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Primatene Mist or Albuterol?
I've always been told that Primatene Mist -- an over-the counter (OTC) epinephrine (adrenaline) metered-dose inhaler (MDI) -- was less effective and more dangerous than Albuterol as an asthma rescue inhaler. However, a new multi-center study [Hendeles L] funded by the National Institutes of Health proves that I was wrong (at least for young adults with asthma).
For nighttime asthma attacks, lung function and symptoms improved just as fast, improved the same average amount, and the improvement lasted just as long after patients took several puffs of Primatene Mist as when they took several puffs of albuterol on a different night. Unexpectedly, average pulse rates went down after Primatene Mist, but up after albuterol. Blood potassium levels fell lower after albuterol than after Primatene Mist, further evidence that the adrenaline inhalers were safer than the albuterol inhalers. Similar studies have not been done in children or older adults, but should be.
If you have mild asthma and have run out of your prescription albuterol and can't afford to see a doctor for a new prescription, then now may be the time to buy a few canisters of Primatene Mist or generic epinephrine inhalers, because an FDA committee voted 11 to 7 a couple of months ago to recommend that it be taken off the market. About 5 million were sold last year for about 12 dollars each.
Note that there was also a recent shortage of albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin, or generic 6 dollar) inhalers, which may again occur because the FDA has announced that traditional MDIs which use CFC propellants must no longer be sold in the United States after December 2008, so apparently companies are reducing their inventories.
I think that the rationale, "CFCs reduce the ozone layer" is ridiculous because the total effect of medicinal inhalers on ozone is probably one millionth of that due to military and industrial activities.
I am concerned that somebody is planning to "put the squeeze" on folks with asthma during the next couple of years by forcing them to get a prescription for the new HFA inhalers. This action will both reduce ready availability and cost much, much more than Primatene Mist does now.
Who will benefit? Write your congressman and local newspaper if you are one of those who will suffer. While you are at it, ask why no generic corticosteroid inhalers are available yet for poor folks with moderate to severe asthma.
Related Topics: 2-Drug Strategy May Improve Asthma, New Warnings for 3 Asthma Drugs
Technorati Tags: asthma, inhalers, primatenemist, albuterol
For nighttime asthma attacks, lung function and symptoms improved just as fast, improved the same average amount, and the improvement lasted just as long after patients took several puffs of Primatene Mist as when they took several puffs of albuterol on a different night. Unexpectedly, average pulse rates went down after Primatene Mist, but up after albuterol. Blood potassium levels fell lower after albuterol than after Primatene Mist, further evidence that the adrenaline inhalers were safer than the albuterol inhalers. Similar studies have not been done in children or older adults, but should be.
If you have mild asthma and have run out of your prescription albuterol and can't afford to see a doctor for a new prescription, then now may be the time to buy a few canisters of Primatene Mist or generic epinephrine inhalers, because an FDA committee voted 11 to 7 a couple of months ago to recommend that it be taken off the market. About 5 million were sold last year for about 12 dollars each.
Note that there was also a recent shortage of albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin, or generic 6 dollar) inhalers, which may again occur because the FDA has announced that traditional MDIs which use CFC propellants must no longer be sold in the United States after December 2008, so apparently companies are reducing their inventories.
I think that the rationale, "CFCs reduce the ozone layer" is ridiculous because the total effect of medicinal inhalers on ozone is probably one millionth of that due to military and industrial activities.
I am concerned that somebody is planning to "put the squeeze" on folks with asthma during the next couple of years by forcing them to get a prescription for the new HFA inhalers. This action will both reduce ready availability and cost much, much more than Primatene Mist does now.
Who will benefit? Write your congressman and local newspaper if you are one of those who will suffer. While you are at it, ask why no generic corticosteroid inhalers are available yet for poor folks with moderate to severe asthma.
Related Topics: 2-Drug Strategy May Improve Asthma, New Warnings for 3 Asthma Drugs
Technorati Tags: asthma, inhalers, primatenemist, albuterol
78 Comments:
Thank you Dr. E for the insight
Primatene mist vs albuterol
It brings to mind for me... after many years and trips to the ER with my daughters severe asthma being given albuterol treatments, only one DR ever tried and swore by the adrenaline mist whenever the albuterol didn't seem to be working well enough (we only had this Dr once)
I have always wondered if this may have been a better or worse treatment???
We should be doing studies to see which is more effective/safer instead of making rescue inhalers harder to come by!!!!!!!!!!
The shortage for current Albuterol inhalers seems to have begun. I tried to refill a prescription for it yesterday and was told I had to get a new prescription for the HFA versions because the company who was making the generic brand I was using had stopped making the CFC version, so there was a massive shortage.
Needless to say I can't wait to see what the cost of my Albuterol is going to be now.
I've been reading up on Primatene mist because I'm using when I have to. I'm uninsured. I've been on albuterol for 20 years. I've also been on every other type of inhaler, most recently advair, which was supposedly going to help. Yeah right, help me go broke. Primatene mist is my only answer for an attack. Glad to know all that the bad primatene press may not be true. Thanks.
