HFA Inhalers

I've had asthma my whole life, inherited from my mother who died of an asthma attack at age 56 when I was 17 years old. I'm 51, and I was doing okay with it until they stopped making the old inhalers. Now, I have to sleep sitting up at times, and whenever I have to use the new HFA inhaler, it hardly works. It's very slow to work, and it makes me cough up mucus for hours, which makes my asthma worse at times instead of better. I'm afraid I'm going to die of an asthma attack because this new inhaler does not work properly, and it takes so long to have any effect at all.

My daughter has also inherited the disease from me. She has the same complaints about this new inhaler. I certainly hope the people who are responsible for this decision can sleep at night, knowing that people are suffering. If they're so concerned about the environment, why don't they ban smoking instead of breathing?! I wish we could find a good lawyer who would be willing to fight for us and sue to get the old inhalers back, and also for the suffering and anxiety that this is causing for so many people!

The Pro Air HFA inhalers do not work, do not last 10 days! I asked my doctor for the Ventolin Albuterol inhaler with the meter on it and it works and lasts. The Pro Air is 8.5g and the Ventolin is 10g. Why is that, if they are both supposed to be 30-day supplies? The Pro Air says on the package that it has 200 metered sprays. That is totally false! I wonder when someone will bring a class action suit? Most of the time when I ask for Ventolin, I get Pro Air instead! That infuriates me.

I was so angry when I went to get my regular Albuterol inhaler filled and was given this crap. It does not work! I was normally using my old inhaler, maybe, once a day during allergy season. Now I'm taking this ProAir at least 4-5 times per day. That's 8-10 puffs! That's crazy and I've been told dangerous! But not breathing is even more dangerous! Not to mention you only get a 23-day supply (if you use it according to their guidelines) and it cost $50! I have no insurance and we're low income. I can't afford this! I don't understand how people can get a painkiller for $4 bucks a month, something that is not a necessity to live, but people with asthma have to pay $50-$100 a month to live!

I am very dissatisfied with the inhaler. It gets clogged up after use. I clean the plastic unit, etc. I think it is poorly made and it should be a better quality unit. I also take Combivent and have no problem with their device. I went through 3 plastic units today. As this spring is very bad for allergies, I think something should be done or send me some units so I don't have this trouble anymore.

My husband had used Primatene inhaler for years for his asthma and allergies and it worked great. Recently, he was also told that he had the onset of COPD and Primatene also worked to help that. Since Primatene has been removed from the stores and all you can get are the CFC inhalers by prescription (and that is at 3-4 times the price and they do not work), he suffers more with breathing problems and is unable to go to work. I cannot believe that something that is inhaled into the body is going to destroy the ozone and this was just a ploy by the big pharmaceutical companies to have control of what we can use and line their pockets. I thought they were in the business to help people. I guess it is to help themselves!

HFA Inhalers are deadly! Furthermore, I wish to add to my March 28th post. I have recently suffered an attack of bronchitis, at least in part caused by the useless HFA inhaler I had. They do not clear my lungs as the old CFC inhalers did. My personal story is just a byline to the bigger issue that I see here. I try to serve my community by helping out with education. I am on a local university's Atmospheric and Space Research Team as an outside consultant. I have discussed the HFA -CFC issue with a chemist whom I work closely with. He assures me that HFA is even more toxic in the air (and in our lungs!) than CFC. Among the HFA breakdown chemicals is Hydrofluoric Acid, one of the most toxic chemicals known to man. You see, we trusted the big pharmaceutical company's research which in reality is only another big whopping lie. I suppose Americans are just going to sit back and watch while a few million asthma/COPD sufferers are exterminated. So be it.

Pro Air Inhaler is worthless - I have been using inhalers for 20 years and now, they do not work. My life as I knew it is over. Ever since they took out the CFC, it has all been rendered useless and 3 times as expensive. This is serious. People are dying as sure as they did on 9/11. What are you doing about this! Spend some money and get this right!

Look, I'm so angry. For years, I have contacted state reps, the ALA, or anyone I can think to contact. No one cares! But my anger was refueled by an ad by the EPA using asthmatics as the reason why we should pass their latest act! Well, thanks a lot! It is because of the EPA, the inhalers we used for years are completely useless! Not only they do not work (really they do not work), they also clog up causing life threatening situations! The new propellants work only under the assumption one can breathe normally. How stupid is this?

