Over-the-counter Epinephrine Inhalers Are Going Away

I have had asthma since I was born, 32 years. In that time I have been hospitalized too many times to count, gone into respiratory arrest once, and been in the ICU.  Tonight I was shown a clip on You Tube of a speech that Obama gave in which he states, "Everybody knows that it makes no sence that you send a kid to the emergency room, for a treatable illness like asthma, they end up taking up a hospital bed, if you just gave them a treatment early a breathilizer,..." The clip doesn't finish but I'm sure we can assume the rest of what he was going to say.  This is an infurriating statement for anyone muchless someone running for President to make.  Does he not know the statistics on asthma, obviously not.  People without asthma will never know the feeling of not being able to breath and for him to link an illness, as he calls it, that kills thousands of people a year to taking up hospital beds is uncalled for.  If you would like to see this clip go to www.Youtube.com and type in Barack Obama and Joe Biden Gaffe Machines.  Just a little extra he thinks that the US has 60 state if you count the 57 that he says he's been to, the 1 he has left to visit and the 2 his campaign feels are not worth the time, all in the same clip.

taking away the over the counter inhalers could be a problem,cause I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been at work or on a trip and forgotten their rescue inhaler.sometimes those otc inhalers are the only thing that save me from a trip to the hospital and yet another medical bill that I cant pay,and what about those that cant afford asthma meds?I know doctors frown upon it,but sometimes you do what you have to do,and otc meds can be a lifeline for some

I did not know I had asthma and was on a business trip where I had to rent a car.  They had sprayed it with perfumed air freshener and 30 miles down the road, even with the windows open, I started having breathing difficulties.   I met my customer at a restaurant and started to cough and then could not get air, almost blacking out.  My husband ran into a drug store next door and bought an over the counter inhaler which I believe saved my life.  I have since been diagnosed with asthma and am using prescription inhalers, but worry about the possibility of not having an alternative if my emergency inhaler runs out when I travel so much or if I lose it somewhere. 

If an asthmatic dies from an attack and an anti-steroid user convinces a politician somewhere that the death was related to the persons use of a steroid inhaler, are steroid inhalers going to be taken off the market? When are we going to smarten up and learn about health care and preventative medicine. Have the American drug companies completely taken over control of the cost and use of certain medicinal products? Obtain M. Moores most recent documentary on Health care. If the U.S. starts real soon, in 20 years we may catch up to the health care given in Great Britain, France, Cuba, Canada, and a host of other Nations around the world. We must get our heads up out of the sand, and admit that the U.S. is grossly inferior to many Countries (that do not have expensive defense plans), but whose daily living for everyone, not just the rich, is better because of Government provided Health care.

these OTC inhalers have saved me numerous times ...and cheaply. a lawsuit should transpire ASAP

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Have had asthma for over 75years.  In the late 1930’s, treatment (when not in the hospital) was a sulphur-like powder that came in a rectangular tin. You took off the top, poured some in the top & lit it.  It smoked like mad – you inhaled the smoke, and coughed your head off. Tough, but it brought up stuff and you could breathe easier.  

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In the mid 1940’s an aerosol was developed called Asthma-Nephrine. It was Epinephrine in an inhalator aerosol.  We had to write away & order it from a manufacturer in Buffalo, NY.  I think it’s a synthetic adrenaline, but I’m not a chemist, pharmacist or Doctor, so don’t take my word on that.  This changed my life.  I was able to take gym in school, participate in Scouts, hunt, hike, etc.  For the better part of 60 years, this over-the-counter medication was my life-saver.  The manufacturer changed, the name changed, but I was always able to find it. 

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Somewhere about the end of the century, Albuterol came along.  It was supposed to do the same thing, but I found at times the Epinephrine was quicker and longer acting. The Doctors stated they preferred I not use it, but could not give me any good reason beyond ‘the dosage may not be as accurate’.  While I sometimes use the new FHA propelled albuterol inhaler, it is not as effective as the CFC propelled model.  Further, one cannot tell if it’s full or empty, or whether you are getting a dose or not. (Thank you FHA!) Now I find the FHA proposes to remove the Epinephrine inhalator aerosol from the over-the-counter marker in 2010!  Serious mistake! But that’s our Government’s history.

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Epinephrine inhalator aerosol is currently sold under the name of Primatene Mist, and is available in most drug stores. 

