Azmacort Substitute (Page 8) (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?

REPLY

REPORT

Agreed

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jack, I am so sorry about June. I hope she is at peace and you as well. This is a terrible thing the drug companies have done to you and are doing to all of us. I am using Qvar still and now that we have the rains and no pollen I am doing fine. We are having the wettest spring since the early 90's. We are very tired of the rain, but at least it is keeping the pollen down. I hope we can all pull together in June's memory and get Astra Zeneca to come through for us. There has got to be a way to bring back Azmacort with the new propellants. You can't tell me there isn't a way. They did it with Albuterol, so why not Azmacort. I suppose we are talking to the post on this one, but we can all hope.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

there does have to be more ways. pulmicort comes in a med neb. I also read that flovent is in a med neb over in england but not here. that means there has to be a way to make azmacort and asmanex into med nebs.

plus they really need to look at other propellants other than hfa. you cant tell me that this is the only propellant alternative in our day and age. it all comes down to money and their desire to make a profit.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

The question to whether Azmacort could be made into respules for a nebulizer, I did find a compounding pharmacy called Densons - I have been using it but it's not the same as the inhaler. I seem to have muscle pain in my neck from it. But you may have good luck with it.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

All:

I don't want to mislead you. The lack of Azmacort was not the end point of June's condition but I believe it was a major contributor to it. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

When my father died they said it was a heart attack. That was true. What led to the heart attack was emphysema, which was caused by smoking - specifically and mostly, Camels - the “not a cough in a carload” kind. At that time the tobacco companies were just beginning to spend a lot of money defending their product and off-loading their responsibilities to the consequences of using it. Way too much money and way too many jobs were at stake. True, in the beginning they wee not responsible for the fad that smoking became; and they were unaware of the lung diseases it caused. However, any right-thinking person who sells such stuff should have concluded that anything you put in your lungs other than air will damage them or help cure something that is wrong with them. Instead, they made it more addictive.

So, when June dies (probably this week), she will have died of a major stroke

In June's case, the struggle to force her body to accept a substitute for Azmacort did not work and it put her in the hospital the first time. Her symptoms led them to treat her for a heart condition. They discounted what I, the husband, was telling them. But, before they treated her, they gave her oxygen and it acted like a miracle drug. It pulled her right out of the terrible feeling most asthma sufferers understand and cannot describe.

Lately, her major complaints were two: high blood pressure - it went over 200 in the next to last visit to the hospital- and asthma. So, now there is junk in her blood. Having a poor inhaler does not help.

But, let me tell you, I think her health would have held steady if Azmacort continued to be available.

Now here is no hope for her except her faith in Christ. Standing at death’s door, she knows Who is on the other side. And He is there because she believed God - John 3:16. Most people don’t for the reason in John 3:19. That simple belief is all God asks - and you can do that in an iron lung in outer space. You can even do that if you are a thief nailed to a cross.

I will write more later. It is considerably more romantic than this is.

Jack

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

All:

I promised a more up-beat note. Her it is. I wrote it to friends recently.
June's body is beginning to shut down now.

As far as I could tell, she did not overtly respond to two of her great-grandchildren, Talb and Taia (people never use John and Mary these days). I'm pretty sure she knew that they were here, though.
Every once in a while she tries to purse her lips when I kiss her. Even though the only thing she can do is hear me, I still play the long-standing game I have with her. We played it anywhere, any time - when driving somewhere or, interrupting something on TV or, in the middle of a conversation. I say, Have I told you I love you in the last five minutes? She might say, No, you haven't, or, I don't remember or some silly reply. She will look disappointed. Of course, she isn't replying now so, I make up a response for her and then I respond to that. Then, in about 10 seconds I ask her again and make up an imaginary conversation around it.

Ya know what, kiddies? It works. You guys tell your wives you love them often, often, often, do you hear?. Why? They WANT to hear it. Or if that wasn't clear, let me rephrase it - They want to HEAR it. After a short while you find YOU want to say it - in different ways, in different times - especially during an argument. If you haven't done that for a while, she may fall out of her chair but it is guaranteed to delight her.

Marriage may require work, but that does not mean it can't be fun doing it.