How can pulse rates go down after using Epinephrine when it directly stimulates Beta 1 receptors? Albuterol should have zero effect on heart rate and blood pressure since it is a Beta 2 agonist.
I am so grateful to finally find this information! For years, I've been told that Abuterol was a lot safer than Primatene Mist, by doctors and pharmacists. So, I went ahead and tried it again when my new doctor insisted it was safer. My lungs started hurting; I had developed conjestion and it took a lot longer to fall asleep because my heart was beating harder. I thought I needed to just get used to it. Then one day, in the shower, I couldn't breathe at all! I found my old Primatene Mist and I immediately started getting better! For years, I've been able to keep my asthma under control and my lungs healthy on Primatene Mist, using 1 spray, mostly at night. So today, I had to look all over town to buy some and the pharmacists are telling me they aren't selling it any more! So thanks for the information. I'll spread the word! People who can't afford insurance are in danger! You will die a lot faster if you can't breathe than the from side effects of inhalers! Also, I think it's interesting that on my drug information I get with Albuterol, it warns: "Albuterol Inhalation Aerosol can produce paradoxical bronchospasm, which my be life threatening". There is no such warning about Primatene Mist in my drug books! Sincerely, KJ
The "tree huggers" will be the death of many innocent people if they get their way. Those conspiracy theorists out there can find lots of rocks to look under on this one: Environmentalists (who must be those that are immune from Asthsma symptoms); the pharmacy industry; physicians looking to increase their patient base; or ignorant policy makers looking for PAC money.
If it becomes permanently unavialable, my husband will become an invalid. Then I guess it's a matter of getting a class action lawsuit together, but those can take years! How is he to live in the meantime? Who is going to pay for lost wages when he has to stop work bc he cannot breathe? (He is a college professor).
As a healthcare worker myself, I have seen first hand the many benefits (and usually fewer side effects) of OTC meds versus Rx meds.
PS: I guess it's time for a trip to Canada....
Dr.E
Its so unfair that they are taking this inhaler [primatene mist]off the market.I am a 60 year old woman who has used this product for 40 yrs with no apparent side effects so far.I have used other inhalers and at least for me this is the one with the most satisfying results.I do believe that the FDA is constantly in our business and it is so ridiculous to use the ozone as an excuse.But once more we the working poor will lose our right to take care of ourselves as we see fit.
Amen, sister. Almost 40 years, a GP assured me that adrenaline mist is metabolized so quickly there is little danger. The bottom line is, however - they work and albuterol doesn't. All this time using Primatene, Bronkaid mist when it was around or the generics, I have never had to curtail activity or be admitted to the hospital with asthma. Now I am using albuterol because I have run all over the place without finding Primatene anywhere, and I am out of breath, having trouble talking, climbing stairs, and taking three different (expensive) prescriptions with miserable side effects, long and short term, that can't do what the Primatene did, fast and cheap. I don't believe it's a green thing; I believe the "green" push had major drig interests behind it. $178 for a Pulmicort inhaler v. $12 for Primatene? Duh, what do you think?
The shortage in my area was caused by all the hospitals sucking up inventory due to the triple cost increase of the HFA inhalers. The ban/Montreal Protocol, does not go into effect until Dec of 2008. I guess we're getting an early Christams present.
Also there is something seriously wrong with these things. At half the size as a regular inhaler, they last a fraction of the time even though they say 200 inhalations. WRONG! And the duration of relief is shorter. I have had contact with a manufacturer that will not address this or is acting severely surprised about it. They have given me several replacements that last 5 minutes and profess to be investigating. I doubt this will go far and we will suffer.
The cost has gone from retail $14 to $35 and no one has offered any reasons. Smaller canister, less packaging, less inside, shorter relief duration, why not a smaller price tag?!!! We can thank your government for assisting the drug makers in screwing us.
This albuterol change is ridiculous. I have COPD and obviously I use the alubterol as a quick fix and the new one works terrible. It has zero affect and cost 4 times the amount and with no insurance that is another negative. They discontinued it, according to my pharmacist, because of the spray that it delivers. What the heck does an exhaust pipe do? Make my breathing worse, but they change a little mist on a medicine which so many people rely on and need. I am outraged. I'm looking into Canada. It wasn't stopped up their.
I'm going to fight this one!!!!
You won't see it in the newspapers, but the "ozone hole" over Antarctica has been shrinking for the past several years.
I would suggests NOT to use Primatene mist-My fiancee has bad asthma--Has used Primatene mist for many many years-he went to the doc to find out that from his use of primatene mist it ruined his lungs-He is 27 (non-smoker) his doc said his lungs are those of a 70 year olds from the use of primatene mist.
