Phasing out generic, CFC-powered asthma inhalers

The Food and Drug Administration has decided generic albuterol inhalers should be taken off the market. via Los Angeles Times

[stillwheezy]

The FDA needs to change their decision
and return generic albuterol cfc asthma
inhalers to the asthma patients that
depend on them to breathe.

The HFA inhalers that they have given
us don't work at all and are putting
asthmatics at life threatening risk.
The new HFA inhalers are pathetic, I
wasn't sure what to expect when my
pharmacist gave me my new HFA ProAir inhaler. But when I had an asthma attack, that HFA inhaler did not give me any relief. No Relief at all in fact it stung my throat, made me buckle over into a gagging coughing attack that I couldn't control, and the worst part was, it didn't even go into my lungs, my asthma was getting worse. I
was seriously weak from lack of oxygen, and on my hands and knees on the floor. I couldn't breathe.

The IVAX company that put out that HFA inhaler should be shut down!
Luckily I had some of my
generic cfc inhaler left - I'm not kidding you, it restored my breathing in seconds! Anyone with asthma will be able to testify to that.

I have serious asthma and cannot live without my
albuterol cfc inhaler, and many many other people with asthma are depending on this inhaler to open the airways in an asthma attack.
Without our trusty cfc albuterol asthma inhaler, asthmatics are left without a rescue inhaler.

That's what the cfc albuterol inhaler is, it is the only available lifesaving rescue inhaler and
if they take that away, they are going to kill asthmatics. Do you realize how serious this is? They are taking away our breathing device, and not replacing it with anything that works.

The hospitals and Emergency Medical Systems are going to be overwhelmed with asthma emergencies. There will be more absenses from work due to asthma, disability, and more asthma related deaths. And then there will be the biggest class action lawsuit you ever saw.

Even if asthma is improved with steroid medicines like Advair, we still need a rescue inhaler. Don't let anyone tell you that ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA and Ventolin HFA are the same as our cfc albuterol. They are not, and they will
not save you in a lifesaving asthma attack.

The Medical System, FDA, and World Health Organization must amend their decision and continue to provide medical grade cfc albuterol because they have not provided us with an equilivant or better asthma inhaler. They are putting asthmatics in a very dangerous life-threatening situation.

They have no right to take away our lifesaving asthma inhaler, this is no different than taking a lifesaving medicine away from a diabetic, or heart patient. This is a very scary situation for asthmatics, read the petition

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/30059...

That's only a tiny fraction of the people who are going to be affected by this. You will cry if
you read the petition - I read the whole thing through, and feel the horror of this situation.
The medical system and pharmaceutical companies are not medically prepared for this. If you do not have asthma you don't understand what we're going through. I don't want to suffocate to death. And I don't want other people with asthma to either. I have been in tears everyday because of this, especially everytime I read about a teenager or child who can't get a clear breath because the stupid HFA inhaler is failing them and they can't get a generic albuterol inhaler.

This is a life and death situation - You must bring back cfc Albuterol Rescue Inhalers.

[CONCERNED ALSO]

I order my prep. by mail in 3 months supply. I do have a few of my old general Albuterol on hand and have tried my new HFA Provental and as you stated above it just doesn't work as well I feel. I thought at first it was just me as all info says it's the same but after reading on line I see others are having same problems I am having and after reading this know it's not my immagation that the inhaler is just not working. I have a Dr. appointment this month for a check on my breathing as I also take Advair, Spriva, Singular and use a nebulizer daily. Thank you for posting your concerns as this helps me as I've been really having problems with the Provental HFA not working and intend on letting my Dr. know this.

[Richard Lawson]

I wonder how much the drug business donated to get this HFA into law. It is not nearly as effective and does not last as long. Wow it costfour times as much as the old CFA. I guess it will take many deaths and how many lawsuits to get this corrected.The over the counter inhalers work better than the HFA albuterol.

