Asthma Inhalers BAnned, 2009

Someone asked how long these inhalers (albuterol and atrovent in particular) will last. If you keep them in a cool, dry place (not your car in summer) they will last 10 years.

My asthma kicked in about 15 years ago.
It was usually brought about due to allergic reactions.
Some desert plants from Southwest Texas were especially potent.

Still had allergies when I moved to Dallas but my asthma has almost gone away entirely since I got my dogs to keep me company.

Some people probably think it's gross but dog kisses do wonders for your immune system. Additionally, I haven't had a flu shot in 4 years.

Even my doctor is surprised why I no longer require treatment, and a breathalyzer, or a inhalator, (not a breathalyzer) for my asthma.

reply to post by MCoG1980

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Thank you so much for those links. I just got out of the hospital on Monday due to an asthma attack Friday night. To top it off, I had a slight case of pneumonia. I completely agree with you-being attached to my medication. I feel like I always have to carry it around with me. Not just because Im scared I might have an attack...I think its more than that.

After this last attack, I feel I need to lean more towards a holistic, alternative approach. I definately do not want to end up in the ER again.

one thing that helps some, when you feel one coming on, is Altoids strong mints.

I was prescibed the new type inhaler last year and found it to be scarily ineffective - having to take the deep breath in is just not practical when having an attack.

I was lucky in that my GP changed my prescription back to the old inhaler when I complained, but I don't know how long I'll get away with it.

To this poster and other's who have claimed this is "green nonsense" and "all in the name of global warming", I have the following public service announcement:

CFC'S HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH GLOBAL WARMING

CFC's actually break down the ozone in the upper atmosphere and have been proven, beyond doubt, to have caused ozone depletion and the subsequent "hole's".

Ozone protects the earth from UV radiation. Prior to the banning of CFC's some while back, there were huge hole's developing in the Ozone layer. These have now largely healed.

Ozone depletion has naff all to do with Global Warming or Al Gore.

Global warming is the prefect scam. You can not prove it is not a scam and I can not prove it is. It is perfect. I can not beleive no one though of it sooner.

I found this NYTimes article from May 2008 on the switch. It contains some tips that might be helpful to people switching to the new inhalers.

It also has some interesting information about the availability of the four name-brand inhalers that use the new propellant. It doesn't follow through on it, but it says that there are important differences between the four, that doctors are mostly prescribing "Albuterol" and leaving it up to the pharmacists to decide which brand to provide, and most interesting, that the brand covered by most insurance plans is the one with the lightest spray.

That seems odd, when most people's complaints about the new inhalers have to do with the spray being too light.

Also, I have a question for people. Some people have said there's also a link with underground meth labs (like with the pseudoephedrine/phenalamine thing, I guess). I haven't found anything that talks about that – could someone point me to some links?

Take a look at the contents of the inhaler and do a search on meth production and you'll see the connection.

Ephedrine is by far a better base source and the inhaler has the cleanest, most pure source on the open market. There is a rule that most chemists live by, "garbage in, garbage out", so the cleaner source is most preferable.

There seems to be an intentional omission of the inhaler in stories about illicit drug production. I am guessing that the DEA doesn’t want to give those who don’t already know any new ideas.

And just in case anyone is wondering, yes, I made this in college as one of my projects, for a grade and aced it, no problem. So did most every other student in my class. But that were many years ago and I do not think it would be tolerated today.

SAME HERE. I have asthma. So does my husband. So does my daughter.
We've never cleaned ours and they work fine. 5$ each.

This sux.

I wonder? Maybe this is the Government's way of getting rid of us? You know, let to sick die off leaving only the people that are healthy.

Socialized Rx will be in trouble with all of us asthmatics.

Roper

But the ephedrine inhalers aren't what this switch is about, except indirectly.

They'll still be available over-the-counter until 2011, with CFC propellant, according to what I've read. I haven't seen anything about past that date, but they might be available with HFA after that, since it's the CFCs that are banned.

The switch coming this year is in the albuterol inhalers, from CFC propellant to HFA propellant.

Albuterol is a brand name for another stimulant used in illicit drug production. The CFC propellant evaporates 100% in certain chemical processes without affecting the end resulting drug. It is believed by some people that the HFA propellant will throw a kink in this method of production. From the looks of it, it will, but the chemist would need only to vary the process slightly to achieve the same ending product. But hey, they take another source of CFC’s off the market.

At least that is what I understand, but my college days are long behind me and I am not really up on all the illicit drug production.

I talked to a Pharmacist friend of mine today and asked him about this and it is Albuterol that is taking the hit. If primatene is on the hit list he didn't know it.

So I'm good for now. BUT I'm still angry about this, taking away someones med's is wrong!

I may have missed it but is this law or did this come from the FDA? What I thought of was writing to my congress-critters and complain. Other that hanging the bastards I do not know what to do.

If they take your Rx how long will it before that come for mine?

Roper

reply to post by eaganthorn

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Ah, I see. Thanks

Either way, to make it ever-so-slightly harder for meth labs or to take what must be a fairly minor polluter out of circulation, I think someone's priorities are pretty far out of whack.

Providing asthmatics with better, cheaper medicine seems more important to me than forcing meth labs to alter their procedures. And it's one thing to take the CFCs out of our hairspray; it's quite different to take it out of inhalers.

reply to post by americandingbat

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I agree with you 100%

The #1 priority should always be the patients health in these issues.
The CFC content in an inhaler is a non issue.
The war on drugs is also a bogus waste of our time and money as those people will always find a way to do what they do.

I used to have Asthma as a kid. My mother had Asthma for over 65 years! Until I gave her 2 supplements. I gave her 1 bottle of Adrenotrate by ultralifeinc.com and Germanium 132. It's been almost 2 yrs. and she hasn't had 1 instance of Asthma or a cold or flu. Niacin can help with Allergies and Asthma cause it's an anti-histamine and opens up tubes. Don't take large doses of Vit.-C. Allergies are caused by the body becoming too alkaline. So Vit.-C, most fruit juice, green veggies or seafood can give you allergies. Acidifying agents to help counter Alkalosis would be cranberry juice, plum or prune juice, carrot juice, and vinegar.

www.ultralifeinc.com...

Here's a list of Germanium 132 benefits.
www.stopyeast.com...

[edit on 6-3-2009 by Sargoth]

reply to post by amatrine

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Looks like another move to make some cash from the Green Fad by updating technology to help the environment. I've had asthma my whole life, though I haven't had to use my inhaler in more than a year... I'm all for caring about the environment, but this green Global Warming Climate Crisis stuff wreaks of a scam...