Azmacort Substitute (Page 16)
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Azmacort has been taken off the market because of environmental concerns (they say). There really is NO substitute. All other steroids do not work. My wife could die because of it. No one seems to care. Do you?

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Carol
Linda
Deceed21

Carol:

Tarpon Springs is just south of here. The population has some general characteristics: most are Greek, many are fishermen or sponge divers, and many own or supply restaurants with their catch. It is a favorite place to go for shopping and general walk-around on any afternoon. I do not know how the pollen is there. Since I am not bothered by it myself, I don’t know how the pollen is anywhere. I think asthma is the condition and pollen only exacerbates it.

Also, it seems that asthma is a general condition but there are many forms of it. And, as there are many forms, the cure seems to be dot-dash. No particular cure will work for all.

That is why our posts consistently suggest that one should stay close to their Pulmonologist and give them a chance to build a history of information so that they can fit you to the best option based on the many cases they have seen. While Psalm 139:14 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” the cumulative effects of sin in the human race has bred many diverse tangents to our original condition. It takes an expert to chase them down.

My wife seems to be adapting pretty well to the Advair HFA 115/21 aerosol spray. She has worked with it so that she has settled on two puffs in the morning and two in the evening. I think she also said she may take a spray of Albuterol or an added spray of the Advair - whatever it seems best to do at the time. I think she can sense what is best for her. But, happily, most of the time it’s just the Advair thingy. Perhaps, when the Pine Tree pollen abates, she may adjust again.

What a change from the dark days of Azmacort being taken off the market in such a cruel way. It seems that Abbott Laboratories thought it through and had no real choice. The environmentalists would sue their brains off. They could not realistically suggest alternatives knowing the vagaries of asthma as they do. Thank you for praying for her. We are fortunate that the Lord has provided an alternate we did not know existed.

Linda:

Monday has come and gone. How did you do? The Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that may cure a bacteria-caused illness but it does not seem to affect asthma. You do need to find a substitute for Azmacort. It will never be made again. The postings herein may give you some ideas but to be sure, get in touch with a specialist. You say you are frightened. A Pulmonologist may rid you of some of your fears and give you some real hope. Forget the money. You have to breath. Once you get that down, you can worry about payments later.

We posted earlier that some drug manufacturers offer financial relief for those who cannot afford what they need. If that applies to you, do whatever it takes to position yourself to be a viable candidate for that manufacturers requirements and apply. If you can, try to remain calm through it all as if you are an interested observer. Not easy to do all the time, but panic only makes it worse. Believe there is hope. All you need to do is to find it. Notice everything and write it down so that you don’t forget to mention details to your doctor. And be sure to share your success with others sure to suffer after you. Your panic will turn to joy.

Deceed21

My wife went through the same disbelief that Azmacort could be taken off the market because the carrier was a chlorofluorocarbon (cfc). The cfc’s are claimed to be a major contributor to the accelerated depletion of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The amount of cfc in a drug is so minuscule that, compared to the real culprits (air conditioners, cleaners, and other chlorine and bromine containing compounds), it seems there could have been a little give and take. The folks involved, however, have no give in their heart. They stand to make trillions, not mere billions. They have the ear of the press to reinforce their stand. As a Bible-believing pastor, I do not believe the earth will meet its end through any human devices. The Bible covers all of human history on this earth as it is presently configured and gives glimpses of before and after. It is very clearly and systematically written down and it all has a purpose. If you believe that, “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” you will have no problem believing the rest of the Bible.

Be that as it may, we knew we had to go on the attack against her condition, not the circumstance. She tried, as your grandmother has, to use alternatives - even to the point of forcing her body to accept them. That put her in the hospital; and that was the blessing. She met a Pulmonologist there that knew of a drug that might work. We knew about the Advair discus, but the powdery carrier did not work for her. She simply could not take it. Most people who take Azmacort also have to follow it up with Serevent. Advair HFA in every strength has the Serevent in it. One dose does it all.

