Budecort 200 Inhaler: the Stronger of the Two Preventers
The Budecort 200 inhaler helps hold asthma steady where the lower strength has not quite managed it, delivering budesonide 200 mcg per dose instead of 100 mcg, from an identical-looking device taken in exactly the same way. It is a preventer, taken every day whether you feel well or not, and it is a prescription medicine, so please send us your prescription or our doctor can see you and issue one.
The two strengths are the same medicine at different doses, and which one you are on is a decision our doctor makes against how your asthma is actually behaving. Nobody should be moving between them on their own, in either direction. Stepping up without review treats the symptom of poor control rather than the cause of it, and stepping down without review is how a settled asthma starts slipping again.
Knowing Which Strength You Are Holding
This matters more than it sounds, because the two canisters look alike and households often contain both when somebody has recently been stepped up or down.
The strength is printed on the canister and on the carton. Please check it every time you collect a new one, keep only the strength you are currently prescribed in the house, and bring any leftovers of the other strength in to us rather than leaving them in a drawer where they will be picked up by mistake. If you are unsure which you are supposed to be on, bring both inhalers and your prescription in and our pharmacist will sort it out and mark the right one.
Using the Budecort 200 Inhaler
Cap off, mouthpiece checked, shake the inhaler. Breathe out gently, away from the inhaler, as far as is comfortable. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece, start to breathe in slowly, press the canister once as you begin breathing in, and keep breathing in slowly and deeply.
Hold your breath for about ten seconds, or as long as is comfortable, then breathe out gently. Wait about thirty seconds and shake again before a second dose. Then rinse your mouth thoroughly with water and spit it out, which matters more at this strength than at the lower one because there is twice as much steroid landing in the mouth. A spacer helps on both counts, keeping more of the dose out of the mouth and more of it in the chest, and our pharmacist will fit one and watch you use it.
Thrush, Voice and the Higher Dose
The two common effects of an inhaled steroid are oral thrush, which shows as white patches or soreness in the mouth, and a hoarse or weakened voice. Both come from the portion of the dose that lands above the lungs, and both become more likely as the dose goes up.
So the rinsing routine is not optional at this strength, and a spacer is worth having. Please come and see us if either appears rather than stopping the inhaler, because thrush is treatable and a hoarse voice usually settles with technique changes or a dose review. Where our doctor has you on a high daily dose over a long period, he will also want to talk to you about what that means if you are ever seriously ill or need surgery, which is a routine conversation rather than an alarming one.
Keeping It Working, and Knowing When It Is Empty
Prime a new inhaler, and one that has gone unused for a while, with a test puff into the air away from your face. Wipe the plastic actuator and the mouthpiece once a week with a dry tissue, and keep the cap on between uses so nothing collects in the mouthpiece.
Keep track of where it is in its life. Floating the canister in water tells you nothing reliable, so count the doses or keep a note on the carton, and order the next one when you are two weeks from the end. A gap in a preventer is a gap in the protection, which is the whole reason to be on a standing monthly order rather than remembering each time. Store it below 30 degrees Celsius, out of direct sun, out of a car and out of a bathroom, and never pierce or burn the canister. When you travel, keep it in your hand luggage rather than a checked bag, along with your reliever.
Please Tell Our Doctor About These
Let our doctor know about any current chest infection, and about tuberculosis past or present, since an inhaled steroid needs careful thought in that situation. Also about diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts or liver problems, and about pregnancy or breastfeeding, because asthma is treated in pregnancy rather than left alone and poor control is the greater risk to a baby.
Come and see us for white patches or soreness in the mouth, a voice that stays hoarse, a cough that starts straight after each dose, or any new fever or worsening chest symptoms. And please do not stop this inhaler on your own however well you feel. Our doctor will step the dose back down to the lower strength when your control allows it, and that is the direction everybody wants to be going.
When to Get Help Rather Than a Dose
This inhaler does almost nothing during an attack, so the reliever is the one to reach for and the clock matters. Get emergency help if the reliever brings no improvement, if relief wears off within a couple of hours, if speaking in full sentences has become impossible, if the person is too breathless to walk or eat, if lips or fingers look blue, or if they seem exhausted or agitated.
