Possible Shortage of Albuterol Inhalers

i tried the new inhalers.
they suck
no force behind the shot into the lungs
it has ethenol which in known for causing breathing problems
something going into my lungs isnt hurting the ozone.
stop cows from farting.
this is stupid.

I Have waited too long to do it but I sent this to everyone I could think of. The best way to get the point driven home is thru the media. But I did send it to the government
Albuterol Ban
Sir I would like your help to right a very bad wrong, I am an asthma suffer for most of my life, I work as an Electrician and live in Oregon both of which will subject me to allergens, which sometimes causes asthma attacks. Some bureaucrat with an agenda to save the world from a man made global warming, a myth in my opinion, has made an effort to ban the number one best short term asthma relief medication ever made because it contains cfc's. I am forced into buy now medication that is 1/3 the size, does not have enough pressure to get the medication to the back of my tongue and is three times more expensive. Before you start telling me that the medication is going to still be sold remember I am a smart boy, if the medication will not get into our lungs and air ways it will not work well enough to give us relief. It is ridiculous that we are attacking people with asthma while everyone else is just going on with their same old life style. Here is an idea let us have our medication we are used to and tell NASA to stop polluting the air with their wasteful space shuttle launches. Or maybe we should limit the size of their rockets so less poison comes out of them when launched and tell them that they are in orbit when they really do not have a chance of really getting into orbit thru government regulation changes.
Now I realize from past emails to you that you will not respond and thus I feel you do not care. I expect more than an automated response from your office, as well as a non political down to earth heartfelt human response to this issue
And to you all that seem to want to tell us that Albuterol is still with us, let’s pretend that (for those old enough) you have a bottle of beer and you want to drink it but it has no delivery system to drink it, and because it is a new environmentally friendly version it will also cost you three times as much along with being one third the size. SO GIVE US A BREAK

fred wrote:

Albuterol is NOT being banned. the propellant, CFC, which has been used to propel the medicine from the inhaler into your lungs, has been banned.
the new albuterol inhalers are the same medicine, with a different propellant. It may taste and/or feel different, but its the same medicine.
suggest you talk to you doctor. there are lots of programs available right now to help patients make the transition.

Not a serious asthmatic are you Fred?

For an asthmatic, the propellent is every bit as important as the drug. Different propellents will affect people differently.

From personal experience: The best inhaler for me was Maxair which is a dry powder (no propellent). But it is not available as a generic. I have also tried HFA propelled inhalents, but they were not as effective as the generic Albuterol in CFC and are also not available as a generic.

The fact is I require 3 other drugs that are not available as generics and I pay big bucks for those. For me, generics are free. At this point I actually have zero personal income, in part because of my asthma. Because of this ban, I will have to find a way to eliminate this drug, and I am sure I will not do as well without it.

Talking to your doctor is great theory, but since they are not affected by your sensitivities, they have no clue about your experience. They just spout theory. Contrary to popular view, theory is not FACT.

mzchemist,

Go to the NEW petition to find directions (halfway down the right side) to order non-ethanol HFA generic Ventolin from canadapharmacy.com for $12 = S&H.

Submit the receipt to your insurer, you may get something back.

While you're thered, sign the petition and forward it automatically to 1-2 people.

The petition link is:

http://tinyurl.com/yphmp4

Best Regards,

Art

P.S. Please copy/paste this link somewhere

I would just like to say that saving the environment is bulls**t. I love these inhalers and The EPA is full of pussies and environment desk jockies. These people are going to hell and will be joined by the makers of the Clean Air Act. This whole country is placing the environment above the people. I hope people complain and sue and bitch and moan 'til I get my life saving inhaler back and the pharmaceutical companies are too afraid to fight the government and spend the money to keep a life saving product on the market. So I going to China to buy this shit by the case from the factory. Even if I have to spend 10,000 dollars on fines and pay offs. Sicilain bitch

Johnny Peppers,

Well said.