While this may not work for your grandmother, we trust something will. Follow some of he leads suggested in these postings - read them all - and you will see the varieties of things that have worked for others and one or two may also work for your grandmother. We would caution against private experimentation without the help of a professional. Knowledge runs deep these days but should only be applied by those who have the credentials. Generally, you and I do not have them. And, after a few years of working with patients, a Pulmonologist can accumulate information we could not even dream about. That is exactly what happened to us. We even contacted the top lung specialist hospital in the country, the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, yet they did not suggest what our Pulmonologist did. Our family doctor did not know of this particular drug inhaler either.

As for your spelling - if you are able to communicate what you want to say so that others understand you, spelling can take a back seat. One way to overcome it is, type out what you want to say using Microsoft Word, Word Perfect - or whatever program you use -first. They all have spell checkers. When you are through, you can simply copy what you have written and paste it to the posting.

We hope your grandmother has a bright future, able to breath freely.

Jack

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My grandmother is the exact same way! it took her years and many hospital stays to get a medication that will actually work! she did manage to stock pile some before it was discontinued bit will run out soon! She has a slight form of o.c.d. but will never admit to it but her and (monk) from USA networks sure have a lot in common! Starting Jan 1ST of 2010 the pharm. started substituting asmanex for her asmacort prescription. She is very afraid of change to begin with, but when it affects her breathing it really is a huge issue! She has started to try and use the asmanex to see if it will work before she runs out of her asmacort, but after just trying to use it ( which she cannot) I started thinking that this stuff is a joke!! Think about it, to use asmanex you unscrew the top and the measured dosage automatically comes out into the top portion of the apperatis. Then the user must put it in their mouth and create a vacume and inhale the powder using only their own lung power! If you have the prescription you know what im talking about!! Now for me that is no problem, but I have no lung problems. for my grandmother it is next to impossible for her to inhale it with out the device some how perpelling it into her lungs! If you think about it, it would be about the equivalent of someone that is paralised that needed to walk to make the medicine work!! it is just stupid and not very well thought out!! I do understand that the drug company was given over 10 years to comply with the federal regs. and come up with a differant perpellant and it seemes like they never even tried and now people that rely on that medication to stay alive are forced to basically start all over again on a quest to find a script that works like asmacort did!! If any one finds anything that seems to have promise please reply to this part of the thread. Also im sorry for the horible spelling!!

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Linda,

I agree about the Azmacort. If only the company that made it knew what we all are going through. I agree about the Pulmicort and the other inhalers. I tried Qvar and had the same symptoms you are having. My throat was sore, I had a hoarse voice and felt tight in the chest. Sounds like you may need some Prednisone. I know lots of people don't like to take it, but with the chest tightness it may be a necessary thing. My asthma doctor said he believes that everyone with asthma should have a packet of Prednisone in their house for those times when you are at your worst. Feel better.

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To Jack, Carol & everyone else on here. It has been a week or so with NO Azmacort - and I am getting over a cold, which usually makes me have bad asthma symptoms at the end of the cold. So I tried Pulmicort for 3 days, but stopped entirely Thursday, because it worsened my symptoms. I have burning & pain in my throat and signs of sinus infection and chest tightness-, feeling like my throat is closing up. I just need to get thru tonight & tomorrow, and go back to drs Monday. I started Amoxicillin tonight-dr prescribed by phone, thank God. I just want my Azmacort back & right now would pay any amount of money to get it back. I am very scared & haven't felt this bad since I had pneumonia years ago. I just have to hold on till Monday. I will let you know how I make out - thanks for your encouraging answer to my earlier posting. Sincerely, Linda

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Jack,

We have both flowering and regular cherry trees. The flowering ones are like the ones in Washington, D.C. that people rave about. They are pink and white and cause me to sneeze a lot. Also Easter Lilies do the same to me. My brother lives in Tarpon Springs, FL. His is a fisherman. He got all the good stuff when it comes to health. I got all the other stuff. Asthma is one of those things. We've been to different islands in Hawaii in the past. Been to Kauai and they have the trade winds that blow the pollen all over the place. It is a beautiful place though.

