Qvar Autohaler

QVAR is a preventer inhaler containing beclometasone dipropionate, the same active drug as Clenil — but in a much finer particle formulation. It's used for the long-term control of asthma, taken every day to keep airway inflammation suppressed.

The smaller the particle, the deeper into the lung it can travel before settling. Standard inhalers tend to deposit much of their dose in the throat and the larger upper airways, while extra-fine particles travel further and reach the small airways at the periphery of the lung — the area increasingly recognised as important in asthma control. That's why dose-for-dose, QVAR is roughly twice as potent as Clenil. If you ever switch between the two, the dose isn't a direct swap; your prescriber will work out the equivalent.

QVAR comes as a standard pressurised metered-dose inhaler and as the QVAR Easi-Breathe, which is breath-actuated. With the Easi-Breathe, you don't have to coordinate pressing the canister with breathing in — it fires as you inhale. You open the cap, breathe out gently, place your lips around the mouthpiece, and breathe in slowly and steadily; the device releases the dose automatically. This makes it especially useful for people who struggle with the timing of a standard inhaler.

With the standard metered-dose QVAR, a spacer is helpful for the same reasons as with Clenil — better lung deposition, less throat deposition, and a lower risk of hoarse voice or oral thrush. With the Easi-Breathe version, a spacer isn't typically used because the design itself solves the coordination problem, although you should still rinse your mouth after dosing.

As with all inhaled steroid preventers, expect early benefit within one to two weeks and full benefit at around four to six weeks of consistent daily use.

Hoarse voice, sore throat, oral thrush, and occasional coughing on inhalation are the most commonly reported. As with Clenil, these are mostly local effects and are reduced by good technique, spacer use (with the standard MDI), and rinsing the mouth after each dose.

This is a decision for your prescriber rather than a like-for-like swap. Because the dose-equivalence is roughly two-to-one, switching at the wrong dose could leave you under-treated or over-treated. Always check the dose with the clinician making the change.

Keep it at room temperature, away from heat and direct sunlight, and don't pierce or burn the canister. Most QVAR inhalers have a built-in dose counter on the back, which is the most reliable way to know when to reorder — replace it before you reach the last few doses, not when it's already empty.