responses to a number of posts about inhalers

[Guest guest]

I think that our inhalers were exempted from the CFC ban until the

drug companies were able to develop an alternative. It's my

understanding that the standard inhaler will be outta here as soon as

the alternative is available across the board.

Also, I can't remember who asked about other corticosteroid inhalers

being " dry " - asthmanex and pulmocort are available in dry form.

Addy

Group co-owner. Standard disclaimers apply. 4 out of 5 dentists

approved this post.

--- In , " Leena Grace " <leenagrace@...>

wrote:

>

> Thank you lurkitty117! Your explanation about albuterol composition

was

> helpful. I didn't realize there were other rescue inhalers even

available.

> It's great to hear from a chemist who has a greater ability to

understand

> the intricacies of these meds and explain to us non-chemists....

>

> On another note, what of the CFC ban and our rescue inhalers? The

last time

> I refilled my albuterol inhaler Rx, costco online pharmacy tried to

sell me

> a " new " version of the standard albuterol inhaler for about $35

each! I hit

> the ceiling as I've been paying about $10/each cash which is

cheaper than my

> drug copay. After eons of back and forth with them on why they felt

they had

> the right to switch me to a new medication, they finally disclosed

that they

> had no more stock of the " old " albuterol inhalers and that soon

they would

> not be available anywhere because the CFCs in them had been banned.

They had

> evidently asked my Dr for a substitute Rx but of course I was out

of the

> loop on that. So I looked locally and got my refill of the old

variety at

> the corner drugstore instead. So does this mean that we will now

have to pay

> 3x or more for our inhalers because of the ban on CFCs and " new and

> improved " albuterol inhalers? Does anyone know if this is true? Why

on earth

> haven't our legislators made an exception to the CFC ban for

inhalers for

> the sake of people's health? I mean they certainly can't do that

much harm

> given how small they are and that we INHALE the contents and don't

spray it

> into the atmosphere like other products.

>

> And further on albuterol, am I weird because I don't get

palpitations and

> jitters from my inhaler? I just don't get those side effects, even

taking it

> 2 puffs up to 5 times a day (when I'm in a bad phase).

>

> On salmeterol and the Advair diskus: why can't Flovent and other

forms of

> cortisone inahlers be " dry " like the Advair is? Is it specifically

because

> salmeterol is dry and the cortisone is piggybacked on it? I too am

scared

> about salmeterol and requested a change to Qvar but I still have

some Advair

> I don't feel right throwing away....

>

> Regarding mucinex which described her use as the first step

in

> " getting the mucuous out " to prevent rapid onset of bigger

problems: my

> doctor has suggested a similar plan however she cautions that LOTS

of water

> is key. Otherwise you can end up with thick mucuous that will lodge

in the

> lungs and be breeding ground for infection.

>

>

>