Substitute for Intal Inhaler

Thanks for the reply.  From what research I have been able to do on the Internet, Tilade has also been discontinued.  I will talk with my primary care physician, but I am thinking I would like to try the Flovent HFA Inhaler since it is also an anti-inflammatory as Intal was but is reported to be better than Singular.  My next choice is going to Advair.  Not many choices out there.  I am 70 years old, and there has been little discovered about Asthma during my whole lifetime.  It makes you wonder.

I just wanted to chime in here... Actually, there has been LOTS discovered about asthma just in the past 20 years or so. Because asthma has reached epidemic proportions throughout the world, many research dollars go towards asthma research. Doctors know more today about how to keep asthma from interfering with life than ever. If you start taking one of the newer inhaled steroids, I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised how well they control your asthma symptoms.

There are a number of exciting developments on the asthma horizon. I report on asthma research regularly here on this site. For instance, my latest research post covered a discovery about the causes of asthma, use of statins in treating asthma, and clues to the connection between asthma and allergies. If you look through all my posts, you'll find other reports as well.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but I did want to correct your misconception that nothing much is being done about asthma. Nothing could be further from the truth. And that's a good thing!

To your health,

Kathi

Your  response did not adddress the question.  Are you aware of any substitutes, even remotely that might be helpful for those of us who no longer have access to Intal inhalers.  Exciting developments apparently do not include alternatives to Intal.  What about obtaining Intal from Canada, UK, New Zealand?  Is this a viable and/or legal alternative? 

Stephanie

It is legal, in most cases cheaper and they have been great (the Canadian pharmacies).

I appreciate the info you have posted.  But for those of us with children who have severe side-effects to inhaled steriods losing Intal is a major problem.  It is extremely frustrating with this thought process of "out with the old, and in with the new"... Newer is not always better.  I'm not saying that is what you were saying, I'm just expressing the frustration I feel with the drug companies.  We finally found a medication that doesn't give her any side-effects and relieves all asthma symptoms --only for it to be pulled from the market because it can't find a manufacturer to produce it without the CFCs.  (At least that is my understanding) 

Do you have any suggestions for those of us that need Intal and can't take steroids?

Thank you.

Beth

I had the same problem.  I now have adrenal, sleeping and anxiety/panic attacks issues from Flovent and Singular.  I got off the Singular and the sleeping problems went away and the anxiety lessened.  I'm weaning off the Flovent and started on Intal.  the adrel problems are diminishing and the panic attacks have lessened.

Intal is a great medication.  I get it from PantherMeds.com and I get my Ventolin at CanadaPharmacy.com.  If your doc puts no substitions on your prescription, you can get the regular old ventolin or generic with the CFCs.  The old original formula.  Same as the generic.  It's much cheaper too, but you can't use your insurance.  Other countries still allow the CFC and want to give their people the best drugs available.  They cut down on their pollution by doing crazy things like buying smaller cars and fining polluting factories.  Go figure. 

Good luck.  It's working for me so far.  More work and longer to get, but I can breathe!

I agree with your assessment of inhaled steroids and children.  Just found out Intal is not going to be manufactured and doctor wants my daughter to go on Singulair.  But reading recent safety reviews for Singulair, I'm not going to try it.  My daughter had horrible reaction to Flovent, aggression, insomnia, joint pain, restlessnes.  Her grades took a nosedive immediately, not willing to try this again.  Recent safety review for Singulair cites possible suicidal thoughts.  Cripe, dont doctors read any of this stuff.  They think you're nuts when you alert them to the possiblity of side effects.

Thanks for your help. I read that Tilade has also been discontinued. My doctor is a bit at a loss with this too. Intal was the safest thing out there. So, I'm very concerned, due to my unusual sensitivities.

Thanks.  I never thought of doing that.  Is it expensive??

Sorry for the delay. This message went to my junk mail and I just now got it. Having the intal compounded costs me around $75 for 180 vials a month. I am sure the price varies from pharmacy to pharmacy.My son takes a vial 3 times a day via nebulizer. My insurance won't pay for it. The pharmacist told me if I could get him to do an inhaler it would be less $$$. I was paying alot more when he did'nt have Intal due to co pays and hospital bills. So it is VERY worth it to me.  

CORRECTION! I meant to say the intal compounded costs $75 for 90 vials NOT 180 vials. Sorry.

Thank you soooo much for the info. Calling the pharmacy now.

Don't bother.  Go to Panthermeds.com for the Intal.  It comes from the UK.  they use the same old original drugs.  The kept the CFCs in their products as they are more concerned about the people's health in their countries.  That's what universal health care means.

I get my full strength, old fashion Ventolin (regular or generic, bith with CFCs - not that new junk the pharmaceutical companies are giving out that expires fast and you have to take twice as much for it to work) at CanadaPharmacy.com.  It's cheap too.

