Q: I am a 31 years old woman allergic to pollen dust, cobwebs and humidity. My medical check-up showed bronchial asthma. I have been suffering from the same for the last 23 years. I use asthalin inhaler daily i.e. whenever I do household chores involving rigorous activity. In short, I am addicted to the inhaler. If the wheezing does not stop then I take a tablet. Since last 3-4 years I am taking Okacet and Betnesol Forte. Please tell me the substitute of both these tablets as I have heard Betnesol is kind of a steroid. I also feel very sleepy after taking this.

A:Asthalin is salbutamol, a reliever inhaler whose effects will generally wear off in a few hours, and which has no preventive effect. Rather than take steroids by mouth it is preferable to use a preventer steroid inhaler such as beclometasone or fluticasone, which delivers a dose of the medication where it is needed, (provided you have a good inhaler technique), and minimises the steroid effect on the body as a whole. Unless your asthma is uncontrollable by a combination of a regular steroid inhaler, supplemented by use of the reliever inhaler as necessary, (should be once a day or less if you are on an adequate dose of preventer), you should not need steroid tablets. There is another drug taken by mouth which can be less of a problem for long-term treatment than steroids, which is montelukast, and this suits some patients.