPE Austria: Ben-u-ron, Mexalen Belgium: Algostase, Dafalgan Croatia: Daleron, Lekadol, Plicet Czech Republic/Czechia: Paralen ...
Post a Comment
Read more