Can't use insurance, but the little guy sounds like me.

How do you inhale nasalcrom?  do you just squirt it into your mouth & breath as much in as you can?

I'm having a hard time feeling confident this would work...

Intal has been wonderful for me for years.

Donna

Yes, I spray it into my mouth and inhale deeply.  I can feel it go into my lungs.  It seems to work better if the bottle is kept pretty full and it is shaken before using.

There probably is a better mechanism for dispersing the spray and getting it into the lungs, even if we no longer have access to inhalers specifically made for this purpose.  But, it seems to be working for me.

If someone finds a better spraying device (that sprays an appropriate merered dose), let us know.

This sorta goes along with my experiences using Intal chromolyn sodium.  About 1986, I was having a lot of problems with food allergies despite avoiding and doing a food rotation diet.  My doctor suggested that I order chromolyn sodium in powder form from Canada and use it before meals or eating.  So, I guess we can conclude that chrmolyn sodium can be dispursed in a variety of helpful ways.

pantherMeds.com  get it full strength from the uK.  same old formula, little higher dose so you don't have to take as frquently.

thank you SO much for this info...i just ordered some for my son, and can now rest easy knowing that he will get the Intal that he needs! appreciate your willingness to share-had been looking everywhere in the U.S. & Canada.

I spoke with a pharmacist at Aventis at she said that I should still take the 2 puffs 4 times a day of the 5mg.  She said that you can also take it up to 8 times a day at 2 puffs.  This is all new.  I'm learning too.

I also found that the inhaler made me cough and my lung felt funny for about a week of taking it.  Gargling and spitting it out helped.  I also used my rescue inhaler prior to use to cut down on the symptoms which are going away.

I hope this works out for your son.  I'm trying to fugure out what I can do about the CFC free inhalers.  They all seem to have corn based propellants now which a lot of children are allergic to and no one seems to know that.

FYI - they will send you two adapters for the inhalers form the UK.  They don't do that here in the US.  It's so you can wash one out daily and give it a full day to dry.  They said the canister gets clogged easier with the new propellants.

Good breathing to you and your son!

Thanks for the info, Healer. Does it seem that Intal 5 continues to be manufactured?

That's what I ordered.  The Intal Inhaler 5 mg.  They also have the 1 mg and the spinhaler at various websites.  You are getting the real deal.  Order from Panther and it ships from the UK.  Plese pass on the word.  No need for all of us asthmatics to suffer. 

FYI, not sure if I mentioned it, but you can also get the original Ventolin from them too.  CFCs with the full dose and no additives.  They also have the CFCs generic.  You would not believe the cost difference of these things.  Allegra is over the counter.

Thank you.  I already ordered ventolin (since my insurer wants to restrict how much I use because the drug company jacked up the price for the stupid CFC-free version) from Canadian pharmacy online.

I have used Intal 5 and it seems to work well (actually with only 1 puff, instead of 2).  Although over-the-counter Nasalcrom seems to work well too (but requires 4 "puffs").

I am just curious whether the Intal 5 is still being manaufactured or these are residual stock.  I google it I find very little information.

My understadning is the 1 mg version is no longer manufactured.  At least that is what King Pharmacueticals said when I called them.  Of course, they would have an interest in saying this so people rush to buy out their remaining stock. . .

If anyone gets any new information, please post.

Thanks again!

Jeff

Thanks for the response and sharing your knowledge.  I guess the big thing I am wondering is whether intal inhalers (whether 1 mg or 5) are still being manufactured (presumably outside the US). Have you been able to confirm that?

Both are still being manufactured outside the US and they will continue to be.  Aventis sold the US right to King pharmaceuticals who are no longer making Intal inhaler.  The CFC rules in other countries do not apply to inhalers.  Those countries thought the benefits to the patient outweighed that of the effect to the environment.  I wish the US thought like that.  The only made the 1 mg in the US.  The nice thing is that they converted my prescription in the UK so I received the 5mg dose inhaler.  Now I don't need to take 2 puffs four time a day.  Less puffs, less cost.  Good luck and keep in touch.

Well, I hope you are right about Intal Inhalers continuing to be manfactured outside the US.  But this website (link below) states, "[t]here are no other manufacturers of cromolyn sodium in an inhaler presentation." 

http://www.ashp.org/Import/PRACTICEANDPOLICY/PracticeResourceCenters/DrugShortages/GettingStarted/CurrentShortages/Bulletin.aspx?id=553

I see no reason why there would not be other manufacturers as the drug itself, sodium cromolyn, is not under patent and there would appear to be not patent protection to CFC inhaler technology.

I was wrong about one thing.  The Intal is CFC free as are all of the inhalers coming from the UK, India, Australia or New Zealand.  It just didn't state that on the websites.  It does, however, state it on the prescription that you receive.