Glad to hear that you wife is doing better though. Will keep praying for you both.

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Carol:

We live in Homosassa, Florida - about 60 miles north of Tampa on the west coast.. The temperature can go down into the teens in the winter, so we are above the muggy and buggy. Lots of Pine trees spew out their yellow pollen over everything at this time of the year - but only where human beings would be bothered by it : ). It is a lovely area with 7 rivers flowing out to the Gulf. It was a great fishing village until the environmentalists got hold of it. The baseball player, Ted Williams lived in the area because of the fishing long before it became famous.

Don’t get me wrong - I think our Lord created a truly beautiful world for us to live in and I do object to abuses - but I think there are extremists who carry things too far. They seem to have an unholy agenda.

I don’t think you can get away from pollen unless you live somewhere where there are no plants: - really high up, in a desert or on a house boat in the middle of the ocean. One thing about having asthma; you get to notice the plants. Without the pollen, there wouldn’t be any. You may be pleasantly surprised in Hawaii. There is pollen, yes, but there are also ocean breezes coming in from all sides that may mollify the effects.

My wife is doing fine so far. I rejoice greatly in this. She suffers physically and I suffer emotionally. I do not have allergies but I see the effects on her and I am bothered. I certainly pay more attention to her because of it so, even asthma is not without its blessing. As long as things are getting under control we do not plan to move

If you need to try anything else - and I pray you do not - you might consider the Advair HFA at various strengths. Keep it in mind. - and work through your doctor. They see much more than we do and have the expertise to help us best.

Flowering cherry trees with no cherries? What a waste.

Jack

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Jack,

The cherry trees are the flowering type. Very hard on a person's allergies and they are everywhere.

Yes, I am blessed to be getting through the asthma dilemma pretty well. I will take my inhaler to Hawaii as Kauai is the Garden Island and has lots of pollen in the air.

How is your wife doing? You said you live in Florida? My brother lives in Florida and has no problems with allergies or asthma.

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Carol:
You have been blessed in 3 ways - 1) you live where you can grow cherries, 2) you are getting a handle on how to control your own particular brand of asthma and 3) you can go to Hawaii, hopefully free of worry.

Allie:
Bronchial Thermoplasty may be our final ticket to get free of this debilitating problem. Thanks for sharing.

Jack

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Well, I am on week number 8 without my inhaler and went to my primary care doctor this week. She said to continue what I am doing and use the inhaler as necessary. She also wants me to start taking Zyrtec as the asthma doctor told me to do. I am noticing that I am coughing more and actually had to use the Albuterol inhaler today for the first time in a couple of weeks. The cherry trees are blooming here in Oregon and are killers for me. I also had to use some cough syrup because I have this nagging cough. Hope I can get through the allergy season okay. Still have the samples of Alvesco inhaler and Pulmicort Exhaler to use as well as a prescription for both. Just need to get through this allergy season. We are going to Hawaii (Kauai) in May and I don't want to have to use an inhaler if I don't have to.

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Caught this video clip about a new asthma treatment being studied and thought it may be of interest. I had not heard of it before and do not know where the procedure is available at.

Bronchial Thermoplasty:
http:/­/­www.cnn.com/­video/­#/­video/­health/­2010/­03/­03/­am.gupta.asthma.treatment.cnn?hpt=T2

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Dc
Linda
Carol

Dc
For those of us who do not know, Salt Pipe therapy is a homeopathic way to help people with breathing problems. It is not like a Sherlock Holmes thingy that you fill with salt, light up and smoke. But it is a pipe in that it is a tube through which you inhale air that passes over a substance; in this case, salt, usually from the European caves or Himalayas. (I tried to include a couple of pictures but they wouldn't attach)

According to Dr. Weil on line, there appears to be no scientific data that supports their use. There certainly are testimonials - as there are for all homeopathic products sold. To use a salt pipe, you inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose. They cost around $60 but could much lower and they seem to last for years. Hope you have great success and do not have to seek further for relief.