I have to use a portable nebulizer now! In the first place, inhalers contributed almost zero danger to the environment as they were inhaled. There was actually no danger from this propellant. Secondly, the cost of these drugs has quadrupled and most of us have "pre-existing conditions". So our insurance won't cover them. Okay, so here is what we need to do. We can't exactly rally now can we, unless we do it with like 50 ambulances and nebulizer stations? Let's sue! A class action lawsuit is the only answer! All lawyers feel free to contact me as I will be thrilled to be the first named litigant in a class action lawsuit!

I have asthma and have used the Pro Air so-called inhaler. It doesn't work! I think the government wants to kill off all the people with asthma, so they said the inhalers with albuterol with the assist push by Warrick damaged their ozone layer. Oh gee, like so sorry, but I want to breathe and it is my right to breathe. Why should I have to drown because of that? Worry about the cars and the Freon in the refrigerators and air conditioning units. Our air is polluted, and I need help. So do many thousands of others. What a crime to say that the Pro Air is as good. Who are you kidding?

Albuterol causes severe shakes, so I stopped using it. I grew up with Alupent. It was the greatest ever. It worked instantly. Once it was gone, I switched to Primatene. Surprisingly, it was almost as good as Alupent. Alas, now they've killed that too. I cannot go back to the others. They need to bring back the Primatene inhalers. If you post on Facebook, there is a group started there as well to help get someone moving on this issue.

I had used CFC Albuterol inhalers for over 10 years when I was told I had to switch to the new HFA inhalers. Besides costing me three times as much (I'm not insured) and the product not working, I have proof in my hand that the ban was totally a scam! A friend of mine was recently prescribed Albuterol at a local clinic and I asked to see his inhaler. It is a Combivent inhaler and clearly states that it uses CFC. Not all sick people are created equal. All of us sufferers who were forced to use the bogus inhalers need to organize and seek restitution from all those involved in this FDA scam. By the way, FDA's website shows Combivent as available by prescription. The articles I have read say that all CFC inhalers were removed from the shelves in the US. Somebody is lying! I'm not just a little bit mad about this!

ProAir has got to be the worst asthma medication I have ever used in my life. I was a severe asthmatic starting at age 3 and used (original) Proventil all the way through high school. Upon leaving home to attend school in NYC, my asthma dramatically improved, as I had removed myself from my chain-smoking parents. However, I allowed myself to be guilt-tripped into visiting for this past Xmas. And when I returned to NYC 36 hours later, it was to the ER I went!

I was given a script for ProAir since they took Primatene Mist off the market (the dirty **). You have got to be kidding me. This stuff is a hideous joke: zero pressure, constant clogging, and there was maybe a third of a canister. I cannot believe the government is doing this to people. Oh, actually, of course they can. Money—right, Big Pharma? I mean, a few thousand people are going to die at most. Totally collateral damage, right? Ugh. Bring back Primatene. Bring back original formula albuterol inhalers and stop ** trying to kill us.

I have used Primatene Mist for 40 years, not because I don't have health insurance. I do. But albuterol does not work for me! It makes me worse! I feel like my government, for political and not medical reasons, has taken the only medication that works for me off the market! They have in effect signed my death warrant! When I die of an asthma attack, I hope my family sues the people responsible for my death! I have already had 3 very close calls where I almost died! There is no evidence the CFC inhalers caused as much ozone damage as reported. The "new" inhalers have not been properly tested. I have very little doubt I will die without Primatene Mist.

I have had a lingering bronchitis. I have had it for 5-6 months. Now, it starts to get better and come back—rough, loud inhalations and very productive cough, especially in morning and at night. I can't sleep. I don't breathe deep enough to stay asleep. People all over my town and nearby areas are sick with this. We were covered in chemtrail toxins from airplanes for several weeks. Then, I came down with this. I guess they made enough of us toxic now because they stopped spraying. Now I'm scared. To have a good life, wear an N95 mask.

I have been using Primatene for the last 25 years and have been able to manage my asthma without emergency room visits. Now that it was banned and my doctor prescribed ProAir - it's hard to breathe, and I need to use the inhaler more often and no relief. At age 55, I am very worried about keeping alive and being able to control my asthma with these new inhalers. The government will have a lot of lawsuits soon with death caused by taking away the Primatene. I really hope that they see their error soon and make our lives easier by letting us continue to be able to breathe.