One suggestion- don't go to China- the air pollution will not help your asthma. Just call Gillespie's Pharmacy in Ohio for Warrick- they'll sell you up to 24 at a time, I think.

Their phone number is on the petition, right side, halfway down. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/yphmp4

While you're there- do us all a favor and sign it.

Thanks,

Art

Dear Fred,

For me personally, I did not know that the ban was coming and my physicians never told me about it either. I had been on Warrick and the first time I found out about it was about six months ago when I had my inhaler refilled at the pharmacy and they gave me, what I thought, was the wrong inhaler. Only then did I find out about any of this, so I, like so many others, hadn't done reason to do anything before now because we simply didn't know this was coming. Had I known it was coming, I would have begun my actions a long time ago.

I feel somewhat foolish because I am a regular news watcher, heard about the 1987 International Treaty, but never put 2 and 2 together that this meant my Warrick rescue inhaler was eventually going away. I think this is what happened to many others. Your research in greatly appreciated and I hope that you can continue to contribute to this forum. It's just that we get here, from time to time, rogue people who interject that "we just don't know how to use the HFA inhalers", etc. We do know because our lives depends on them.

We know we have an extremely difficult battle to fight and don't want to fight amongst ourselves....many of us are just scared to death, reading this forum, trying to learn more and trying to help where we can. If you can sign the petition, that will help. If you can ask family and friends to sign it on your family's behalf, that would be great too.

Here is the petition link:

http://tinyurl.com/yphmp4

Additionally, there is a yahoo group that you can join some of us in that is very enlightening if you'd like to check it out sometime. Here is that link:

http://tinyurl.com/yq3pxl

I'm not interesed in attacking anyone, although I must admit I have done so in the past here, but this is not the route I want to take anymore. I just want to learn from everyones' emotions and research.

Anyway, welcome, and have a great day.

Cheers,
Linda

My husband was struggling to figure out why his astma was worsening, and why it took 5-6 puffs instead of two to stop his lungs from closing up. Turns out it's the new threee times the cost substitute. I have friends in Mexico who are buying a case of the old stuff for me. By the way only $15 US for a three pack of albuterol inhalers over the border.

fred wrote:

Albuterol is NOT being banned. the propellant, CFC, which has been used to propel the medicine from the inhaler into your lungs, has been banned.
the new albuterol inhalers are the same medicine, with a different propellant. It may taste and/or feel different, but its the same medicine.
suggest you talk to you doctor. there are lots of programs available right now to help patients make the transition.

It does taste and feel different, and also I'm allergice to the new propellent. Does this mean I'll be SOL?!?!

Sara wrote:

It does taste and feel different, and also I'm allergice to the new propellent. Does this mean I'll be SOL?!?!

You likely will need to go the nebulizer route.

One of my friends that had the same issue and was able to acquire an Omron MicroAir portable nebulizer. It has some bulk to it, measuring about 5" tall, with about a 2" square footprint. She then carries so many plastic premix vials when she is away from home.

Please do not ban CFC Albuterol. I beg you! Asthma sufferers are human being...let them live longer with brilliant life!

Please US Government do not ban CFC drugs. We asthma sufferers are human being and we need CFCs to improve our quality of lives ... Please be generous and kind enough to help us by not taking away CFSs inhaler!!!

fred,
I have to wonder why you are here? For the sake of argument. Read my lips, ok, my typing..The new propellants DO NOT work!! People are showing up in the ER with acute symptoms, getting breathing treatments because the HFA's are useless. It may very well be the same medication but if the propellant doesn't do it's job and allow opening of the airway..It's useless!!

fred wrote:

snowing lightly states it hasn't been "time tested" like the old albuterol. you are incorrect.
Proair HFA approved 2004. 2.5 years on the market
Proventil HFA approved 1996. 10 years on the market
Qvar HFA approved 2002. 5 years on the market
Ventolin HFA approved 2001. 6 years on the market
Xopenox HFA approved 2005. 1 year on the market.
i think there is a bit of experience out there with the HFA products for asthma. do your research, talk to your doctor. take responsibility for your health.

