ABC Health Insider

is albuterol inhaler ok to use my son uses it i am not sure what other ingrediants are in that particular drug.

I was on Advair 100/50 for many years and in 2006 I had a major heart attack. Could Advair be part of the cause?

Our youngest has mild asthma, and was fine using a nebulizer twice a day (when young) and an inhaler once a day and as needed as he got older. His doctor recommended Singular, which I vehemently opposed but my wife wanted since it was supposedly easier. Within two months he was hospitalized with pneumonia for a week. The doctor scoffed at me and essentially laughed when I suggested a link, yet pneumonia is a listed possible side-effect of Singular. I have found many more people online who have reported the same thing. Do not believe what you are told, and get a second, third and fourth opinion, and then do your own research.

Forgot to add that he had no problems before, and we have had NO respiratory infections since we stopped the Singulair.

I have been using Advair 100/50 for about three years. I can honestly say it has completely changed my life. I have had asthma long enough to remember the days when there was almost NOTHING to treat symptoms, other than to completely avoid possible triggers. Up until I went on the Advair, I would burn thru a rescue inhaler in two weeks - I tried Singulair and it did absolutely nothing. Up until I started taking Advair, I would have at least one, usually two pretty severe bouts with bronchitis each year and I can honestly say I've barely had a chest cold since taking it. I was extremely concerned about the outcome of this inquiry and am greatly relieved to hear they aren't recommending the ban on this vital (for me) medication.

Debbie -

If the albuterol was prescribed by a doctor, and it isn't being used outside the parameters of recommendation (I believe most are no more than 2 puffs, 4 times a day), it is fine. From my experience, if he is using it more, it may be losing it's effectiveness. (I used ventolin for about 10 years, and eventually built up a tolerance - I had to switch to a different inhaler, and have since been able to go back to the Ventolin/ProAir style inhaler.) It's been on the market for at least 27 years, as that's how long I've been toting one around.

I have severe asthma and two of the medicine the FDA wants to ban is on the list. I am asking that anyone that has or has known someone with a lung disorder please contact the FDA and let them know that all Americans with any disorder or disease be allowed to continue living life best they can with the current medicines available and not to ban them. Banning even one of the medicines I take can reduce my daily life by as much as 50%

http://www.fda.gov/comments.html

I have severe asthma and two of the medicine the FDA wants to ban is on the list. I am asking that anyone that has or has known someone with a lung disorder please contact the FDA and let them know that all Americans with any disorder or disease be allowed to continue living life best they can with the current medicines available and not to ban them. Banning even one of the medicines I take can reduce my daily life by as much as 50%

http://www.fda.gov/comments.html

for every1 who is wondering albuterol is fine and yes advair puts u at an insanely high risk for heart attack

btw for all the ppl using albuterol if u od its usually ok BUT check the subjects reactivity to light, if there pupils become smaller when a light is shown in there face, if they dont or dont get bigger when u take the light away call 991 immediately because thats usually the beginning of a serious side affect of oding

I was diagnosed w/asthma in 1985. I've used so many different medicines along the way, and have had a lot of adverse reactions to them. It is common that most of the medicine and/or inhalers cause upper respiratory infections. Singular and Advair are the worst. I've been through it all. You need to have a great rapport w/your doctor so that when you complain about your symptoms they will listen to you and change your medicine. The best inhaler I have used is Proventil HFA. The regular Proventil and especiallly generic brands burn my throat and cause me to cough even more. Coincidence, I don't think so. Generics are not exactly the same - don't believe it!

My husband is now on heart medicine for an abnormal rhythm that put him in the hospital for a week after an asthma attack and use of his prescribed albuterol inhaler caused the problem. It is considered a permanent problem now, and it has really degraded his health. He takes xopenex now.

Forgot to post in my original message...
Using a "spacer" is an excellent way for people to get the maximum benefit of their inhalers. I've been using the "Aero Chamber" for over 15 years. That way your medicine just doesn't hit the back of your throat - it gets deeper into your lungs.

Advair nearly killed me!!! After I started using it I got a horrid upper respritory infection. My asthma was fine but I coughed until I thought my lungs were gonna come out! When I went to the Dr. he had the nerve, because I sounded so bad,to ask me if I was a smoker!!!! NOT! NEVER!!! He was no help so did research myself and found on the Advair web site that one of the complications is upper respritory problems. Quit immediately and started feeling better too and after three days was me again after weeks of suffering! I had asked my Dr. if he thought it was the Advair before I went on the Advair site and he said NO!!! WOW and SOS!!!!

I have been trying to get off Serevent for years...finally succeeded by ***slowly*** weaning myself off. It took FIVE years to discontinue this drug. Many times when I tried, it felt like an elephant was on my chest. I've been totally off the drug for about 5 months and doing much better *without* it! It's a scary drug, however, please DO NOT abruptly stop taking it as that may kill you. Sad that the FDA is getting rid of in the inhalers & replacing with the more potent, heavy duty powder which is all the worse. And thank you to all those working for asthma cures, relief, etc. Naturally, it's trial and error.

My 8 yr old was on Advair and had severe side effects, Doctors didnt want to believe me that it was the Advair. Luckily, I was able to politely prove them wrong. She is now on Symbicort and its not working as well but I am concerned with not knowing how it REALLY may affect her long term

I'm 40yrs old,have had asthma since the age of 6. Almost died from a bad attack when I was 18. Started Serevent in 1996 then eventually switched to Advair. This medicine gave me a life. Otherwise, if not on this medication, I'm doing nebulizer treatments 4x daily,lugging around this machine everywhere I go. Not to mention the fast heart beat side effect from it. Since 1996, I have had to use my recue meds only a few times a year! Not 4x daily like I did. I think people need to understand that (My doctor says it) You will still need your emergency meds (xopenex inhaler etc.)if you have an attack. It is also important to be on some form of inhaled cortisone while taking Serevent to treat any inflamation. People need to remember that Serevent/Advair is not for instant relief of an attack,it is more of a preventative. Sadly there have been deaths, but I think it's because they lacked the appropriate rescue medication at the time of attack, not because they were taking serevent/advair. People have died from asthma long before this medication even came out. These meds might not work for everyone but for me, I owe my life to it.

I hope all of you read this. Go to www.asthmastory.com and read about treating asthma with Zithromax .... 600 mg. taken three days in a row and then once weekly for 12 weeks and then possibly do another round of treatment. This works! Dr. David Hahn of Wisconsin is conducting studies all over the country now with this treatment. Go to the website and read the story and go to the links telling about this research. My son has had moderate asthma for 10 years and has been on this Zithromax therapy, two round now, and is so much better - he is off all asthma medication. No more Pulmicort, and Serevent is very dangerous, and so is Singular - my son was sick from being on Singular just liek the story above. This medicine is terrible and it all just masks the symptoms of asthma. Please go to this website and share this with everyone you know. We are hoping our son is cured of asthma - asthma is an infection not a disease!

Do not use albuterol ...use hot water with salt and you will see how your children will get better ...

Reading through all of the comments on this issue plus the FDA study leaves one to wonder if any asthma drug is safe. On the other hand, what choice do you have? You either take the drug prescribed with its attendant risks, or you don't take anything and in short order repair to or are taken to the nearest hospital. Some choice!