Have severe asthama since birth, hospitilized over 78 times for attacks, can't afford $50 for Pro-Air every 2 weeks, $200 for Advair and all the other crap that will supposedly help, can't find Primatene Mist which helps more and lasts longer and is cheaper. Tell me what I am supposed to do about Pro-Air, as on the lable it is stated that it contains 'sulfate', which I am allergic to, and ethenol... gross. I am uninsurred and have a family whose needs are just as dominate as my not breathing, now what?
Amazing as to what some uninformed 'greenies' are trying to accomplish. I have used the Primatene inhaler for several years and will never go back to the albuterol. I find my heart races after using the albuterol, repeated applications are needed and the cost is way out of line. I am fortunate to have a line on the supply of Primatene and shudder tho think of the day they will no longer be available. The 'off brand' inhalers don't seem to be as effective as the Primatene, but I would choose them over albuterol.
I am pissed. Some tree hugging hippies decide that CFC from INHALERS is hurting the environment. Gee, what about the 20,000 barrels of oil we burn A DAY?!?!?! If you care so much about the ozone, go get a dam hybrid and leave my asthma medication alone. Albuterol gave me the craziest headaches, felt like I was killing off brain cells by the thousands. Now i have this crappy new albuterol, and i need it like 9 times a day, not to mention that its making me sick! I am searching everywhere for this Primatene mist, but apparently our "all-knowing" government doesnt want us to have affordable medication THAT WORKS! I am so pissed. Anyone know if you can bring Primatene mist across the border from Canada? Please let me know, my football career depends upon it!
I, as an asthma sufferor, can tell you from experience that Primatene Mist is limited in its ability to help your asthma. Albuterol is better. I have been taken to the hospital on occasion after extensively using Primatene Mist because I couldn't seem to get better. The albuterol helped where the Primatene Mist failed. Primatene Mist is comparable to putting a band-aid on a cancer.
Asthma sufferers of the U.S. unite! Complain to the legislature about this unconstitutional conspiratorial effort to "MURDER" us all (asthma sufferers) by taking away our medication. What can you say about a country that systematically kills it's own loyal citizens who love their country by taking away their medicines and other proper health care. Health care in this country has been going downhill for years now. Well people what are we going to do? Are we going to let them just run over us?
The fault lies with those who vote for the political party that supports these baseless environmental regulations. If you voted for these tree huggers, then enjoy your $35 inhaler.
However, the ER doctor told me that numerous studies showed fewer hospitalized patients from the ER who were treated with Xopenex. The Xopenex HFA is the same price as albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, Proventil HFA). Finally, Xopenex and albuterol the same price, that's a no brainer. Unless of course we can get the CFC back.
DR. E.,
Thank you for this potential solution to my inhaler nightmares.
I had a bad reaction to albuterol, and have used Alupent for years but, unfortunately, this is one of the inhaler products that they intend to take off the market.
My insurance does not want to cover Xopenex, shich I'm told is a refined, milder form of albuterol, that likely would not cause me the heart palpitations and other side effects that I get with regular albuterol, but my insurance company keeps turning down authorization for my prescription...even though my doctor told them I can not use regular albuterol.
The insurance company went so far as to tell me that I needed to track down the emergency room records from when I had my worst reaction to albuterol nearly ten years ago.
I will talk to my doctor and see if under his supervision I can try Primatene mist, and if we get good results, then I may be one of those who goes out and "stocks up".
I currently have a prescription for an inhaler that I have been trying to get approval for since March 22nd (2007), and I'm not quite sure how my insurance company thinks I'm supposed to manage my ashtma while they play around like this, but my doctor was sympathetic enough to give me a sample inhaler in the mean time.
Just for the record...albuterol in my e.r. visit, gave me such a rapid heart rate that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I couldn't catch my breath, my face got real red, and I had to put my head between my knees. Additionally, it gave me notably slurred speech, my hands literally "curled up", and my legs had uncontrollable tremors so bad that they were bouncing up and down off the gurney several inches.
I hope Primatene turns out to be an option for me...
T
I currently suffer from sever asthma. My doctor perscribes me albuteral which one inhaler lasts me 2 weeks. About 2 years ago i started taking primatine mist and it worked so well that i had the same inhaler for over a year! i would use it maybe once a day if that and i wouldnt even need it after walking up hill. after my last primatine inhaler ran out i searched every drugstore and supermarket in my town and no one cerries them or havent been able to get any in. so unfortunatly im back on the albuterol and im back to the routine of 2 inhalers a month. we need primatine mist back on the shelves, the worst thing in the world is not being able to breath.
I don't know WHAT kind of a doc you are, but after Years of working in ERs and seeing DEATHS from MISUSE of Primatene mist and NEVER someone who died from Albuterol overuse, I see for the first time that ANYONE can say anything and people will listen.As a PRACTICING respiratory pediatric specialist I was INTEGRAL in having Primatene mist removed from Blue cross coverage.PLEASE don't use it!
You use what works! I've tried them all Albuterol, Flomax, Medihaler, Maxair and so on and none work as well as Primatene. And for all those people that say Primatene should be banned I say at least Primatene doesnt carry "Black Box" warnings as does Advair, Serovent and Xalair. All 3 prescriptions inhalers can cause death. I'll stick with Primatene!
