James Andrews

Back the end of March I got one of the new FHA Albuterol Inhalers. It’s been just a little over a month, and it is empty. Not a good sign this past month was not good, hot, cold hot cold asthma induced (please bring the heat). Need to talk to the doc.

Anyway, this morning I was having a bad attack. I called the pharmacy to see if I had a refill, and I did. I had them fill it and then headed over to get it. 2 puffs later and my lungs were nice and clear. Therefore, I now deduce that the new FHA inhalers do work as well as the old ones, and that everyone who is complaining they don’t should stop.

December 31, 2008 was the deadline for drug companies to switch from using CFC propellants to using HFA propellants in asthma inhalers.  Friday my Albuterol CFC inhaler gave its last puff of Albuterol.  I called the Doc to get a refill prescription.  Since I was calling after hours the doctor on call explained to me that the old CFC inhalers were no longer available, but he’d call in a prescription for the HFA equivalent.  I wasn’t sure of the difference, but he’s the doctor, and I am quite sure he deals with this sort of thing all the time.  I was a little anxious about the new inhaler.  I have friends who have had the new inhalers for a little while now, and have heard nothing but complaints about how bad they taste, and even read a few stories of complaints from other asthmatics that they didn’t do the job as well as the CFC based ones.  I needed an inhaler an since that was all I could get, I went to the store and picked one up.

First of all I don’t have medical insurance.  The old CFC inhalers cost about $16, which I felt was reasonable.   I get to the pharmacy to find out the new FHA inhalers are 3 times as much at $50.  Not too happy with that, but what choice did I have. I wasn’t going to play around with my life by not having  a rescue inhaler.  I leave the store pop open the box and ritualistically prime the inhaler for my first taste.  It’s disgustingly sweet.  Not what I expected.  I recognize the flavor, but can’t place a name on it.  It seems to calm my breathing, but it was mild at best.  Since then I have had to use the rescue inhaler a few times, and I’ve noticed that it doesn’t seem to last as long as it did before.  Finding myself needing it more, which is disturbing.  I’ve been doing some reading and I see more and more people are having the same problems, or worse problems.  I’m all for saving the planet, but not at the risk of putting young kids with asthma at risk.  I’ll post on this more later if I find it not working for me.  I have noticed that I feel a bit more anxious than I did on the CFC inhalers.