New Asthma Inhaler Will Cost More

[saveCFCinhalersD OTorg]

Blake, sign the petition to save CFC inhalers and prepare for battle- our first email to petitioners goes out Mid-June at the latest, probably much earlier.

Google: "save cfc" or go here:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveCFCinh...

[joe]

I also just found out about the switch the hard way. I had my CFC Albuterol replaced by these new ones, they DO NOT WORK.My asthma had been under control for yrs. I enjoyed many activities, walking, basketball,softball and playing with my 4 kids. Now just walking to the car or in the back yard leaves me gasping for air, and I can't sleep. Starting to get very concerned.

[Angie Ohio]

I DON'T HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMS I DO NO PEOPLE CLOSE TO ME WHO DO AND I AGREE WITH THE PEOPLE ON THIS SITE. THAY SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP THEM BREATH BETTER. THE PATIENTS ARE THE ONES THAT CAN'T BREATH AND THEY SHOULD NO WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT WORK FOR THEM. GOOD LUCK TO ALL AND IF I CAN HELP SUPPORT YOU IN ANYWAY I WILL. GOD BLESS

[IWAW]

Angie,

Please sign the petition (link below)
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveCFCinh...

[Asthma-Teacher]

All HFA Propelled inhalers need to be cleaned once a week, depending on use. Simply remove the canister from the housing and rinse through warm water, let it dry.
HFA propelled inhalers produce a WARMER, SOFTER puff, with a different sensation. The propellant has nothing to do with lung deposition of the inhalers, I'm an asthmatic myself and my doctor never educated me on the differences. I took four puffs instead of two, wondering "why doesn't this seem like it's coming out" and bingo, my heart rate went up to 140 because I took too much albuterol.
These inhalers are safe, effective, and will go generic in about 18 months. The patent on Proventil is up around the end of 2009.
Again, the propellant is what's causing the inhalers to have these differences. ProAir is the inhaler most commonly a Tier 1 or Tier 2 on insurance plans and it's the cheapest cost out of the 4 brands (including Xopenex, levalbuterol.)
There is no amount of complaining that will change the situation, ask for coupon cards for all 4 brands from the respective websites and your doctor. Ask for a sample. Clean the inhalers weekly and if you're using your inhaler once a day, your asthma is not under control and you need to see your PUD or ALG and take the right amount of inhaled corticosteroids and monoleukast (Pulmocort, Formoterol (long acting beta agonist), Singulair) to get your asthma or COPD under control.
Your rescue inhaler is for the occasions when your asthma flares up, it is not for the TREATMENT of asthma long term. It's used to treat bronchospasm.
You don't have to be victims to asthma attacks anymore, get your asthma under control from your doctor and use this new inhaler sparingly. You shouldn't be puffing on it like crazy, nor sleeping with it next to the bed.
It is not the HFA inhalers which are the devil here.
Good luck, get the proper education, and realize that albuterol is albuterol(!!!!!), these brands are no different than the old Warrick/armstrong. it's simply a different propellant.

[saveCFCinhalersD OTorg]

Asthma-Teacher has no idea what she's talking about- to get the truth from several thousand petitioners- including MDs, RNs and RRTs, go here and sign up to be added to our mailing list:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveCFCinh...

[stephanie]

Complaining always gets results if enough people complain in the right way. HFA inhalers don't work.

[Stan]

It's not the drug (albuterol) that is being replaced. It's the way it's being administered. My issue is that there is no generic form available.

[saveCFCinhalersD OTorg]

Good for you, Stan, you are one of the fortunate majority who only have to worry about COST.

Believe it or not, there are many thousands of patients who WISH they had your problem. For them, HFA inhalers are NOT as safe and effective as CFC inhalers, due to the HFA-134a propellant which was NEVER tested on patients, only on normal, healthy subjects; the ethanol, which is a PROVEN BRONCHOCONSTRICTOR for some patients in the amounts used in MDIs; the corn residue in the ethanol- a separate risk for many corn-sensitive asthmatics; the potentially very dangerous, poorly understood MDI impurities known as 'extractables' and 'leachables'- byproducts of the interaction between the propellant, the elastomers (complex, proprietary rubber valve seals) and all of the other hi-tech materials- such as those used in Ventolin's proprietary technology that allows it to avoid the use of chemical solvents like ethanol.

I really don't mean to criticize you personally, Stan, but to say that the only difference between an HFA rescue MDI and a CFC rescue MDI is the way it's being administered (meaning the propellant alone is different- as if the propellant in and of itself is harmless to all) is not only false, but it is like saying that the only difference between having a relaxing massage and gently strangled to death is the way the massage is administered. It's still just a massage.