Jack

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hey Folks,
Never knew this site existed. I am out of Azmacort right now and just started on Triamcinolone with a nebulizer. Doesn't seem to work as well. I am not sure what to do either. I cannot do Advair, Asthmanex, Singulair or any other new ones. I hallucinate on them even after just one dose and after I recover a couple days later I realized the whole thing is very emotionally traumatic. I won't live like this. I do many natural remedies...DHIST for allergies and my Chinese Medical Doctors nasty teas are the best so far. I am not sure what to do though...I require a steroid inhaler at the moment. I am trying helminthic therapy next. It will take about 4 months to find out if it works. The people with asthma who have tried it have an 83% success rate in either going into remission or dramatically improving their breathing. If it works for me I will tell the world. Look it up on the web and you will also find autoimmune therapies. Fascinating people.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

PS

I don't know anything about Pulmicort...except that it doesn't seem to have the additional drugs in it like Advair, etc. Does anyone think it might work like Azmacort and not give me hallucinations?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jack you are very sweet. I would love to have that kind of relationship in my life. June is very blessed to have you.

Lakshmi , pulmicort comes in a med neb. only one in the states. flovent is available in england. i am trialing it now as i dont tolerate the powders. my trachea is raw. but u can tell you took it and have had a breathing treatment most of the remaining 12 hours.

i dont know how u got azmacort in a med neb since it is not officially made here in the states but u may be in another country.

never had hallucinations with it but steroids can do it.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Thanks! Are you saying Pulmicort is only available for a nebulizer and not an inhaler? I sure would like an inhaler 'cause it's so much more convenient.
There is a very cool pharmacy here in Austin, Texas called Peoples Pharmacy. They integrate natural remedies with allopathic...and they have a lab where they can make up stuff like Azmacort for a nebulizer. Very nice people.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

pulmicort comes in a powder inhaler like asmanex. i could not tolerate the powders. they tore up my trachea. I was constantly in a bronchospams. so now i am on the pulmicort respules which is a med neb.

if u can tolerate the powder in the asmanex, you may be able to with the pulmicort. their powder is much heavier and the medicine itself seems to have irritating properties. i can tell because it is irritating my trachea a bit in the med neb but then again, i have been on it for over 3 months and everything is irritated. good luck.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

All:

My wife used Pulmicort for a while. Her body could not take it. She tried to force her body to accept it. That put her in the hospital.

Don't do that to yourself with whatever drug you try.

As a suggestion to Lakshmi, there have been earlier postings on this site concerning the Jewish Hospital in Denver. It is the best hospital in the United States for respiratory problems. You will find it here

http:/­/­www.nationaljewish.org/­

Scout around. You may find help.

Just to let you know, my wife found the best substitute for Azmacort for her was Advair HFA 115/21. It is not a powder. Nor is it a disc. It is an inhaler just like Azmacort was. It is expensive but they have a program for those who have a problem paying for it. You will find it on Bridges to Access here:

http:/­/­www.patientassistance.com/­profile/­glaxosmithkline-168/­

The Hospice nurse called me to her bedside an hour ago. It turned out not to be the end. So, I read Ephesians chapter 1, Romans 8, parts of Titus, 2 Timothy, 1 Corinthians 15 to her. She is breathing peacefully.

As a macabre aside, she has not had to use her inhaler since she went into a coma (I wish I could spell that with two m's). I do not suggest it.

Jack

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jack,

I am so sorry to hear about June's condition. I havent been on here for a while, but I have been keeping up reading with everyone's posts. I dont have words to express how we have been together over the past 5 months trying to find something to get us through this.

I have been lucky that I have found a combination that has been working -- a salt pipe and flovent. Its still a work in progress, I never know what to expect each day.

Please continue to keep us updated and you are in my prayers.
Debbie

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

All:

I made a post quite recently. Apparently, it did not make it past the administrator. I don't know what I said that was not approved. Probably either something about the Bible or something about environmentalists. I am an environmentalist and you know I am a pastor.

It also included some information to Lakshmi suggesting contacting the Jewish Hospital in Denver. They are the top hospital for lung ailments in the country and may have some help.

- - - Editor's Note: We received notification about the post in question from our spam filters and shortly thereafter approved it. It is now active, appearing two posts prior to this one. - - -

I don't remember what else.