While help is coming, sit upright rather than lying down and take one puff of the reliever every thirty to sixty seconds, up to ten puffs, through a spacer if one is to hand. Afterwards, please come and see our doctor even if the attack settles completely, because an attack that needed that much reliever is an attack this inhaler should have prevented, and that is a treatment review rather than bad luck.
What We Can Honestly Tell You
The point of a higher-strength preventer is to get the asthma quiet enough to come back down again, so treat it as a stage rather than a destination. We will keep you supplied on a standing monthly order so there is never a gap, and our pharmacist will check your technique, fit a spacer and label your inhalers whenever you come in.
You still need a reliever alongside it, which is Asthalin. The lower strength is Budecort 100, which is where our doctor will aim to return you. And where carrying one inhaler instead of two would suit you, ask about Foralin 200, which combines a preventer with a long-acting opener in a single device.
Is This Preventer Inhaler Right for You?
Please talk to our pharmacist or our doctor before you buy if any of these apply.
- You have no prescription yet. Send us one, or our doctor can see you and issue it. We dispense no prescription medicine without one.
- You were moving up from the 100 strength on your own. Please let our doctor decide. Stepping up without review treats poor control rather than its cause.
- Both strengths are in the house. Bring the leftovers in. Two near-identical canisters in one drawer is how the wrong one gets used for months.
- You were planning to use this for sudden symptoms. Please do not. It does almost nothing in an attack; the reliever is the one for that.
- White patches or soreness in the mouth, or a voice that stays hoarse. Come and see us. Both are treatable, and rinsing with a spacer prevents them.
- The reliever brings no improvement, or speaking in full sentences, walking or eating has become impossible. Emergency help now, sitting upright, reliever every thirty to sixty seconds up to ten puffs.
Where to Buy the Budecort 200 inhaler in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. Everything in this category travels in plain outer packaging with nothing on the outside to say what is inside, and the delivery note carries our name and no product description. At every day, including the days you feel well a pack covers a known length of time, so tell us how many months you want covered and we will work out the quantity with you before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A preventer inhaler is needed every day rather than occasionally, so running out is the thing to plan against. Tell us who it is for, the size and how many months you want covered, and we will set up a standing monthly delivery so nobody is ever caught short.
Why Buy Your the Budecort 200 inhaler from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will confirm which strength you are prescribed and take the other one out of the house, fit a spacer and check your technique, and set a standing monthly order so the preventer never runs out. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Your Questions About the Budecort 200 Inhaler, Answered
Do I need a prescription for it?
Yes. Send us your prescription, or our doctor can see you and issue one. We dispense no prescription medicine without a prescription.
What is the difference between Budecort 100 and 200?
The same medicine at double the dose: budesonide 200 mcg per dose instead of 100 mcg. The device looks the same and is used the same way.
Can I move up from the 100 to the 200 myself?
Please let our doctor decide. Stepping up without review treats the symptom of poor control rather than the cause, and stepping down without review is how settled asthma slips.
How do I tell which strength I am holding?
The strength is printed on the canister and the carton. Check it every time you collect a new one, and keep only your current strength in the house.
Is this a reliever or a preventer?
A preventer, taken every day whether you feel well or not. It does almost nothing during an attack.
Why does rinsing matter more at this strength?
Because there is twice as much steroid landing in the mouth. Rinse thoroughly and spit out after every dose, and ask about a spacer.
What if I get thrush or a hoarse voice?
Come and see us rather than stopping the inhaler. Thrush is treatable, and a hoarse voice usually settles with a technique change or a dose review.
How do I know when the canister is empty?
Count the doses or keep a note on the carton. Floating it in water tells you nothing reliable. Order the next one two weeks from the end.
How should I store it?
Below 30 degrees Celsius, out of direct sun, out of a car and out of the bathroom. Never pierce or burn the canister.
What about travelling?
Keep it in your hand luggage rather than a checked bag, along with your reliever.
Will I be on this strength forever?
The point of the higher strength is to get the asthma quiet enough to step back down. Treat it as a stage rather than a destination.
Can I stop it when I feel well?
Please let our doctor step it down rather than stopping on your own. Stopping a preventer abruptly is how settled asthma becomes an attack.
What should I tell the doctor before starting?
Any current chest infection, tuberculosis past or present, diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, liver problems, and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Where can I buy Budecort Inhaler 200 in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. Send us your prescription, and bring any leftover 100 strength in so only one strength stays in the house.