[Cheri]

For problems with HFA, sign this petition:

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

[beth]

asthmatic since birth, never "out-grew it". i'm 46 yo and been on everything new that ever hit the "market". yucky tedrol back in the 60's-70's, theodur elixir in the 70's, and tabs in the 80's, the "spinhaler" when it was considered new and revolutionary, then the cfc inhaled bronchodilaters-absolute life savers!!!!!!!!! i agree these new hfas have set me back to a condition that i have not had to deal with in 20 some years! might as well not even use it cause i feel like it worsens the attack. i guess i would rather be on po steroids and suffer the long term effects of that, rather than suffer the daily effects of using this piece of sh*t hfa inhaler!

[John]

Please do not stop CFC Albuterol. Please, Save human life and be generous! Asthma, sufferer are human being. Do not give them hard times anymore! Give them their CFC Albuterol to live longer!

[Robert McClearen]

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, CALL UPON THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS to implement and enact the necessary executive orders, laws and rules, on an emergency basis, that will result in the fastest possible production and distribution of generic CFC Albuterol, and the repeal of 21 CFR 2.125 and all related rules.

HFA inhalers do not work; CFC inhalers are cheaper and better. Compared to the non-functional HFA inhalers, the ozone layer is no threat to us with asthma.

[Linda]

To learn so very much on how to help your loves ones and yourself, the following petition and links are completely worth the time. I learned so much and was able to take action and that made me feel like I was actually doing something myself to help save the CFC inhalers. You can sign the petition and also file your MedWatch complaint right there from the petition site. It was quite an eye-opener for me.

http://tinyurl.com/yphmp4

Cheers,
Linda

[concerned asthma sufferer]

These new inhalers suck!!!! They do not work well. It is not my imagination! I am terrified for my 5 year old son who has been exhibiting signs of asthma that this is what he is destined to use his whole life. Also, with 6 kids how am I going to be able to afford his & my medications. This is so RETARDED, the ozone ....please. How many other products are used on an every day basis that do more harm to the ozone. For that matter, let's just go back to Horse & buggy...that would solve a lot of environmental & health problems (because of the fact that people would have to walk or ride bicycles eveyrwhere).....maybe some of the politicians & bigwigs would have to walk & get of their fat, lazy, money loving butts. That would help the environment more than anything!!!!! But, no we would rather kill people through suffocation by depriving them of the one thing that they have relied on for years to keep them alive during an asthma attack!!!! THESE NEW INHALERS DO NOT WORK........there is page after page of stories here on the internet READ THEM.......the people using them should no better then all of you money grubbing pencil pushers!!!!!! Well, undoubtedly there will be law suits becasue of death related asthma because after taking the "so-called" rescue inhalers that are available now .....there will be far less rescues & people are going to die! Also, I predict lawsuits from side effects very soon....expect to see commercials fro law firms on tv just like the ones from the Pondiman & such. Boy, how dumb can these pharamceutical companies be.....duh!

[Tuvok]

I used to have asthma real bad, and mine was from chemical weapons exposer! About 10 years ago they but me on Singulair and that was a life saver for me. Instead of treating the attack they treat the airway before the attack, I went from carrying 4 inhalers to 1 inhaler. Also I learned to stay away from things that set me off, Like the soap Lane at the Wal-mart or when people get around me with to much perfume I walk away, and smoke also I walk away. I learned what foods would set me off also and believe it or not which detergents to wash my cloths I could not wash my cloths in and not to wash my cloths in. Along what soaps I could take a bath in. So with all this information in had for the last ten years I only have maybe 1 attack a year that is bad. And I have had asthma for 30 years now, So the last 10 years have been great.

[mam]

last thing... www.proairhfa.com is also offering a voucher for a FREE inhaler.

[Art]

A voucher isn't enough. ProAir should PAY people to use that garbage. In my opinion.

