Azmacort Substitute (Page 5) (Top voted first)

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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Hi everyone,

Not sure if this will be of much help and I'm sure you've all considered this option, but have you looked into generic or brand alternatives from outside the US?

For example searching with PharmacyChecker brought up a couple different options for Nasacort AQ Inhaler (which contains the same active ingredient Triamcinolone Acetonide). I'm actually curious about the top result they list there, in a 55 ug (microgram) dose. A number of their verified pharmacies appear to carry the product, and they all ship from outside the United States. I haven't yet decided if I would consider ordering from Canada or abroad but I figure the more options we have the better. Plus maybe if we were forced to take our business elsewhere they would wake up and realize that a legitimate need is not being served here. Good luck to all!

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Ordering from abroad or outside the US is something that probably won't even touch the powers that be. They don't care about us. We need some big guns to get the message to the drug makers and our President that we need to have medications and stop taking them away because they may kill a tree. Gosh I am getting so angry about this issue. I want someone to listen to all of us!!! I am still having asthmatic problems. Coughed all day today. Every time the weather changes I get an asthmatic attack. I don't want people like Jack's wife to have to go through what she is going through. Come on people lets quit griping and do something about all of this!!! Sorry for the rant. I just need to vent sometimes about this.

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I am fine with submitting these comments to a source that might be able to help us. After all it does no good what so ever to just complain. If someone knows a way to put these real life experiences in the hand of someone who can help, Please do!

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This is the reply I got from our republican congressman.... Dear Janet:

Thank you for contacting me about albuterol inhalers. It is good to hear from you.

Albuterol inhalers that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) could not be sold in the United States after December 31, 2008. The phase-out of CFC-propelled inhalers was the result of the Clean Air Act and an international environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Under this treaty, the United States has agreed to phase out production and importation of ozone depleting substances, including CFCs. No CFC-propelled albuterol inhalers may be produced, marketed, or sold in the United States after December 31, 2008.

Albuterol inhalers that contain hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs) have taken the place of albuterol CFC inhalers. Albuterol HFA inhalers are used in the same way as albuterol CFC inhalers and give the same dose of albuterol. FDA has approved three albuterol HFA inhalers as safe and effective for the same FDA-approved uses: treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients with reversible obstructive airway disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, HFA-propelled albuterol inhalers may taste and feel different than CFC-propelled inhalers.

I am sorry to hear that an HFA inhaler will not work for you. Currently no legislation is pending to reverse the prohibition on CFC-containing inhalers. However, please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind should legislation addressing this issue come before the House.

Again, thank you for contacting me regarding prescription medications. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have. I invite you to visit my website at http:/­/­johnboehner.house.gov/­Forms/­Form/­?ID=89 to sign up for email updates.

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Well obviously the congress person doesn't get it. The issue is Azmacort and the manufacturer's election not to create a non-CFC dispenser for Azmacort. I have been using a non-CFC proventil or ventolin inhaler for a year now. They are all now only in non-CFC dispensers. If they can do it with them, they can do it with Azmacort.

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sure they can. but it will be expensive and when they do, and when they use the hfa propellant, I wont be able to use it. you all can. just like you can use your hfa proventil inhaler and still have a life. there is approximately 8% of us out there who cannot use hfa propellant. that needs to be kept in mind too.

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I have sent an e-mail to the people who are hosting this blog. I have told them to go ahead and use my name in their campaign to get the word out for us. Hopefully this will do some good. I feel that the pharmaceutical company that made Azmacort should be able to come up with a propellant that can be used just like the newer inhalers. I am finally going to have to go back on my asthma medication whatever that may be. My cough is getting worse. More things are blooming in Oregon and causing me lots of problems. I can't breathe at night or first thing in the morning.

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8% is a fairly large number Revolvingthesun. Research needs to be done to find something that this 8% can tolerate also.

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thanks Katherine. i appreciate your comments. i know most of us are struggling and i am sure there are more out there that dont know about this site. my whole life has changed. i have barely been out of the house for a month and a half. tied down to a nebulizer and the fear that my lungs will never be the same again. the hfa propellant is not the answer.

