Symbicort Alternatives: What Works When You Need Another Option

When Symbicort, a combination inhaler used to control asthma and COPD by reducing inflammation and opening airways. Also known as budesonide/formoterol, it helps millions manage breathing problems daily. stops working, becomes too expensive, or causes side effects, you’re not alone. Many people need to switch — and there are real, effective options out there. Symbicort combines two drugs: budesonide, a steroid that calms lung inflammation, and formoterol, a long-acting bronchodilator that keeps airways open. But not everyone tolerates this combo. Some need less steroid, others need a different long-acting beta agonist, and some just need a simpler or cheaper version.

Common alternatives include Advair, another steroid/LABA combo with fluticasone and salmeterol, which works similarly but has a different delivery system and may suit people who find Symbicort’s puff too harsh. Then there’s Dulera, a mix of mometasone and formoterol — same long-acting bronchodilator as Symbicort, but a different steroid. For those who can’t use steroids at all, Xopenex HFA, a short-acting bronchodilator with levalbuterol might be used more frequently, though it doesn’t replace the anti-inflammatory part. And if cost is the issue, generic versions of budesonide/formoterol are now available in many places, offering the same active ingredients without the brand name price tag.

What you choose depends on your symptoms, other health issues, and how your body reacts. Some people do better with a separate inhaler for inflammation and another for quick relief — like using a steroid inhaler daily and keeping albuterol on hand for flare-ups. Others need the convenience of a single device. The key is matching your needs, not just copying what someone else uses. Below, you’ll find real comparisons and patient experiences with these options — from how they feel when you inhale them, to how they stack up against each other in cost, effectiveness, and side effects. No fluff. Just what actually helps people breathe easier.