CFC asthma inhaler PETITION UPDATE

[saveCFCinhalersD OTorg]

We have added six PDFs to the petition. These are the PLAIN ENGLISH MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS that we imported and decoded from the FDA's AERS Database covering HFA inhaler complaints filed between April 2005 and September 2007 for: Ventolin HFA, Xopenex HFA, Proventil HFA, ProAir HFA, Atrovent HFA and Flovent HFA.

PAY ATTENTION to the ADVERSE REACTIONS posted at the very bottom of each single page report (you will need to COPY/PASTE the MEDICAL TERMS into your GOOGLE SEARCH WINDOW for fast definitions. The FDA clinical reviewers translate your complaints into the correct medical terms, and these are what get listed the bottom of each report as an adverse reaction).

ALSO PAY ATTENTION to the OUTCOME listed four lines above the ADVERSE REACTIONS. By using the right arrow on your keyboard (or at the top, on the Adobe toolbar), you can quickly go through each PDF and count, for example, the number of REPORTED DEATHS (DEATH="DE") for each inhaler during this time period.

WE ARE MAKING THIS OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE MEDWATCH COMPLAINT DATA AVAILABLE ON THE PETITION...

A) TO INFORM YOU of the full spectrum of growing complaints, in as close to 'real time' as possible, so that you know what to look for and be aware of. Many side effects are very INSIDIOUS, they come on slowly and are not easily connected to the inhaler. These PDFs will hopefully make you (and your MDs) aware of potential side effects YEARS before they end up on package inserts.

B) TO MOTIVATE YOU to FILE YOUR OWN MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS against any HFA INHALERS you've had a MEDICAL (NOT A FINANCIAL) PROBLEM WITH.

There's an ENORMOUS DISCREPANCY between the number of PETITION COMPLAINTS and the number of MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS.

WE WILL BE LAUGHED OFF CAPITOL HILL IF THIS DOES NOT CHANGE!

WE ARE FIGHTING AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY BACKED BY AN ENVIRO-FRAUD-OWNED CONGRESS AND ADMINISTRATION! If we are perceived of by Congress and the Administration as being TOO LAZY TO FILE MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS, we will be perceived of as being TOO LAZY TO ORGANIZE POLITICALLY in a way that poses a SERIOUS THREAT to OUR OPPONENTS' POLITICAL CAREERS- the ONLY THING most of them CARE ABOUT.

Now that you can see the finished PDFs, we hope that you will be able to see the EDUCATIONAL AND POLITICAL value of these MedWatch complaints, and that you are inspired to TAKE THREE MINUTES to complete your own online MedWatch complaint for each HFA inhaler that you had a medical problem with.

WITHOUT A MOUNTAIN OF HONEST MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS, CFC INHALERS WILL NEVER COME BACK.

BELIEVE IT.

This is what we have been REPEATEDLY TOLD by our friends in Congress, and THEY KNOW what they are talking about.

Spend some time going through these PDFs. OVER 30 PEOPLE were reported to HAVE DIED as a result of these HFA inhalers based on complaints filed between April 2005 and September 2007 ALONE, and WE KNOW that MEDWATCH COMPLAINTS ARE GROSSLY UNDERREPORTED.

It's NEVER TOO LATE to file your online MedWatch complaint. It DOESN'T have to be complete, it DOESN'T have to be perfect- as you will see when you review the PDFs- THEY NEVER ARE. Just do the best you can.

Be clear when you describe your suspected side effects (adverse reactions), BE ACCURATE about the name of the HFA inhaler(s) you are complaining about- file DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS for EACH HFA INHALER that you had a medical problem with (check with your pharmacist or MD if you are not 100% sure of the name of the HFA inhaler that you were using).

The 6 PDFs are on the right side of the petition:

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

Allow up to 30 SECONDS for the PDFs to load, depending on your computer's speed. Please READ the petition if you have not yet done so. It contains VERY valuable information, including the 6 PDFs, the phone number of a drug store that has WARRICK CFC Albuterol (until the ban takes effect on 12/31/08) and the LATEST EXPERT ASTHMA GUIDELINES.

