ProAir + Panic Attacks

Hi Jason, I will try to give you an answer to your questions.  Pro air is albuterol which has a propellant called HFA.  The old inhalers you are referring to were propelled by CFC which the government decided was dangerous for the ozone layer so they banned it.  This is ridiculous as there is not enough CFC in inhalers that if everyone with asthma used one of these it wouldn't even make a tiny dent.  This is something that someone at the EPA or FDA who was sitting around with nothing to do decided to make life hard for those of us who suffer asfhma. But you want to know about pro air.  It is the same medicine as your old inhaler.  What you are experiencing is the jitters from the albuterol.  You may be particularly sensitive to the albuterol.  I assume you use this only occasionally as albuterol is a rescue inhaler and is not meant to be used every day.  If you have bad asthma you need a long term inhaler. I have bad asthma and I use symbicort for my long term inhaler and pro air for my rescue inhaler. The dr. who said the pro air causes panic attacks is a bit wrong on this.  What you are experiencing is a particularly sensitive reaction to the albuterol.  If you are having really bad asthma problems I would suggest you see a pulmonologist (lung specialist) and get yourself tested to see what meds you need.  The tests are very easy, just different breathing type tests, nothing painful. If you have asthma then you need a long term inhaler which the dr. would determine.  You might need a steroid inhaler or something like I take. You might even at some point need treatment with prednisone or you might need a nebulizer treatment. There is another kind of rescue inhaler called xopenex which does not give you jitters and it is not albuterol.  It is milder.  I tried it but it did not clear up my breathing. If you have allergy induced asthma you might need a med called singulair.  The older CFC inhalers are no longer available.  If you want to get to the bottom of this go see a lung specialist.  Your PCP can prescribe something for you but that dr. is not trained in exactly how lung function works. So - this is the best advice I can give you - go to a lung specialist.  When I did, my breathing cleared up that very day when I got the proper meds for me.  Let me know how you are doing. I forgot to mention, do you use a spacer with your inhaler?  You definitely need one as it gets the med into your lungs instead of getting in your throat or on your tongue. You need a prescription for a spacer and the pharmacist should explain how to use it. I honestly think that is you have allergy asthma that the singular would be the best thing for you.  Do check this all out with a specialist. You can get a lot of inaccurate information from the internet.

Aurora

Post Edited (Aurora60) : 5/20/2009 8:37:48 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Jason, I am so glad I was able to help you with you allergies and asthma.  I know what you mean about the prednisone.  I bounce off the walls when I have to take it, but it does get me breathing clearly so it's just something to put up with.  And I take just regular prednisone.  There is another type called a medrol pack which is a steroid. You start out with 6 pills, next day 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.  I beg the dr. not to give me a medrol pack as it makes me totally crazy.  Good luck with your drs appt. and hope you are feeling good again.

Aurora

Hi Jason, there are many types of inhalers you can use that are not albuterol.  Like I mentioned (I think) there is xopenex which many people love and it doesn't give the jitters. But there are many other types of inhalers you can use that are long term if you need that and they don't have side effects like albuterol or prednisone.  If it is allergies you are suffering from or even some asthma ask your dr. about singulair. It is a tablet you take once a day but it works for both allergies and asthma.  I take it and I have absolutely no side effects from it. Also, if you do have to take a steroid ask your dr. not to give you a medrol pack. They are steroids that you start with 6 pills a day, then 5,4,3,2 & 1.  Medrol for me as well as many others will make you climb up the walls and around the ceiling.  Regular prednisone, while not easy either is not so bad. What I do is start with 5 pills for 2 days, then 4,3,2, & 1 each for 2 days.  At least you can sleep with this type of steroid.  I wish you luck and let us know what the dr. has to say.  Hope you are feeling better soon. I did want to mention to you Jason that if you are having breathing problems you do need to get it under control even if it is from exercise or allergies.  Keeping your airways open is important because you need oxygen for all your other organs to function properly. And if you can't breathe your whole system will have less oxygen which is especially important for your heart. Do go see your dr., sooner than later. Take care.

Chartreux, you are certainly forgiven - and allowed to voice your opinion when you want. I do hope you are feeling better. I was not offended at all.  Sometiimes we tend to repeat things we have said before. Take care of yourself.

Many hugs,

Aurora

Post Edited (Aurora60) : 5/25/2009 2:03:24 PM (GMT-6)

Unfortunately all CFC inhalers are taken out from the market, well government decided so ....
But the new Generic Fluticasone (Flovent) - even if it is generic version helps a lot. You can try and  buy Fluticasone and read medication guide on http://www.rxshop.md/index.php?type=products&id=100

Fluticasone Description:

Flovent (Fluticasone) is a corticosteroid used to treat asthma. This medicine is also used to prevent asthma attacks. It will not stop an asthma attack once one has started. It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Hope will help!