This is very scary! I've used every inhaler available. Abuteral is the only inhaler that controls my asthma. What will patients do December 31 2008. End up in the hospital with life threating oxygen levels or even worse not make it through the night? I feel they can find other ways to help control the ozone with out taking away a life sustaining medications.
Please don't blame environmental regulation, tree-huggers, hippies, for this one. The FDA caved to pressure from drug companies that want to charge more for albuterol--pure and simple.
My son's peditrician just gave me a prescription for this new "ProAir" and thus far, every bit of research I have come across regarding it, has been negatory. He uses his inhaler 1 or 2times a week,(Sometime more depending on the season and weather ocnditions)and now thanks to some greedy idiot, the ONE thing that stops his asthma attacks is being pulled off the market! Wonder who I would have to file a "Child abuse" suit against, because if this ProAir doesn't work, my boy will be suffering- and that's abuse to me.
I guess I am a little behind the time but I was just moved to the Proair HFA from generic albuterol and my asthma has flaired up so terribly I had to use the nebulizer 4x a day compared to maybe once a year. I had my asthma under control and now I am terrified. It took 12 years to remove Advair and other crap meds and I was happy to get by on one albuterol inhaler per month. What is this country coming to?
I am allergic to sulfates and sulfites. As far as I know there is no rescue inhaler which is not a sulfate. What will people like I do when the need arises for immediate relief? Do the people who are not permitting medical use of CFC's condeming sulfa sensitive people to a horrible death by suffocation? President Clinton signed the order for the cessation of CFC asthma inhalers. Obviously, he is not a sulfa-sensitive asthmatic. What can we do? The Montreal Protocol has bee implemented.
My wife was recently forcebly changed from her old cfc inhailer to the proair hfa and is no longer able to control her asthma, she cant sleep because of lack of air and is getting terrible leg cramps. I found a petition to be sent off to the powers that be at :
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveCFCinhalers/index.html
if you are dependant on albuterol and find the new hfa inhailers as ineffective as my wife I recommend signing, I think we may be able to get enough people together to initiate a class action suit as well
sorry cut off part of the url
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/
saveCFCinhalers/index.html
10/12/07:
The FDA is currently making a determiniation on permanently banning the Primatene mist. If you are passionate about saving the Primatene mist inhaler like I am, please send your comments to the following:
FDA will accept WRITTEN comments (no e-mail comments) through
11/19/07.
PLEASE send comments opposing this to the FDA.
The letter must include the following information:
Docket No. 2007N-0262 and RIN number 0910-AF92
They can be mailed to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852
This is a more reliable and shorter link to the petition to bring back the CFC inhalers.
http://tinyurl.com/yphmp4
Thanks for signing!!
This is absolutely ridiculous...once again the "tree hugging hippies," have managed to screw a good thing up. I am insured however, am still not making a ton of money. My costs have jumped $30 an inhaler. In addition to my advair I am looking at $65 a month. I am glad to hear that Primatene mist is not as bad as thought....it may be the only way to stay on top of things.
Scince the switch to ProAir I have had 2 major attacks within a week. It doesnt do anything for me. It's small and only half filled when i get it (it says 200 metered inhalations but i only get around 50 and its done. Something has to be done to change it back. There is only a matter of time before I stop breathing all together.
I never knew there was this much discussion about primatene. i just left the ER today because of a severe asthma attack. I bought primatene in the drugstore--actually ran it down, because i am also uninsured and really needed help breathing. When I went in and told the doctor i bought the primatene. He told me flat to never use it again! that it could kill me. And that he was surprised it wasn't off the market. I was scared as heck to hear that. but when it comes to a 3 a.m severe attack and you CANNOT breathe.... If that primatene mist is there--who wouldn't use it? We all know that panic in not being able to get that air into our lungs. If it really is a risk--it needs to be CLEAR and KNOWN to the public.
This is not about tree huggers, it's about doctors getting paid. You buy, OTC, and no new Ferrari for them this year.
If Primatene is really as dangerous as some of them are saying then they need to make Ventolin OTC. We shouldn't have to pay some doctor a hundred or more dollars just to write a prescription. We shouldn't need their permission to breathe. We all know how use the various medications by now, don't we? Should we really have to pay an arm and a leg to live?
OK well i have had asthma since i was 4, thats 20 years, i have been dragged into ER's by my mother while i was turning blue, and the one thing that alwasysed saved me was my Albuterol inhaler, I have to say using primatine mist is a quick fix for an emergency, but the amount of edrenalin this puts in your body made my doctor almost admit me after i took a puff because my blood pressure went through the roof. Its good for a quick fix but the albuterol cfc all the way. As for this New HFA, i havent had a major attack to really say how i feel, i do know that it dont shoot the mist in as well, i have to take a deep breath in for it to get in there, im glad i still have a few reg inhalers in my drawers for an emergency.
Look almost anything is bad for you if you use it too much, or improperly. Albuterol has never worked for me when i would have a sudden asthma attack, and The epinephrine inhalors have always worked instantly. You can sit there and tell me about "your lungs look like this" or "ive seen people die in the ER from using it" but in the end It boils down to whether or not I want to breathe, because if i dont well then i am dead either way now arent I. Some people respond better to albuterol, and Im not one of those people.
I object to switching to the new and improved Albuterol minus the environmentally ingredient said to be harmful for the ozone. It is to laugh, if you can- in
between wheezing as you struggle to breathe normally. I used Primatene for a long time before it felt toxic to me -even the ER Dr's adviced not using Primatene. I was lucky to discover Broncaid's asthma inhaler and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately for me it was banned for the same environmental reason it is using against Albuterol. In its place I find every heath care provider directing me towards the higher costing, non-fast action, steroid packed medications such as Advil and singular.
If you are a younger asthmatic born in the last 20-30 years these meds might work for them because they ar e probably more active and the steroids aren't as weakening as it is on asthmatics in the other generations who are accustomed to the medication they have been using for years.
Some legal actions must be taken against this profit/dividend driven motivated action before it is to late. We have only a year to act be fore December, 2008
I have two children with asthma. Both have been on Albuterol, Xopenex, Pulmicort through nebulizer as well as inhalers. The main thing I have noticed with them is that people react differently to medications. That's why they are called 'possible' side effects. One child reacts completely different to a medication than the other. One is extremely effected by Albuterol while the other is not. The same goes with each individual no matter the medication. That's why there is so much available to choose from. Doctors are there to provide their professional and educated opinion. But, keep in mind you have the right to choose the medication that works best for YOU. Also... if one doctor is not providing the objective care and information you need you also have a right to get another opinion. Like many others that have posted... my daughter had a severe attack just this evening. We ran out of her medicine, my husband was laid off and we are now uninsured. We tried the Primatene Mist and she is finally sleeping soundly. The child that would freak out after taking Albuterol is as peaceful as can be tucked in her warm bed after taking Primatene. And isn't that what it's all about... breathing peacefully without worry? You know your body better than anyone else. Listen to it and follow your gut. The fight shouldn't be about which drug is the best... it should be about allowing as many choices as possible to remain on the market at fair and reasonable prices. Because different people may need different solutions for the same disorder.
Those damn tree huggers really need to get off of their stupid hemp and acid influenced theories and get a life and perhaps a job. There are far more important issues that need to be addressed rather than picking on people with asthma.
Don't get me wrong but as far as I am concerned most Doctors serve as an outlet for the pharmaceutical companies. They have been beguiled too. With 40 years on the market I thinks that say something Primatene. I have been taking albuterol for years now. Now that my prescription has run out my family Doctor will not renew without an office visit. What a crock. Being 51 years old I think I can make a determination if a office visit is necessary. Just a gimmick to make money. This countys is going down the tubes.
I can not tell from the comments when they were posted, so I may be late in my remarks. This is May 2,2008. When I first heard they were taking Primatene off the market I was told it was for health reasons. I did not put much value in that however. The abuse of any substance can cause health issues. I have had asthma for 50+ years, since I was about 6 mons old. I have used Primatene as long as I can remember. Nothing seems to work as quickly and last as long. I have tried the new rescue inhalers. For me, it is like taking nothing at all. I can still find some Primatene in a few stores but wonder what I will do if they really suceed in removing it from the market.
wow, so many good comments. And I would have to believe that every single one is true to the poster even though it may oppose someone else's view. I am 34 years old and have had asthma for all 34 of those years. During my first 15 years of life I spent a decent amount of time at the hospital due to asthma. By decent I mean a total of a few weeks a year if clumped together. After I moved away from home and perfected my environment, my asthma improved greatly. Looking back on my childhood (cats, dogs, everyone in family smokes) I am surprised I survived. But anyways, with that aside, when I moved away from home for the last time at 17 I stopped going to the doctors and therefore stopped getting my prescriptions. From 17 to 34 I have been to the doctors a few times and renewed my albuterol scripts. But for the most part I have used primatine mist. The 2 drugs do feel and act very different but the end result seems to be the same to me. The worst part with primatine mist was getting used to it. If I am used to a albuterol inhaler then stop and start taking primatine, it burns my throat real bad, for a couple days. But once I get used to it, it seems to work as well or better than any prescription I have ever taken for asthma.
When I was a child my lungs would become immune to the fast acting inhalers from using them too much. I would have to use the nebulizer with alupent and stay in the hospital for days when this happened. I have never had this happen with primatine, however, my living environment is much more allergy/asthma friendly now and I do not have to use it very often.
I would hate to see Primatene forever off the shelves. I have insurance, I could go get prescriptions for what I need, but I know there are people who cannot. And I know a great many people would suffer without this. Kinda seems like pharmaceutical lobbyist in action. I do remember not long ago having a hard time finding Primatene Mist and hearing something about it being pulled from the shelves, but then it came back. eh. Sorry for the spelling mistakes, but if I could vote, I think the people would be better served by allowing this product to stay on the shelves.
