Alternative Meds

[Guest guest]

This group has been really active!!!

I know I read in one post that someone's doc was concerned about their

heart and was putting them on alternative meds. I have that problem.

First of all, salmeterol, the long-acting beta-adrenergic medicine in

Advair, has been linked to several deaths related to heart conditions,

so doctors have become wary. I don't know of an alternative to

long-acting beta adrenergics.

Personally, if I take Albuterol, I get heart palpitations and it

triggers a migraine. I was first put on Maxair (pirbuterol) which

works very well but does not affect the heart. Then I stopped being

able top get it when the law about CFC's went into effect. So my

doctor switched me to Xopenex.

Xopenex (levabuterol) can be considered Albuterol that has gone

through an additional purification process. Scientists found that

Albuterol was not one but two molecules that were mirror images of

each other. the left mirror image caused people to shake and their

hearts to race, and even caused the bronchi to constrict a bit!

The right mirror image of the molecule causes the bronchi to relax. It

was very strange taking this drug for the first time. As a life-long

asthmatic, you expect to feel wound up when taking a rescue inhaler.

All that happened was that my lungs relaxed!!!!!

Be careful of the expiration dates on these inhalers because they are

shorter than you can expect with Albuterol. I noticed that one clogged

more easily, but that might have been an individual inhaler. The other

downside is that many insurance companies don't include it on their

formularies. I have to pay full price for it. Fortunately, on Xolair,

I don't have to use it very often.

So don't be too concerned about med changes. You may find something

much better!

BTW, I was really angry when I was forced to use an Albuterol inhaler

during a lung function test. I nearly walked out. I had a terrible

migraine and an awful time driving home. I had my own inhaler but they

won't let you use it because they don't know if its fully charged.

(BTW, I am a chemist in real life, but not a pharmacist or a doctor.)