I have no insurance and I suffer from asthma. In the past I used Ventolin inhaler and had no problems. Now I'm using ProAir. First of all, it doesn't work! If I used it as much as I needed to everyday, I would go through a $50 inhaler per day. Instead I use 8-10 puffs a day just to get by. I still struggle to breathe and I shouldn't have to. This ProAir is bogus! It costs too much and is not effective! Something needs to be done!

I don't have severe asthma. But I get a cough from outside irritants and I carry an Albuterol inhaler. I'm a nurse. I don't smoke. I was born with severe allergies. The cough went away easily with a few doses of my older Albuterol inhaler. If I don't treat the cough, it goes into asthma reactions. I noticed the cough returning and knew I'd be flying on business, so I got my new inhaler, which was HFA Proventil. It cost not $20 but $50, and I have health insurance. I was planning on using the $50 on my business trip. After priming it, I noticed when I first used it, it was very heavy in the back of my throat. It took about 45 minutes to finally feel the effects, which only seemed to be a fast heart rate.

I don't want a faster heart rate. I tried it after exercising and it was no good at all. It's kind of useless and kind of scary. If I was in bad asthmatic condition (which inhalers seem to prevent), I'm sure I'd need a nebulizer. The new inhalers don't seem to help my bronchial spasms, which are mild. I don't appreciate spending $50 on something only to find it takes 4 puffs to work, if it works at all. I appreciate the environment but I feel like I am being punished for having an asthmatic cough, that is in effect, quite simple to control.

I have had Asthma for almost 25 yrs. I have done great with my Ventolin inhaler with occasional break through problems that required Albuterol for my nebulizer. Since the ban on Ventolin, I have switched over to the Proventil HFA inhaler. I have had constant breakthrough asthma attacks. The HFA does not infiltrate the lungs to the bases like the Ventolin did. The HFA does not work even 25% as well as the Ventolin, sometimes you might as well be sucking in water! I have been a nurse and I worked with pediatrics for a long time. I am very well educated on lung diseases and how to treat them. I am greatly disappointed and I want my old Ventolin back!

I have been suffering through using the ProAir inhaler for the past year or so, simply because I can't afford the more expensive Ventolin version. The delivery is no good for adults with large lungs, and it rarely brings me full relief from my asthma symptoms. To add to the frustration, the inhaler that Wellmark Blue Cross Blueshield covered for a cost of $5 last year, is inexplicably increased to $25 this year. There are no cheaper alternatives under my plan. I can afford it, but it bothers me to pay so much for something that doesn't work. I feel so sorry for people with lesser income than us.

I can't believe they took Primatene mist inhalers off the market. My wife has been using it since she got back from Iraq to ease her lung problems. After she got back from Iraq, she's had problems with wheezing coughing and hacking (known also as the Iraqi Hacki to most service members). Since she didn't want spend an arm and leg on Albuterol. She was prescribed Albuterol when she was active duty but since she left the military, Primatene has been her replacement since its more cost effective, sure she could go to the VA but since it's not service connected. She would spend a ton more than we can afford. The government would be better off outlawing cars which do more harm than an asthma inhaler ever could.

I am one of the many who had to use this new type of inhaler because Primatene was taken off the market. These inhalers are ineffective and, I believe, aggravate breathing issues. I was put on abuterol by my doctor when I was pregnant because I didn't want to harm my baby, I agreed. Awful. As soon as I gave birth, I went off it and returned to Primatene which I used Primatene Mist for many more years with no problems. Now I am worried about how things are going to work out in regard to my breathing. I can't believe this is because of the "ozone". Are you kidding me? That's the best they can do, go after people with asthma? I wrote my senator and got a form letter back. What else can be done about this?

The new inhalers don't work and cost too much! Luckily, I had a Primatene Mist Inhaler which I bought before the ban and was able to prevent a hospital trip. Did anyone even do a study to find out if this stuff was effective before putting it out there? Now, I'm drinking coffee every 4 hours for the mild bronchodilating effects!

