COPD & Emphysema Support Group

I use an Albuteral INhaler four times per day and a nebulizer with albuteral and atrovent solution four times per day. It all seems to work ok except I shake a lot. Have heard Xopenex solution is better. Anyone try this?
thanks
charles

I'm not sure if the Albuterol is working for me, even though my doctor prescribed the medication. The directions states, by taking two puffs from the inhaler, six time per day, when needed. Yet, I have the shortness of breath attacks more than once on a daily basis, from not being a couch potato, as I'm physically active in doing things around the house and working at a parttime job. To avoid these attacks, I need to sit at a desk with a computer for 16 hours and in bed asleep for 8 hours. No way I will do that kind of a lifestyle.

I preferred Xopenex to Duoneb because I didn't have the shakiness with Xopenex. Unfortunately, my O2 supplier stopped carrying Xopenex due to the cost (around $400/mo) and will only supply me with Duoneb. I'm on Medicare, and found that none of the suppliers in my city are supplying Xopenex any more. Hope you get to try it. I did notice a difference.

Ventolin Evohaler certainly works for me.

I use it as needed on top of advair 500/50, if that isnt enough to keep me breathing my normal range, somedays i have to use it alot, and somedays not, it really helps though when i need that extra breath.....

I use Spiriva on a daily basis, and Albuterol on an as-needed basis for shortness of breath. To be honest, I can't tell if either or both of these medications work.

I use Spiriva, Advair 50/500 daily and albuterol only as needed

I use Spiriva once daily. I also use Ventolin for a quick fix. I believe Albuterol has been replaced by Ventolin. I could be wrong.

I use Ipratropium bromide/Albuterol sulfate in the Nebulizer 4-5 times daily. And I use the Ventolin HFA 18g inhaler as needed for rescue. These are the only albuterol meds I use.

Because I am considered a CO2 retainer, my shortness of breath is always there. I can improve the situation by using pursed lip breathing to expel more of the CO2 from the lungs.

I am on Advair, (twice daily) that contains an anti-inflamatory and long acting bronchodilator and Spiriva which is another long acting bronchodilator.

I find that being as active as possible the top of the list to feeling better. I have stairs in my home and I go up and down them many times during the day even if I have no reason. And I do it huffin and puffin but that is what I feel that I must do.

As far as how I think albuterol is working, I think it is a just a part of the puzzle that makes up a treatment plan.

This post came on an interesting time. I'm like Rich and seem to be on the go all the time. Constantly needing a rescue inhaler and find it totally impossible to keep track of where I am. One of my pulmonary guys to me that a cannisters that says 200 puffs in reality they has 300 puffs, they last 100 has medication and is only propellent. I wanted one with a dose counter and found out Ventolin HFA has a dose counter. I constantally was finding myself out on the run and out of air.

After much searching around I found that Walmart does have a generic (Reli ON) it has a dose counter on it 60 puffs for $9. 200 puffs Ventolin not generic was $34 with dose counter. Thru my med carrier it would cost me $50. No other brand have dose counters. Would be interested to know if the Canadian brands of Ventolin have dose counters. I just did this yesterday so have not had any time to compare myself the difference between Ventolin and Proair.

I also did a search that compares the brands of albuterol. Sorry, It's kind of long....

Ventolin and Proair (as well as Proventil and Xopenex) are the 4 brand (there are no generic) HFA (ozone-friendly) rescue inhalers.

The major difference between them is that Proair uses ETHANOL as a co-solvent unlike Ventolin, the only one of the 4 that uses NO ETHANOL- and ethanol in inhalers is a proven BRONCHOCONSTRICTOR for some asthmatics (LINK 13 on our petition). Ethanol is probably what is causing your Proair side effects- it would be wise not to push your luck. (The remaining two use a combo of ethanol and oleic acid as co-solvents- the albuterol you used as a kid- the good stuff- CFC albuterol- that will be banned 1/1/09 to 'save the ozone layer', even though CFC inhalers emit much too little CFC to harm the ozone layer- used only oleic acid as a co-solvent. It is still available for those who'd like to try the gold standard of rescue inhalers before it is banned, thanks to the enviro-freaks who drafted the Montreal Protocol and the 1990 amendment to the US Clean Air Act),

Many doctors now believe that HFA-134a propellant is NOT as safe and effective as CFC-11,12 is for all patients as we were told it was by the FDA.

We have over 2500 patients who are suffering badly from these HFA inhalers- not just albuterol HFA, but Atrovent HFA, Qvar HFA, Flovent HFA, etc.

Many patients do fine with HFA- some even prefer it. There are MANY WHO CAN'T TOLERATE IT, however (we have the adverse reactions from the clinical trials on our petition comparing the side effects of Proventil and Ventolin with CFC albuterol- anyone with a triple-digit IQ would choose the CFC albuterol in about 60 seconds (LINKS 5,6). Our 4th MD/asthma patient just signed our petition to SAVE CFC INHALERS yesterday. We have numerous RRTs, nurses, PhDs as well.

If you do better with Ventolin HFA (Ventolin CFC has been unavailable for several years) use it. We have far more Proair complaints than any other HFA brand, far fewer with Ventolin and Xopenex. You can get GlaxoSmithKline (the original brand manufacturer) Ventolin HFA MUCH less expensively from Canada- I got mine from www.canadapharmacy.com (Ratiopharm HFA salbutamol is an acceptable non-ethanol generic- salbutamol=albuterol). I liked Ventolin the best of the 4 for relief/general feeling but had eventual side effects, forcing me to use Xopenex. I'd suggest everyone try Ventolin first and watch carefully- for weeks- for side effects- they can come on slowly. Obviously, most people do NOT have serious side effects.

To join our fight to save CFC inhalers google 'save cfc' or go here: