Azmacort Substitute (Page 2) (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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I have been using Azmacort for over 20 years and now my doctor has put me on Qvar. I am finding that I cough a lot during the day. Will have to contact my doctor about some of the side effects I have been experiencing with the use of this inhaler. Why take something this good off the market??? It works for so many people and now we are all guinea pigs.

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Hello! I am in the same boat as many of you. I've been using Azmacort successfully for the past 10 years or so, and I was completely devasted & distraught when I found out that it was being discontinued. To be honest, I still am. I still haven't found a suitable alternative. My resting heart rate is around 120 bpm due to a neurological condition, so I have to be very careful to find a preventive inhaler that does not speed up my heart. Azmacort really fit the bill for me.

I recently called the manufacturer of Azmacort, Abbott Lab, at #1-800-633-9110. I urged them to consider reintroducing this medication with a different mechanism of action that does not contain CFCs. It sounded as though, if they received enough feedback, that they might consider doing this. If this affects you, please call Abbott Lab and tell them you want them to bring Azmacort back in a CFC-free form. Maybe if enough of us flood their phonelines, they will take action? (There's always hope...).

Perhaps too, if Abbott loses enough market share to manufacturers of other asthma meds, that may be incentive for them to reintroduce a form of Azmacort (money speaks, afterall). On the other hand, I don't know which of the other inhalers on the market today are also manufactured by Abbott.

Best of luck to all of you!

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Dear Carol:

The Qvar you are using is beclomethasone, one of the suggestions from the National Jewish Hospital in Denver. It is possible that, at this time of he year, the weather is at fault - along with pollen.

But, if it is caused by the Qvar, you might call Denver, (800) 222-5864 - and mention it. That is, unless your doctor has a better idea.

With regard to the fact that we are all guinea pigs - yes, we are. But I think part of that is a necessity. No matter how much experimentation is done on animals, no drug is truly safe until it has developed human history.

Jack

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Mary:

I am sorry you are one of us. It seems, though, that we are speaking to the choir. Even though there are a lot of us, there are millions more who are unaffected by the decision made by Abbott. It is doubtful that they will listen or even care about the small loss they might experience in the great scheme of things. They will lose only thousands of dollars on us while they make megabucks elsewhere.

As you can see in a earlier posting, we have already called Abbott with little response. So, rather than try to break down their doors or their resolve, it may be more profitable for all of us to seek a substitute - but seek it while always remembering who caused you the problem

We may be on to something with Advair HFA Mary, so stick with us and, if we are successful, we will share it with you. Then you can ask your doctor or your Pulmonologist if your personal condition warrants giving it a try.

Meanwhile, if you and your doctor come up with something, you can share it with us. You may not be able to lead all of us to a solution to our needs, but you may help some; - - even one would be a victory.

Jack

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Hi Jack,

My doctor took me off Qvar because I was having so many side effects. She told me that all the inhalers have the same side effects. She just said to go without to see how I feel. I feel much better, but my asthma is now starting to act up again. I have an appointment with a doctor that treats asthma, allergies and immunizes patients for allergies. I am hoping that he will have something more to help me out. Wish me luck!!!

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Dear Carol:

While both my wife and I have reduced the kinds of pills we take down to a minimum, we do not suggest others do it without a doctor's knowledge. In our case, though, we have felt much, much better since. We found that they were fighting each other in our bodies. That is no place for medicine to fight.

But problems such as asthma are difficult to have without taking some kind of help to deal with it. As yet, we have not heard from the manufacturer regarding a supply of the Advair HFA. We have not forgotten our promise to let you know what happens when we do and when we try it.

You have our best wishes that the first blush you experienced without medication will continue. Keep dry and Keep as free of pollen as you can - and above all, keep your doctor informed.

Jack

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John:

I went to my new asthma doctor and he set up a plan that has three levels. The first one is only use Albuterol as needed and not to use an inhaler unless I get sick. My tests turned out to be pretty good and thus the doctor told me to just use the inhalers that he gave me if I get in respiratory distress. One inhaler is called Pulmicort Flexhaler and the other is called Alvesco. The Pulmicort is a power inhaler which I'm not too crazy about. The Alvesco is an inhaler like the others that I have used in the past, but it doesn't start working until it gets into your lungs, so there are no side effects like the cough, hoarseness, sore throat, etc. that I was having. My insurance will pay pretty well on the Pulmicort, but the Alvesco is about $25.00 higher. I got a card from the doctor that cuts the copayment down to almost nothing. The last level it to use the Albuterol, one of the inhalers and the doc would prescribe Prednisone. That is if I get an upper respiratory infection like I am proned to. He also suggested that if I get sick as with a cold, I should use Zyrtec along with the inhaler. So I now have some options. I don't know if these will work for your wife. I went to a doctor that specializes in asthma patients. He also suggested that I use Flonase as my allergic rhinitis can contribute to the asthma.

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Sorry, your name should be Jack... and it should be that the inhaler, Pulmicort Flexhaler is a powder!!!

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Dear Carol:

Not to worry. My real name is John but I never use it for personal reasons.

I wrote earlier, but it didn't take, so I will try again. This time I will copy it so that if it doesn't take again I won't have to try to remember what I wrote.

We have just received notice today that our application for Advair HFA 115/21 has been approved. It is an aerosol version of the Advair discus. The discus, like your Pulmicort, is a powder that June cannot tolerate at all.

The Advair HFA has the advantage of having the Serevent already in it so that she can take her medication in a single puffer. And, like you, she has Albuterol to take if she must use something after an attack has already started. These others will have no effect when it does.

I believe the 115/21 refers to the strength and the amount of puffs in a container.

Our prayer now is, that she will be able to tolerate the drug safely. We have high hopes she will.

We will post the results after we know what they are so that others may be helped.

Jack

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Carol
Dale88
Concerned Reader
Vernon
Realist
Mary Hardy

I promised to keep you all posted on the latest and I am not sure how to do that. Whenever I made a posting thus far, I have just called out the name of the person I was directly addressing at the time. I am now hoping to get all of you up to date with a single posting by listing all of your names. If this is not the way it is done, I certainly welcome adjustments by the administrator.

The latest is this; we have been approved to receive my wife's medication delivered to our home in a couple of days. The folks at Advair do indeed have a program open to those who are eligible to receive financial help in getting the medications they need. The program is called Bridges to Access. The required forms are at that site. If you fill them out while on line, I would suggest you make copies of them and print them out before you push the send key.

Eligibility includes not having Part D of Medicare and not having any other drug insurance. It also includes a maximum income for the family. I believe the allowed income may depend on how many live in that home. I am not sure of that, but they do ask the question. The amount of income allowed seems reasonable to us.

There are two ways to apply: 1) fill out the form and submit it yourself or 2) have the doctor apply for you either by mail or by phone. Doing it through your doctor is recommended if you need the medication rapidly. You will need to send in the top sheet of your latest income tax form 1040 which, at the bottom, shows your gross income.

I now need to update a message I left for Carol regarding the medication itself.

The medication is an aerosol that does not contain any chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) in the carrier - which is why they took Azmacort off the market.

The medication my wife will receive is Advair HFA 115/21. That is not the discus you commonly see advertised. The discus uses powder that many people can handle but my wife cannot. This, as I said above, is an aerosol.

The name of the medication breaks down like this: Advair is the name of he manufacturer. HFA stands for hydrofluoroalkane. This acts as a propellant for the medication in place of the CFC.

The canister combines two medications needed by asthma sufferers - one is fluticasone propionate and the other is the familiar salmeterol. Fluticasone propionate is a synthetic corticosteroid derived from fluticasone used to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis. Salmeterol is a long-acting beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist drug. The 12-g canister is said to provide 120 metered inhalations.

The metered doses are expressed as numbers like, 115/21. These numbers represent the strengths of the two major medications in the aerosol. The 115 figure is the mcg strength of the fluticasone propionate and the 21 stands for the mcg strength of the salmeterol. Mcg stands for microgram. As you can see, these are very small doses as overdoses can have serious and some times fatal consequences. The amount actually delivered is dependent upon the patient’s coordination. I think the first 4 doses are shaken for 5 seconds and wasted in the air away from the face to prime the canister.

I am not an expert on this information. Please check with your doctor before you put anything in your lungs.

We will not know if it works for my wife or not until she tries it for 3 or 4 days. We are praying it will. We admit, we do have our hopes up - particularly because of the way the Lord led us to this particular drug.

We will be back in contact with you as soon as we know how it turns out. Keep good courage and try to work with what is available. Cursing the situation will not change it. Move on from there.

Jack

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I just called in my script for Azmacort and I am EXTREMELY disappointed that the medicine has been discontinued. What am I supposed to do now? I have never had any issues with it and now I have go back and forth to the doctor while they figure out whats best for me? This is ridiculous! I will be calling abbott tomorrow morning!!!

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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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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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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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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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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
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 & 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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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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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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