[saveCFCinhalersD OTorg]

TRY THIS LINK (or google "save cfc"):

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

[Ray from Texas]

Since they stopped making asthma inhalers with CFC, my breathing has got much worse eventhough I use twice as many puffs of HFA inhalers. Now I am always in a state of panic not knowing how to get relief. I think there are a lot of people out there who have the same problem. And what about housands and thousands of kids who suffer because of a decision made by people who are either ignorant of the suffering of asthma patients or who do not care and are influenced by pharmaceutical companies who now charge much more for a medicine that a lot of people must have to take their next breath.

[joanna]

Like other chronic asthmatics, I hate this new ProAir hfa "rescue" inhaler. It takes 2-3 times the puffs as the old CFC inhaler and does not last. Thank God for my nebulizer; but how can I carry that everywhere? I called Teva Pharmaceuticals to complain that the inhaler fails to propel the abuterol into the bronchials & lungs. It seems to stick in my throat and slide into my stomach and give me stomaches. Teva wants me to send them my inhaler (it could be defective)! From the complaints I read on "consumeraffairs.com ", it seems ALL these inhalers are defective! I call them "genocide" inhalers, since they target one group of people - those with respiratory diseases!

[Jeffrey Fried]

I have been alternating between my last container of Proventil (CFC) and Maxair (Pirbuterol). The combination worked very well. I am now out of the Proventil and so i have only the Pirbuterol, which still uses CFCs, and Proventil HFA. Proventil HFA is just shy of useless, the combination of Pirbuterol and Proventil HFA are 80-90% as good as Proventil (CFC). It may be that Pirbuterol may suffice for many people, however, eventually i believe that Pirbuterol may have to switch to HFAs, and when that happens, who knows how effective that will be.
It would be less of an issue for me if i could use inhaled steroids, however, i get very bad side effects, headaches and fatigue, from inhaled steroids.

[andrew]

I want to know what politicians are behind making asthma inhalers illegal so some corporations can force people to buy a new brand for 5 times the cost which works only 10% as good. Sure there is some environmental protocol, but it's obvious that some corp with the help of some dirty politician got this important life saving drug added to make some extra billions in profit.

Now I have to go to Mexico to get the working inhalers for $10 each.

Our corrupt government can go to hell putting my life at risk, and the quality of my life on the sidelines for some pathetic minuscule cfc pollution. Corporations have free reign to pollute with no consequence. They are destroying the air and oceans while I'm punished for using some asthma inhaler.

[SNSB]

Andrew, please check out this link for every detail about the ban. This is the only site I found that has credible information that we need to know.

http://www.savecfcinhalers.org/

[marilyn from ohio]

not only have i noticed a difference in efficiency (decreased results) but my last 3 hfa inhalers only delivered half of the 200 puffs the canister is suppossed to hold. the last one i used only gave me 66 puffs. i have been keeping a daily log on usage and have my complaints logged at my pharmacy. tomorrow i will file a complaint agaist TEVA pharmaceuticles. how many people have to die first before we see any results?!!!

[mark]

Hi. I really feel for you guys. I get asthma only in the ragweed season during late july august. I never used an inhaler , but by the sound of it, they are now ineffective and useless because of our insane govt laws.
I totally understand the frustration. It is not fun to get an asthma attack. The dizziness, the coughing.
Is there anything i can do. This pisses me off so much. And the EPA allows the use of CFC sprays for coaxial foam, and a few industrial applications. This is so arbitrary. Why do they attack humans?
By the way, this reminds me of the ban of DDT, which saved millions of lives from malaria. It was an "environmental concern". What about the human concern? And scientists are still debating the causes of global warming. No scientist argues that a volcano creates a ton more pollution than humans have emitted since the dawn of the industrial age. So why now, all of a sudden, our tiny amount of pollution in comparison to volcanos, destroy the earth? hmmmm, i think not. the earth is hardy. but human life is fragile

[Seano]

andrew wrote:

Now I have to go to Mexico to get the working inhalers for $10 each.

Good news to hear that civilised places still exist on the globe, although Mexico is a long swim from Australia. Perhaps if I send you the $10 you could write me a postcard on your next vacation?