June gave us a scare today - the Hospice lady thought the vital signs she read were the ending ones. But she is resting comfortably now - depending on what you call comfort.

I thank you all for your sympathy. We who are left behind need it.

Jack

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jack
Thank you for your update-we are all thinking about you- and praying too. National Jewish Hosptial in Denver is the best in the country for lung problems - when I first got asthma at age 40 - I called the nurse-line and they were so helpful and supportive to me. I think I am doing OK from the breathing standpoint anyway. Thank you for writing Jack- keep us posted and let us know if there is anything at all we can do.
Sincerely,
Linda

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jack ,God Bless you and June. I'm glad to hear you are able to be with her during her final days.

Also, wanted to let everyone know after trying lots of inhalers my doctor put me on a medication called theophylline. Its been two weeks and I've only had a few problems at the beginning with headaches and then and now have a little trouble falling asleep but not much. My breathing is doing well. It's something for everyone to talk with their doctors about. It's also inexpensive.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

theo is a wonderful drug. took it from the 8th grade on up until my 30's. just watch so you dont get too much in your system. its called theophyllne toxicity. happened to me 3 times. nice to know it is still avaialbe should the pulmicort respules not work. i am going down on the pred and i can tell the differenence in being able to not take a deep breath. pulmicort med neb leaves me with a sore throat and my chest stays tight for several hours. i may have to finally face the fear of trying the HFA inhaler and facing a possible bronchospasm. i'm getting depressed. i can feel it. maybe it is just all the steroids.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Folks,
Thanks for all the info! I also want to let you know I am trying Helminthic Therapy...look it up. Very fascinating. I have spoken to Jasper, the guy doing it several times and just put in my order yesterday. I will let you know how it works. I am determined to be drug free and breathe normally. Buteyko breathing helps me some, so do umpteen other natural remedies. I desire something to totally get me off drugs and help me breathe normally!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

By the way...I joined that Calimeds website so I could order Azmacort. One place they had on their site didn't have any. I clicked on another and it asked for my Dr.'s info, etc. It said it would give me phone numbers for the pharmacy and never did. It said I agreed to abide by the agreements for membership once I signed up but there were no agreements anywhere. They have no phone number. I can't reach them to find out anything and they haven't returned my emails. Anyone know anything about this frickin' company?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Attn: Revolving the Sun:
Did you know that Theophylline is a chemical in coffee? When I have bad asthma attack, I drink a large hot cup of coffee and it stops the bronchospasm. I hope everyone is doing good. My asthma is good right now- my main problem right now is shoulder& neck pain-severe - had tests today and dr said pinched nerve on C5 in my neck- start PT & traction tomorrow. I would do just about anything to get 5 minutes of pain relief. I may need to go in hospital for a shot in my neck - not sure what kind of a shot - maybe cortizone or something? Well if its not one thing is another! Getting old is not for sissies I guess. God Bless!
Linda

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Are any of the meds with same formula as Drixoral available anywhere? (Desihist SA, Dexaphen SA, Dexophed, Disobrom, Dis...

136 REPLIES

My Dad is taking Tramadol in place of Darvocet. He took Darvocet for 20 years no side effects, now he is taking Tramadol...

46 REPLIES

Hello: So I just got something from my insurance company telling me they no longer will pay for oxy 20 or the generic..w...

16 REPLIES

My neurologist prescribed Oxycontin 20mg 3xday. I can only get brand. I have been taking it for months and doesn't h...

15 REPLIES

IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MICARDIS HTC THAT IS CHEAPER AND STILL WORKS AS GOOD. ## Micardis HCT was only approved for us...

11 REPLIES

What is a substitute of Qudict? ## There is a tablet name ADDNOK-N of rusan pharma of same combination to qudict. Or u c...

10 REPLIES

I think that I have developed an intolerance to nitro; is there a subsitute for angina? ## Does anyone know of a substit...

8 REPLIES

I am suffering from various muscular cramps along with bowel cramps, so my doctor has advised me to try spasmo proxyvon ...

7 REPLIES

Are there any other drugs that can be substituted for neurontin for neuropathy? ## Have been taking Lyrica for 3 years f...

5 REPLIES

Please suggest an alternative medicine for Zincovit tablets as they are unavailable where I live in Jammu city (Jammu &a...

5 REPLIES