Usenet Newsgroups Re: How to know when metered-inhaler is 'empty'? From: HeavyBreather@LowLifeISP.gov no.top.post@gmail.com wrote: These days asthma treatment commonly uses 2 different inhaled medications: 1. a long-term 'preventer' eg. Beclate; 2. a short-term 'reliever'. The reliever normally gives immediate symptoms. So you could know if your inhaler was just 'blowing air' because of the  medication being used up. But the 'preventer' gives no immediate signs. So you can't know if the med-contents is depleted. Or is the concentration of medication in the expelling-gas constant; so that while the gas still comes, there's medication delivered. And you only discard it once the gas-expulsion is 'too' weak ? Some "long-term" (i.e. maintenance) inhalants such as SymbiCort have a dosimeter built in. It counts your puffs and when you reach the limit shown on the inhaler you throw it away. Others lack this obvious refinement so for them you have to count the number of puffs yourself and compare the number to the limit. Same with short-term (i.e. rescue). If you exceed the total the inhaler sends out a message to the National Pharmaceutical Association and the storm troopers break down your doors the next day and incarcerate you for reducing their obscene profits. <Just joking.> What really happens is the same thing that happens when you're at the end of anything: you get propellant and decreasing quantities of medication until that too runs out. It's unlikely you'd know when the puff is too weak. To count the puffs buy one of the counters used in baseball or to count attendance at sporting events. They'll count up to 999 based on the number of times you hit the mechanical button: one push for one puff, two pushes for two. Cost about $10 for a dual one so you can have one counter for maintenance and one for rescue. You'd think that given the prices of these drugs big pharma could include a counter for free even if they don't want to redesign the packaging to have something automatic. Subject  How to know when metered-inhaler is 'empty'?  Re: How to know when metered-inhaler is 'empty'?