Carol:
You could be lucky and not have to use an inhaler every day. You wouldn't know that unless you went off of it for a while. And, you are right - the weather has a great deal to do with the lack of comfort for asthma sufferers. Our family doctor emphasized that point. We have yellow Oak and Pine Tree pollen that sticks to everything. We are just coming into the season. It is quite cold here in Homosassa, but it doesn't seem to slow down the trees any. Now I know why Arizona is so great in places - no trees.

The Fluticasone you mention is the main ingredient along with Salmeterol in the Advair aerosol inhaler. It may be one of the reasons why you do not have to use the inhaler so often.

Linda:
I was surprised, too, when I read that before you use the Advair HFA aerosol inhaler, you have to prime it four times away from your face. Seems like a waste to me.

Apparently hour inhaler is different. I found this at rxlist "Before you use a new Pulmicort Turbuhler for the first time, you should prime it. To do this, turn the cover and lift off. Hold Pulmicort Turbuhler upright (with mouthpiece up), then twist the brown grip fully to the right and back again to the left. Repeat. Now you are ready to take your first dose (see instructions for 'Taking a dose'). You do not have to prime it any other time after this, even if you put it aside for a prolonged period of time."

Your husband is probably frustrated at not being able to provide you with serious care on this one. If he knew more and how real the condition and the suffering is, he would probably climb mountains to get you the best help around. After all, he did love you enough to marry you. He certainly thinks you are worth $1,500 when you need it - especially if the doctors know what to do and what they do is going somewhere.

Not being able to breath properly can be very scary. Sometimes my epiglottis will slam shut because something triggered it. For example; if I am in a deep sleep and some stuff comes up from the stomach to cause the involuntary reaction, I am immediately fully awake and on my feet. I pace around while trying to relax and force air down past a closed valve. It makes a terrible noise and it is very, very hard to do without going into a panic mode. I have come close to passing out many times. I have been told by doctors that, if I do pass out, my throat will automatically relax and I will come out of it. Since I think they are just guessing, I don't want to try it to see.

The Lord gave us two ways to get air as far as the throat where it goes down to one. It can get pretty antsy if it is blocked from there.

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All,

I am glad to hear at least we are all surviving. :)

I have been using the salt pipe inhaler for a little over a week now. The post nasal drip has seemed to clear up a bit, and I havent needed to use albuetrol. Ive been checking my peak flows twice day, morning and evening, and everything seems to be ok. Right now, I would recommend it, however, the real test for me will be when allergy season hits. :(

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to Jack
I was so upset too about Azmacort going away. It is the only one that works for me. When I heard it was discontinued, I ran out and bought the last one in the store. I just finished it yesterday2/26, Today I started Pulmicort- but don't think I got it right- since my drs insructions did not include the manufacturers instructions about Priming the inhaler. So, I sit here thinking, did I get it or did i NOT get it? I am very scared as I am getting over a cold and having very bad asthma symptoms for first time in many months. If I had good insurance, I would have gone to ER last night, but we are afraid what the bill might be. It was $1,500 when I went in August for chest pains & tightness. So I am trying to tough it out. I am 55 y.o. You are a great husband, Pastor Jack - thank you for taking such good care of your wife, she is very lucky. My husband just tells me to tough it out, but I am scared and having trouble breathing. I just want the Azmacort back. Thanks for listening.