[M Malory]

Please ask anyone you know who lives in the UK to sign this petition to save CFC inhalers (for UK residents only; the US petition is for US resdients only)
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/cfcinhalers/
Kind regards,
Marcia Malory

[Kiara]

I am 15 years of age from Baltimore Maryland. I ran into this website because I am doing a persuasive speech about pollution in Maryland and I am persuading people not to ban inhalers because they claim it is us asthmatics medicine messing up the pollution but I feel that it is all off the exhaust companies and all of the powerplants and all of the places that they are tearing down in downtown baltimore to make even more dumb buildings. I feel that I have it bad enough to the point were I can't even walk outside when its windy and I have an asthma attack. Then they have the audacity to blame our life savers. Honestly none of that medicine work singluar adviar and every other medicine you can think off except for the nebulizer. My dad died from asthma when I was 7 years of age and I will not see that happen to every innocent person because of what they say about pollution if they want to start then clean up waters and trash off of every street corner and recycle if they want a clean street but if it is that important I feel that they should not take people lives they stoop to low for me if I can go about making a petition can someone help me because I am interested in joining everyone I may be the youngest but we are the future and with yall help I am willing to save it thank you.

[Art]

Hi Kiara,

Your attitude is excellent! You are a fighter. You don't believe the lies you learn in school about this politicized subject, which is NOT based in science or facts. That's a great start.

I suggest you read (and sign) our petition to learn the issues for your speech.

There's a lot of confusion about this subject. CFC inhalers were not banned because they contribute to ground level pollution and smog and exhaust (these things contribute to global warming- supposedly- and that is NOT the issue we are dealing with here.)

CFC inhalers, and all CFCs and other Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS)- except for those used in the Space Shuttle and Titan rocket program- and methyl bromine for agriculture- are being banned because they destroy stratospheric ozone and supposedly allow increased UVB radiation to reach the earth's surface and harm life on earth. NONE of this has been proved at all- and in any event- CFCs from inhalers exist in amounts much too small to harm the ozone layer. It's absolute nonsense, and it completely ignores the powerful effects of the solar cycles on ozone depletion.

Our new website will be published this month with more information, but there's plenty to keep you busy between now and then on our current petition (and links).

Good luck on your speech, Kiara!

And remember- Global Warming (ground level pollution, CO2 emissions, smog, exhaust, etc.) and Ozone Depletion are two VERY DIFFERENT things- and CFCs in inhalers don't harm EITHER problem, they were banned because radical politicians (thank you, former Vice-President Al Gore) got carried away and took extreme steps with the Montreal Protocol (an international treaty to 'save the ozone layer') without stopping to ask: do we REALLY need to ban life-saving CFC inhalers to 'save the ozone layer'? MORONS! Fight back against the lies, Kiara. And sign our petition to fight this CFC inhaler ban and get on our mailing list.

Art

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

[Art]

methyl bromide, not methyl bromine.

[Kiara]

I fully agree with that and I will like to thank you art for your support. You had taught me some new facts that I found very interesting and I really appreciate you giving me your words of wisdom for the knowledge that you know of. I am going to show people how important this is to people in my class and hopefully I can get them to agree with me. So as I said last time I am not going to let this go and all of us can change things with faith and the power of God have a nice day bye.

[Art]

You're very welcome, Kiara.

Good Luck,

Art

P.S. If you have any questions that you can't answer through your own research, email me at [e-mail] (Att:Art) and I'll try to help you. I have a lot of research about Ozone Depletion and Global Warming (two very complex, separate issues that obviously influence each other but in ways that are poorly understood- and both of which are poorly reported by our incredibly biased, ignorant media). Keep up the good work, Kiara. Have a great day!

[Kiara]

To update everyone I am still working on my speech and my teacher read the rough draft and he really enjoyed it I am presenting it next week

[Art]

That's great, Kiara!

I know you'll do very well. Let me know if you have any last-minute questions.

Best Regards,

Art