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In 2002, my Doctor put me on Advair 250/50, but after several months with no improvement, I stopped taking it.  I eventually went to a specialist who put me on Advair 500/50 on July 24, 2007 (1½ years ago).  The results were astounding.  My use of  Albuterol/ Epinephrine went down from 2½ containers/month to 7 > 10 months/container! The only side effect is hoarseness in my voice at times.  It’s better to breathe. Read about

Epinephrine at the following sites:

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http://www.respiratoryreviews.com/nov00/rr_no

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http://www.wemsi.org/epinephrine.html

I am 60 years old and have suffered from allergies and asthma since childhood.  For many years, I used prescription albuterol inhalers (Ventoling or Proventil) to manage the condition when an attack occurred.  About ten years ago, I had a serious accident, involving a traumatic brain injury and spinal damage.  For some - apparently ideopathic - reason, my allergies disappeared overnight and I was no longer prescribed the albuterol inhalers.  but the asthmatic attacks, chronic shortness of breath, continued and I started to use the Primatene Mist epinephrine inhalers which worked fine.  If they become unavailable, I will be in a desperate condition.  I am sure that there are many others who would be similarly affected, if they only knew.  What can be done to ensure that this does not happen?  Who can we lobby?  What course of action is open to us to prevent this?

Thank you

I am terrified by the thought that I will not have this available to me!  I suffer from stress-induced anaphylaxsis...a condition that cannot be controlled (I'm on several meds, but it still occurs...even in my sleep!). I have tried all other inhalers for this, but they do not work, not to mention, the side-effects are almost as bad as the condition! This is far more severe than an asthma attack (I have them now, too, since a chemical exposure at work two years ago, and use albuterol). Primatene (epinephrine) is my last hope of breathing before death. Epi-pens require that you go to the ER right away, and you have to be very careful of how they are stored or they will not work. I have had several instances where I needed to run into the drug store for the OTC inhaler, but now that they are gone, I guess I won't have any other options. FYI - I am a single parent, 37...and the condition began 14 years ago while I was pregnant.

I use Primatene Mist and OTC enhaler. It works perfect for me, and use it on a occasional basis. Only during intense physical activity do I notice an airway issue. My little brother has severe ashtma as does my older brother but my symptoms are no where near theirs. So I picked up an enhaler at the local drug store to see if it would help at all. To my delight it worked perfectly. I don't even use it weekly at this point. Although I could and probably should go to the doctor to see if I need something different, I currently do not have health insurance and this $18 enhaler has definitally made the difference for me. I do NOT abuse it, and it serves its purpose wonderfully for me.

This is an outrage, and it absolutely should be addressed by legal means.  Anaphylaxis is life-threatening, potentially killing in minutes.  Obviously, an auto-injector is the preferred treatment as serum levels comparable to the injectable form are difficult to obtain via inhalation, but an epinephrine inhaler can buy a person precious time in situations where the epi-pen is not instantly available due to "storage issues."  The epi-pen must be stored under very specific conditions, and this often means that students participating in sports or other outdoor activities have their epi-pens inside the school building, but they can easily tuck an epinephrine inhaler into their pocket, buying themselves time, if needed.  Many victims of anaphylaxis die waiting on an ambulance or waiting for someone to bring them their epi-pen or trying to get to their epi-pen on their own.  No, the epinephrine inhaler is not a perfect solution, but at least it is some sort of life-line. 

Oh, what about the asthmatic whose inhaler is empty when the pharmacy is closed, but the local WalMart or grocery store are open and carry epinephrine inhalers???  These people can often use the epinephrine inhaler in a pinch.  There is absolutely no reason to remove these inhalers from the market, and something must be done to remedy this situation. 

Before the CFC inhalers (I'm 58) we used a device called an atomizer (or nebulizer). The epinephrine solution came in a small brown bottle. You would pour a few drops of the stuff into the atomizer. The atomizer had a small rubber bulb attached to it; you simply held the device to your mouth, squeezed the bulb with vaporized the solution, and inhaled. The device was a little bulky but not unmanageable. Then they came along with the CFC driven gizmos. Why not make the old atomizers available again. As I said, they're not as portable, but epinephrine gets the job done for me. Albuterol tastes like crap and doesn't relieve my attack like epinephrine does. Oh sure, doctors say it elevates your blood pressure and heart rate...yeah? well so does driving down the freeway at rush-hour!

Is it so hard to propel the epinephrine without CFC gas? I really worry about not having Primatene or similar (and cheaper) inhalers readily available. It's 911 for without them!

this would pose a problem for me, but i would also like to know why it would be banned.