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Jack & All

This is not an experiment me going without an inhaler. My asthma doctor tested me and said my breathing is good, my lungs are perfect and the testing that they did showed that I did not need an inhaler everyday. I don't know if I agree with that as I had been on Azmacort for over 20 years everyday!!! So far I am doing fine. I haven't had to use the inhaler but one time. We live in Oregon and the pollen is bad this time of year as well as the cold and rain. We also have a cat which doesn't help, but we love her very much. Will check with my primary care doctor Monday to see what she thinks about me using an inhaler all the time. I am also on Fluticasone nasal spray every day for allergies.

I hope that your wife keeps up with the good signs she is showing so far.

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Allie
DC
Carol
Dale88
Concerned Reader
Vernon
Realist
Mary Hardy

Carol - I hope your experiment going without slugging a whiff of drugs except for the once-in-a-while Albuterol works. Please be careful. I understand the Albuterol can be too strong for many people although you must use it if an attack has already started.

Everyone - My wife and I went to our primary care doctor today. I waited with baited breath when my wife told her how she is doing with the Advair HFA 115/21. It would be a time when she would tell what is really going on - - - you women don't seem to want to let us in on how things are working out. I guess you just love us too much to worry us, huh?

Anyway, after about a week of trials it seems she may be able to tolerate the drug. The doctor cautioned me not to go overboard just yet - we won't really know how it will work with her until a month goes by. But she usually rejects the drugs by now and she hasn't.

It turns out that - where we live in Florida - the pollen is horrible right now. And cold as all get out. These are not the best of weather conditions for asthma drug trials but she is still able to tolerate it. I am optimistic at last. Thank you all for your support.

Jack

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Jack and All:

I'm still on my own without an inhaler after 5 weeks. I have a cough which is concerning to me. I had a cough with the Qvar too. I have an appointment with my primary care doctor March 1st. Albuterol is the only thing I am using when I think I am feeling congested. I hope your wife finds that the new treatment is helpful. I still have the Alvesco and Pulmicort Flexhaler to try in the future if I need it.

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Allie:

Thank you for your good wishes. I just asked my wife how she is feeling with the new aerosol, Adviar HFA 115/21. She is not sure yet because she does not know if her discomfort is due to a cold or the drug.

To me, that is encouraging. Her reactions to most drugs is usually much more pronounced and distinguishable. I promise to post as soon as I know what is going on.

Meanwhile, all of you should not give up. Work your way through your anger and be encouraged. I am speaking as a pastor.

Jack

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dc:
Your suggestion about Halotherapy is interesting. It sounds like homeopathic treatment which can work for some people if everything is just right. It may be longer term than we can afford health-wise. We will ask our doctor about it this week.

Jack

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Hi All, Walgreens just informed me that they could not re-fill my script so I've contacted my doctor for another option. I've been taking Azmacort for about 20 years with no problems so I will contact the manufacturer to register my displeasure.

As an aside, my father suffered and eventually died from COPD. His initial condition and scaring of his lungs was caused by fumes from a mining smelter. Blessedly, the environmentalists were able to stop this type of pollution and make the world a better place for all of us who suffer from lung disease. As a canary, I'm most grateful to the environmentalist for their outstanding work in helping keep the air clean enough to breathe - even if I do wheeze on occasion!

Jack, good luck to your wife and her new regime. May each and everyone find a drug that will help control your asthma symptoms even better than Azmacort!

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OK, I have calmed down a bit from my last post and went back and re-read all the suggestions that everyone has written. I understand that what works for you may not work for me or vice versa.

After talking to my sister (who is a nurse practioner), she is going to look into suggestions for Azmacort replacements for me, but in the meantime, she suggested looking into Halotherapy. As crazy as it sounds, I have ordered a salt pipe inhaler which is supposed to help in the aide of people who have allergies/asthma/bronchial issues.

Has anyone else used one?

I am not going to post where I got this item until at least a few days have passed and I can make a determination to if it works or not AND if people are interested in hearing my results. Im not here to promote anything-- Im here bc we are in the same boat together.

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