Determination of the minimum dose of lactose drug carrier that can be sensed during inhalation.

Abstract
Lactose is commonly used as a carrier for inhaled drugs. Twenty healthy volunteers without respiratory symptoms inhaled seven different doses of lactose and a placebo (empty) dose through the four place Diskhaler device, in order to determine the lowest dose that could be reliably sensed. The minimum dose for which all subjects reported taste or feel sensations was 10 mg. This has implications regarding the amount of carrier used in future drug delivery systems.