I am a respiratory therapist and an asthmatic. I am reliant on Primatene Mist for the time being until the VA approves the more expensive inhalers. I can safely say from clinical and home use, that primatine mist is a dangerous drug. I have the authority to deliver albuterol to patients as I see fit, but I need to have explicit written or verbal approval from a doctor to deliver epinephrine(the active ingredient of Primatine Mist). Epinephrine is lab created adrenaline. Nothing is more dangerous than creating articles like this one obviously written as a response to the contraversy of why an unsafe drug is OTC and the drug designed to replace it remains perscription only. All about $$$. By the way, I need to go do nebulizer treatments on my patients now guess what drug they get? albuterol sulfate. P.S. ethanol is the alcohol we get drunk off off. It has been proven to reduce the inflammation and secretions in the lungs in pulmonary effusion patients
These drugs DO NOT work equally well in all people. I have suffered for 40 years from asthma and have used every new drug that came along since I was a small child. Albuterol does NOT work as well for me as Primatene and if I use it often enough for it to control my asthma it seems to build up and eventually have the reverse effect and I have to go to the hospital for treatment.
Primatene has never given me any problems and has saved my life on more than one occasion.
Primatene is unhealthy? I think DEATH is a lot more unhealthy. When are doctors going to deal with this issue? Albuterol has CAUSED most of my hospitalizations as an adult.
I've refilled my inhaler and they gave me the HFA one instead of the CFC one. I was shocked at the price. I think it is scandal that this new drug is being forced onto asthma suffers. I have used the HFA before and I do need to use it more often and clean more often. However, my experience has not been as bad as some have reported here. It is still not as good as the CFC inhaler. My issue is the cost. Taking a generic off the market as it poses no health risks. The Green Fascists need a slap in the face.
I have been asthmatic for 20 years. I am currently 23. I have always used the Albuterol CFC inhalor for fast acting relief. But when there have been instances where the Albuterol was not available I had to use the Primatene. Like one post stated, you do have to get use to it (the burning) but it does relieve my symptoms fast.
I am uninsured and have been for 5 years now. I work for a Dr. Normally when I need any medications he just calls them in for me, so that has been helpful.
I just recently went on my honeymoon in Tennessee. We went to the Dixie Stampede. I had a MAJOR attack from all the dust and animal dander, that when we finally made it to the car, I was literally gasping for air. My husband turned white as a ghost. I know he was very, very frightened. (his step mother dies from an asthma attack as her body become immune from the albuterol medication.
About 10 minutes later I drove to a CVS and my husband went inside and bought a Primatene Inhalor! IT SAVED MY LIFE!!!! I have been using it ever since, because I can not afford the expensive HFA inhalors.
I am still uninsured however I have found prescription assistance through a discount plan. I also use this plan for my Dr. Visit's as well.
http://www.mybenefitsplus.com/information
i have had asthma for 40 years and with insurace i could afford albuteral. I know have to use proair to control my asthma, which is costing alot more. albuteral was working just fine and i could afford it
Wow, this blog has been very insightful. I am 33 years old and had my first attack 4 months ago and was told I have bronchitis. I never get sick and when I couldn't breathe I panicked and used albuterol and antibiotics, etc. 4 months later, I have another attack. I have no history of asthma but could care less about side effects when DEATH is the alternative. I'm trying Primaten Mist tonight since my albuterol ran out and so did my insurance. I need to research and see if I have bronchitis and if so, do these attacks mean it's temporary or am I now an asthmatic?
Primatene mist is what both my Dad, who is almost 88, and I, who am almost 58, have used all our lives. I had fewer problems with it than I've had since the doc put me on albuterol! Primatene works much faster and does a better job of opening up our lungs, than does the albuterol!
I've heard that doctors get "kick backs" for prescribing certain medications, so of course they won't want people to buy over the counter drugs!
Since none of the stores want to sell it anymore, we'll have to either send off for it, travel to Canada for it .... or die, from lack of it's availability!
I wonder if people could get some kind of civil lawsuit going on this? By taking it away from us, the gov'mnt is sentencing many of us to death!
To whomever said:
"Albuterol should have zero effect on heart rate and blood pressure since it is a Beta 2 agonist."
Obviously you have never taken albuterol. There were times where after inhaling my handy "Beta 2 agonist" Albuterol, my pulse raced for a good 5 minutes.
I have recently switched to buying my inhalers online, overseas. I pay about $30 shipped for 2 inhalers. No doctors visit, no co-pay, no $35 shelled out at the pharmacy. I am bypassing all of the greedy hands that would have my money instead. I save roughly $30 per inhaler when you factor in copay and the cost of the perscription, and about 2 hours of my time.
On another note, don't you love the side effects listed in the commercials for the advair inhaler??? you have got to be shitting me! Side effects include an increased risk of asthma related death. NO THANKS.