Hi Heather, Sarah, John and Christy,

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

First of all Fred. Qvar is a corticosteroid, not a rescue inhaler. Okay?

Second, there is another alternative called Maxair Autohaler that is still sold CFC that has been recommended by those that do not feel relief from albuterol or have a sensitivity to the ingredients. At one time I used this medication as they once gave out generous samples to my one pulmonologist.

3 things I will brief everyone on.

First this is a Autohaler. You breath in it activates a single dose. No need to exercise any canisters to dispense. People with arthritis or finger stiffness appreciates that.

The second and 3rd kind of run together. The inhaler SRP is around $115 but the canister contains 400 actuations, that rounds out to a full months supply @ 2puffs every 4hrs.

Currently I am a Xopenex user and as long as it is helping me I am fine with that.

Not everyone has the same luck and not everyone is compatible with every medication.

Jack50,

You have provided a wealth of accurate information on these threads for a very long time. You are extremely knowledgeable, and very helpful to all posters. I appreciate everything you've done here, and I know others do, too.

Thank you,

Art

Art wrote:

Jack50,
You have provided a wealth of accurate information on these threads for a very long time. You are extremely knowledgeable, and very helpful to all posters. I appreciate everything you've done here, and I know others do, too.
Thank you,
Art

Well Art,

I got to say anytime there is a problem, there is a solution someplace.

Oh a link for that Maxair Autohaler

http://www.maxairautohaler.com/

Another tidbit of information. Maxair has been one of those orphaned/readopted drugs that is like an old Timex that keeps on ticking. On their official website everyone may see they too have the trouble with the tree huggers. However, unlike the chicken crap albuterol companies, they seem dedicated to their customers.

Art, one of your recommended petition websites shows a tinyurl link to a Graceway.pdf file. It is in that cluster perhaps 4th or 5th down on the long external link list. I dug up the long link available from the FDA that is below here.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/meeting/ozone/Gracewa...

Graceway readopted it just last December (2006) I hear there was a lag for it to up to production like the Primatine/Epi based inhalers did. About all I know for now.

If the free market made a crappy car and charged 4 times as much for it how long does anyone think they would stay in business? Answer.... forever as long as the government took all the other cars off the market. This is exactly what were in store for with government health care. If the politicians want to live in soviet russia I say we buy them one way first class tickets.

Jeff Blaha wrote:

If the free market made a crappy car and charged 4 times as much for it how long does anyone think they would stay in business? Answer.... forever as long as the government took all the other cars off the market.

I would say that reminds me what Preston Tucker said of the big Auto Companies, back in the 40's. Something to the effect- that their cars were being manufactured so unsafe, that they all should be charged with Manslaughter. With some innovation namely in the solid shaft steering column, shear sleeves were placed to allow the steering column to collapse upon any impact. Driver decapitations in common tree related mishaps, became a thing of the past. Today there is still issues with chest trauma related deaths.

Anyway back to the topic-

I feel somewhat the same way Preston did with the auto industry as with the current drug companies.

In now referring to [R]acemic Albuterol (plain & problematic drug)- By Ameredes BT, Calhoun WJ; "Do we wish to continue to treat asthma with a mixture of albuterol, of which half is an agent with no known benefit--that is,(S)-albuterol--and which may exacerbate the disease?"

[(S)-albuterol = Xopenex/Levalbuterol]

http://tinyurl.com/ynkp4w

In lay-terms-

Should we still buy Albuterol knowing it is such a problematic drug?

Albuterol HFA has ended up nearly 4 times as worse in this newly formulated inhalers. Under no circumstance will I buy these Albuterol inhalers.

I had a friend that use to worked at GSK and made HFA products. They had all kinds of problems with them leaking. The shelf life was only 12 months before the package is opened. They made a smaller sample to give away so they didn't lose money when they had promised to have something like 2 million for samples. They are also the maker of Advair one of their top sellers.