Q: What are the new asthma drugs, especially inhalers to keep the disease in check in the months of March to May?

A:No new anti-asthma drugs (other than what your already taking) have been introduced into the market. However you are apparently taking lots of medicines, some of them twice. For example Theoasthalin is a combination drug that contains salbutamol 4mg + theophylline 200mg (total daily dose inyour case comes to salbutamol 12mg + theophylline 600mg). Wysolone contains prednisolone (a steroid). Asthalin inhaler contains again salbutamol 100mcg per inhalation. Seroflo-250 rotacap contains salmeterol 50mcg and fluticasone (another steroid) 250mcg per inhalation.

Salbutamol and salmeterol are in the same class of drugs. Similarly prednisolone and fluticasone are both in the same class of drugs called steroids. Generally one does not prescribe two drugs belonging to the same class because their action is similar and hence there is no advantage.

May I suggest your case is reviwed by an experienced specialist in chest diseases. All the drugs that you are consuming and/or inhaling are of short durations i.e. their effect remains for a very short time and hence you need to take lots of tablets round the clock. For example instead of taking 200mg of short-acting theophylline three times a day (totalling 600mg/per day), it would be advisable to shift to a 24-hour acting theophylline product such as Unicontin-600 Continus.