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Jack, I share the same desperate need for asthmacort as your wife.
I use albuterol to dilate my bronchials, and Aamacort to go after deep mucous.I have mucous blockage and nearly died many, many times until I learned about Azmacort in 1999, Please know that I'm ex-militarty and VA just informed me that asmacort is no longer available.
It scares me... I will call abbott...

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Wow, I am so glad I am not alone. I have been using azmacort for over 20 yrs. with no problems, side effects, etc... and my asthma has been super. Got a new asthma doctor becasue i moved out of state. He told me azmacort was being discontinued. I said to myself Oh No. So, he put me on Advair inhaler (not powder) and all of a sudden started experiencing severe heartburn that would last for 4 or 5 days. He also gave me flovent. I still don't feel right. My peak flow meter says my breathing is fine but my chest doesn't feel normal. I have talked to the doctor about what I am experiencing and he said I was overreacting and gave me a mild script for zanax. Now, I do agree as many of you also will, when you are worried about your breathing and for so long you never felt bad, horrible, constricted yes, I can see that I/we would be worried but come on! I don't rush to the doctor everytime I feel bad but I never felt like this when I was on azmacort! I found an old azmacort I had and did a test for a week (thats all that was left) and felt like my old self. I go back to the flovent and bamm< here I am not feeling quite right. Its frustrating! I will call Abbott Pharmaceuticals. Maybe if enough of us call they will bring it back. There number again is 800-633-9110.

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Dear Gretchen,
appreciate your help. up to pulmicort 3 puffs twice a day. still struggling.

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I have the thick mucous as well especially at night. Always clearing my throat during the day trying to get the mucous to go away, but it doesn't. Didn't have this problem with the Azmacort. What to do now?

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Today I started using the Alvesco the asthma doctor gave me a sample. Little light headed and a little jittery so far. Will see where this goes. It does help my asthma symptoms, I think it might be a little too strong for me...

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I subscribe to the FDA web site. They are just now announcing the phase out of inhalers. You may want to read this... http:/­/­www.fda.gov/­ForConsumers/­ConsumerUpdates/­ucm207864.htm I wish someone would recognize that some of us cannot use HFA's!!!

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Quitting the Alvesco and going back to Qvar with my doctor's blessing. I have had the jitters all day from one puff of the Alvesco. Scary!!! I think the side effects from the Qvar are less than feeling like you've had 20 cups of coffee.

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I just called the FDA representative for our state. It is like a fly trying to get the attention of an elephant.

I got two phone numbers:
1-888-463-6332 - a number that nobody responds when called
1-301-796-3400

I also got an email address:
[email protected]

I cannot follow through at this time.

Somewhere, somehow, there must be a way to break through the ceiling we are all under.

Jack

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Three things: 1.) I called Abbott and they are not keeping a list of people calling in hoping to get azmacort back. I talked to a nurse in their medical department and she said she could not help me. So frustrating. Not a good night last night. 2.) when you say they are phasing out inhalers does this mean there will not be an aerosal type ever again or are HFA's inhalers but now safe for the ozone. 3.) Has anyone taken singulair? A friend said it might help me, but I dont know anything about it.

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the HFA inhaler is the only approved aerosol inhaler. so if you cant take it, tuff noogies. otherwise it is dried powders which are not as small particle wise which is why it makes it difficult to get all the way down. i take the pulmicort. up to 3 breaths now. i have to take 2 slow to cover myt upper airways and one deep to cover my lower airways. if i screww up, well, too bad on my part for the next 12 hours. i have put an ionizer in my home office room and a hepa like filter with an ionier in my bedroom. they helped.

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Calling Abbott is not going to help. Best bet is to go public. Let the news stations know, let your congress person know, newspapers, whoever. There's a link to contact us on these news station websites. The more this gets out and on the public radar, the more of a chance something can be done. Although not everyone can use the other type of propellents, I am quite sure they could have adapted Azmacort to a new dispenser just like all the other inhalers have done.

I continue to get on the major news stations website and write in about the issues. If enough people do this, perhaps one of them will pick up the story and run with it. Or maybe even an attorney can see a potential class action lawsuit here.

I was just put on Advair. With my standard Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, the cost was $170.11 compared to the $120 I used to pay for Azmacort. That's says a lot right there.

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