Where do you buy online ? is it in canada? Don't you need a perscription? sam
My drug store ran out of the Albuterol & I had to get the ProAir, with my insurance it was $50.00, and its tiny, half the size , they say it last as long, but it ran out on the seventh day, and I was trying to be careful. its a rip off, who can afford that, if the doctor will give me a perscription for albuterol I can order it from canada for 15 plus $5.00 shiping. but how long will canada be able to do it? Sam
Update:::I found out there was still some med in the ProAir canister while shaking it,i read the pamplet and it said because of the fine mist the hole could clog, and to rinse it with warm water and air dry , I did that it did not work, I found my old albuterol canister and the new canister did not work in it to big around so my husband used his cutters and slit down the side of it so my tiny fat one would fit, and it sprayed out good, I wont buy the new AirPro again, its a rip off I will buy the primatene mist, its $19.95 while it last. Sam
Note: Advair and spriva, Qvar, are not a rescue inhalers, they are suposed to be used daily and the
Albuterol are only to be used when you have an attack.
Why take our meds away, what about Hairspray, and spray paint, and bathroom spray, etc. that all goes right into the air, the meds goes in our lungs, not in the air. no one is looking out the the sick people,
I read a year ago that when they take the Albuterol off the market and go to ProAir that there wont be a generic for a year . because it will be changed and can only buy the Name brand.
FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO ARE USING PRIMATENE MIST I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM VERY LUCKY TO STILL BE ALIVE AFTER USING IT. I HAVE SUFFERED PERMANENT LUNG DAMAGE FROM IT AND AM UNABLE TO WORK AND CARE FOR MY YOUNG CHILDREN. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO YOU. MY ADVICE IS TO STAY OFF THAT CRAP, IT'S A VERY VERY DANGEROUS DRUG AND IT KILLS PEOPLE!!! GET A PRESCRIPTION! STAY AWAY FROM PRIMATENE MIST IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR LOVED ONES WILL BE GRATEFUL TO YOU!!!
The only stored in my area(Morton, IL)that sells Primatene Mist is CVS. And thank god! This morning I ran out and the nice manager allowed me in the store to buy one. They don't open until 9am and i was having an attack at 8am.
I use primatene, having, like many others, used albuterol and found it to have nasty side effects. I recently tried something called Breathe Right tea, which seems to help quite a bit, it has licorice(sp) root in it, and a bunch of other herbals. I use to have my doubts about herbal remedies, until I remembered the expensive prescriptions are usually patented forms of natural products, refined to magnify power and side effects. Look for other options, and spread the word. It is not the tree huggers, but the cash huggers, who are doing this.
every human being has a diffrent system , meds that bad for one person maybe be good for anpother just for that reason bottom line.
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What are your guys' thoughts on the issue?
Primatene mist is epinephrine... you know Epi... the same stuff in EPInephrine pens for severe allergic reactions. My asthma is triggered by my allergies. This is true for a lot of asthmatics. Although I admit albuteral and atrovent have been a hospital standard for treating shortness of breath and it works, those of us who are uninsured can not afford those medications or the trip to the doctor for that matter, are being left with no alternative.
Since Primatene Mist is disappearing from store shelves, I will be stocking up online during the next month on the Primatene Mist. So far online is the only place I have been able to find it in-stock. Problem is what happens to the uninsured when their supply is gone or the stock of their medication is expired? We will be left with the same dilemma as we are discussing here.
I have tried Xopenex and it is a good alternative to albuteral barring any allergies to it or to its propellent. Problem is with all MDI using the same or similar propellant what happens to those patient who are allergic to the medication or the MDI propellant? Do they may get moved to more expensive Nebulizer treatments? Have you ever tried whipping out the Neb treatment machine while shopping? Not exactly advocating patient mobility or supporting patients basic right to complete activities of daily life. Not to mention the uninsured that now will HAVE to pay for a doctors visit at least once every 3-6 months now to get Rx for the new MDI on top of the expense of the medication. (Doctors will only give so many refills before they have to re-evaluate the treatment effectiveness.)
The new removal of CFC MDIs maybe (or may not be) better for the environment, we need more patient advocates in congress harping on them about the repercussions of this action. Not to mention fixing our thousand other problems with Rx drugs and health care today.
As with any medication (I hear the problems with use or misuse of the Primatene Mist and I have seen what albuteral can do to a heart rate as well as other dangerous side effects) everyone's reaction to it and its effectiveness differs and there are extremes in use or misuse. Remember the same goes for ANY medication.
For those who are losing their medication that has been effective for years and has been a hand in their being able to function independently, I am very sad for the decrease in ability to function this means for patients and I hope that effective alternatives are made available and inexpensive for everyone. (one can dream and wish)
Thats my 22 dollars and 2 cents,
Mary
I've been on albuertol for years. It was working just fine before they switched me to the non-CFC kind. Now I have to use it several times a day (before only once a week or less). Sometimes my bottle of Primatene is the only thing that helps. I've never felt any side effects from either. I'm going to end up in the emergency room if I run out of Primatene. I refuse to take the long-acting medications with the death label on them that the FDA just advised against using by the way (with the exception of Advair).
