Comparison of budesonide and beclomethasone dipropionate in patients with severe chronic asthma: Assessment of relative prednisolone-sparing effects

Abstract

The relative prednisolone-sparing effects of inhaled budesonide 400 μg daily and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) 400 μg daily were compared in a double-blind crossover study of 26 patients with chronic asthma requiring treatment with BDP and oral prednisolone in a daily dose of 5 mg or greater. During each period of the trial budesonide and BDP were inhaled via conventional pressurized inhalers in a dose of 100 μg four times daily. Prednisolone was reduced by 1 mg per month from the patient's normal maintenance dose to zero or to the point at which asthmatic symptoms became unacceptable. The mean reduction in prednisolone dose during BDP treatment was 2.65 mg compared with 1.8 mg at the en..