Memory lane (Brethine, Intal)

[Guest guest]

I recall the original Intal inhalers because I was on the original

clinical trial for it. Unfortunately, I was one of the 5 in on million

that had the only side effect: it made me cough incessantly. Chromolyn

Sodium remains one of the better meds for mild asthma because it is

not steroids, nor is it hypertensive.

The little capsules were bright pink and clear. I made a necklace at

summer camp of them with some green beads and gave it to my friend. At

my 10th HS reunion, she said she still had it!

Brethine (terbutaline) was a nightmare. It made me jittery and have a

violent temper. After a few uses, I told my doctor it just wasn't

worth it. When I was an alcohol counselor, I learned that it was one

part of a drug " cocktail " that was used in some alcohol treatment

centers to do aversion therapy: they would sit people in a room, give

them these drugs, then force them to drink as much alcohol as possible

so they would associate feeling really sick with drinking! They used

it to make people feel sick!

I was on theophylline for about 30 years. They kept coming up with

better time-released pills. but it didn't do anything for the

inflammation.

I recall the promises about inhaled steroids, too. My doc handed me my

first steroid inhaler (Beclovent) and told me " This will cure your

asthma. " Um, no. Gave me nasty thrush before they figured out to tell

you to wash your mouth. It helped a little, but not enough.

Did anyone else get annoyed when being " taught " to use inhalers for

the umpteeth time? For a while there it was as if someone thought

asthma was caused by improper inhaler use, and every time I went to a

different doctor, they put me through inhaler education without even

checking how I used it first. There were times when I wanted to say,

" Look, I've used one of these every day since before you were born! "

I can't use Advair because I can't tolerate Salmeterol. It makes my

heart race (kind of like Brethine!). Heck, I can't even take Albuterol

any more because of that. I have to take Xopenex.

I was 30 before anyone actually used the word atopic on me. I found

Xolair myself at a time when the only thing that worked was daily

Prednisone they were considering nighttime oxygen. I have diabetes,

hypertension, arthritis and osteoporosis from prednisone. I even had

active TB for a time because the steroids broke down the

calcifications around the bacilli in my lungs (I figure I was exposed

in one of the many hospital pulmonary wards I was on as a child). I

begged my GP for Xolair (I had seen every pulmonologist in town, and

they had said they could do no more for me). I have scarring on my

lungs from years of untreated inflammation so I'll never be 100%. With

Xolair, I was able to get off Prednisone and down to using my rescue

inhaler about once per week. I hope to be back there soon now that I

am back on it. At age 49, I now feel better than when I was 25. I hope

your experience with Xolair is as good as mine, or even better!

--Kitty

> >

> >> I'm 24 and have been on Advair since I was 22 I believe.

> >>

> >> I started at 100/50, but during a bad allergy season went up to

250/50

> >> and have stayed there.

> >>

> >> I have major anxiety issues and with all the bad press on this

med, it

> >> really scares me to take it.

> >>

> >> But besides some pleghm and a chronic cough, it has done wonders for

> >> me. I never have to take my rescue med when I work out or hardly

at all.

> >>

> >> I have spoken with a few drs and they all say that there was no real

> >> proof Advair is dangerous. And for most that had " asthma related

> >> deaths " they were using it as a rescue inhaler.

> >>

> >> I just don't know what to believe. I feel fine besides all my anxiety

> >> over this stuff, but I worry I'm doing some long term damage to

myself

> >> or setting myself up to die by taking this.

> >>

> >> I feel like the crazy hypochondriac at my drs because I

constantly ask

> >> about this.

> >>

> >> What do you guys think?

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >

> >

> >

> > --

> > From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. - Prince

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> --

> From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. - Prince

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