Without over the counter Primatene what are you supposed to do if you go on a trip and forget your albuterol?
I'd better run out and buy a few extra bottles of Primatene if I can find them...just in case.
This banning of Primatine makes me very mad. My long-acting inhaler Flovent stopped working, and I was using Albuterol about forty times a day. I'm trying different long-acting ones, but in the meantime, the albuterol is completely ineffective. I was using four puffs at once and still not able to breathe. I used Primatine and was able to breathe again. What am I supposed to use when I can't get Primatine?
Albuterol is available with the "old" propellant, that is not available in Proventil and which caused my COPD to be extremely agrivated, from Canada. Go on line to find many reputible Canadian pharmacists, and the price is so much better than the states.
I've noticed a difference in both...
Sometimes when my proair albuterol doesn't work ...I wait a while and take a puff off of the primatine mist and feel better. This is usualy the case when I'm sick. As far as the best treatment on asthma I;ve had in 20 years is the use of my symbacort. It has limited my almost 2 week refill of albuterol to maybe needing the inhailor one maybe twice a month.
I've used Primatene mist since I was perhaps 5 or 6. Now at age 34, I still have the occasional attack (a few times a year -- sometimes an asthma-free year comes along), and primatene mist works in seconds. In the worst case, I will use my expired primatene mist inhaler (even if 5 years expired) if I need it as I have done this in the past with no problem. In the best case, Wyeth, the company that makes primatene, will realize a means of delivering epinephrine (synthetic adrenaline) without CFC generation -- hopefully that occurs within perhaps the next 5 years. I'm sure there's more than enough customers to justify this research and development. There is no reason why we should pay twice the cost of Primatene for a new inhaler just because the *legislature* deems it fit for us to do so. How many people are leaving the country just to seek out apparently riskier treatments of their medical conditions? Justified? I wonder which lobbyist(s) may lose their jobs in 2009.
This the is the best article I've read about the move to the new HFC inhalers. I still don't like Primatene though. It always has burned my lungs. I never understood why people would want to breathe ethanol when they are grasping for oxygen. I have already been calling my local news sources and congressmen about this issue. Why Ventolin was never made an OTC for 10 dollars, while other drugs that also work like Zantac get OTC in months time. BRING BACK CFC INHALERS AND MAKE THEM OTC!!!!
hmm primatene does tickle and kind of burn a bit when I inhale it??? (u_u)
RE:
Anonymous said...
hmm primatene does tickle and kind of burn a bit when I inhale it??? (u_u)
Mar 5, 2009 11:18:00 PM
Yes primatene mist will tickle and burn the first few times you use the medication. this is a common occurrence. this feeling should subside tho.
I have been using epinephrine inhalers for 55 years. Started with liquid Astma neferin. They have not only saved my life a hundred times but have made my day to day comfort in breathing possible. I am 62 years old and have never suffered any lung damage from this product. The only form in which it is available today is Primatine mist. I fear the end of this product will be the end of me and many thousands of others.
I've used Primatene Mist off and on throughout my life, despite my doctor's warnings that it can ruin my lungs. I've done some Google research, and it does happen to some people apparently. However, that isn't the case with everybody. Also, Wyeth offers Primatene Tablets. They work like any other pills such as Tylenol or whatever, so they won't provide you with the same emergency relief of Primatene Mist. However, they should have the same effect...without the burning (which I can only assume is because of the fact that your lungs are already inflamed; this has always happened to me with Albuterol and Proventil and similar asthma inhalers as well).
If they are banning the cheaper inhaler, why can't they outlaw cigarettes as well??? They are much worse than anything the inhalers output!
A relative asked me to research the Primatene disappearance from store shelves, she uses it for breathing problems and being on a fixed income, it's been a lot more economical for her.
I was very dismayed to find that our "big brother" the FDA as well as a bunch of useless tree huggers have decided that they need to help thir poor beleagured friends in the pharmaceutical and medical professions once again by making the excuses that it wasn't an "essential" drug and those horrible nasty huge volumes of CFCs that it puts out(?) make it a new target for banning. Someone needs a good cuff alongside the head to get their brain working!!
Well, I'm another life-long asthmatic. As a child I had many times spent a week at a time in an oxygen tent, which I don't think is used any more. I have used albuterol, ventolin and some other prescribed inhalers. With every one of them I eventually had to use them more often to get relief and many times got no relief, just a higher heart rate. Primatene has been grat for me, I have used it for years with no trouble, I get relief and I'm now 59. To those in the health industry (which I am retired from) that say "don't take Primatene - it's dangerous" I say sit down and shut up. It works, and all the other drugs you prescribe are AT LEAST as dangerous if not more. I am sick of the Primatene scare hoaxed on people by drug compamies the the Dr's that get kick backs from those same drug cartels.
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