I have had asthma as long as I can remember. My mom said I was diagnosed at 3 months old. I'm now 27. Since I have to rely on these newer inhalers, my management has gone completely down the toilet. I have been in the hospital more times than I can count because they not only do not work but make lungs more prone to pneumonia and other illness of the lungs. I rely heavily now upon Advair and my nebulizer. Without the nebulizer I would most certainly die. With the previous inhalers I would go years without any complication whatsoever, now, I always struggle. I can't do a lot at a time because in seconds I will go into a full on attack and all this piece of *** does is manage to let me get to the emergency room before I pass out. I visit our ER. so often, the entire staff knows me by name. This is horrible and it's actually doing a lot more harm than good. This needs to be pulled immediately. They are expensive and worthless.

I was diagnosed with asthma as an adult in 1980. Inhalers have been an essential part of my treatment over the years. With the advent of the HFA inhalers, I find that my "rescue" inhaler does no such thing. I am using nebulized albuterol solution much more than ever before. These new inhalers are extremely dangerous. I have been left literally gasping for air even after repeated use of the HFAs.

As a former cardiac tech, I am fortunate to know what to do and when to seek immediate assistance, which I've had to do on several occasions. It will not surprise me at all if studies reveal an uptick in sudden death from asthma, and all will be using these inhalers. Meanwhile, trucks are spewing out all manner of pollution. It makes no sense and is a threat to people like me.

I am forced, more and more, to rely on oral steroids and nebulizers to control my asthma, all in the time since the changeover. Shameful!

I cannot believe that they have pulled Primatine Mist from the market as I have been taking it for 51 years. I wake up in the middle of the night, sweating trying to breath and the Primatine Mist was a life-saver.

Now after going to my doctor for a replacement, I found out that they have replaced the Primatine Mist with a new inhaler that is 1/3 the size and cost 3 times the price as well as having to have a prescription. I cannot believe they pulled this because of the "ozone" when it goes directly into our lungs and not in the air. Can someone please help me in getting together a petition or something to help in getting us back what we so desperately need?

I have also tried the Primatine tablets but it takes so long to "work" vs the instant success from the inhaler. Someone you can believe, is getting a kickback from taking this off the "over-the-counter" and charging is 3 times as much as well as making it a "prescription". It's a shame the way our system does things. Can anyone help in recommending what I can do to get out of paying so much now that the one thing worked for so long and now suddenly decides it's bad for the environment. Give me a break!

I have to take responsibility for most of my actions in this, as at 52, I had had wheezing and shortness of breath during bad allergy attacks for years, but had never been told I had asthma. After one very bad night of not being able to get a deep breath, I went to our local free clinic for respiratory health, and oddly, after being told I had asthma, was given a script for ProAir inhaler. I stopped that day going home and bought a single packet of Claritin, and quickly my breathing went back to normal; however, due to how frightening the night of laboring to breath was, I took the inhalers. I started using them. However, I never took more than one puff, and not really deeply.

I think what happened was a habit of feeling chest tightness, taking a puff, feeling better, and so on, became a habit. I really wasn't having asthma attacks. I just felt the fear of having one, and therefore, took a quick puff. But, recently, I had elevated blood pressure, and was put on a low dose of Lysinopril. I also have been having feelings of panic, have had heart flutters and palpitations, and am now being checked for thyroid imbalances. I am now not going to use the ProAir anymore.

I am going to keep a stock of antihistamines handy, and if my allergies kick up, that is what I am taking. I feel like maybe these drugs are given too freely. Maybe there should be more testing, and alternatives should always be looked at first. How I wish the doctors and insurance companies would embrace natural cures and herbal remedies! I have had more help over the years with these things than any drug I have ever taken. I intend to get off the Lysinopril as soon as I possibly can!

There is something that you, asthmatics, need to understand. Your government has deemed you obsolete, thus, have been targeted for elimination. For decades, you have thumbed your noses at the system with your cheap, safe and effective CFC inhalers; no more. You will either properly utilize the system which has been created for you to get your medicine, paying to the doctors, insurance companies and most importantly the government what is rightfully ours to take from you or you will die.

For you, asthmatics, who are unwilling or unable to get medicine through the system, we have a recommendation for you: commit suicide. There are plenty of ways that you can take your lives while holding onto some shred of dignity instead of suffocating to death like drowning pigs, flailing around on the ground during one of your uproarious breathing attacks. Our most conservative estimates predict that we will have wiped out your despicable kind in a decade.

I absolutely agree with all of the posters. The ProAir inhaler is all but useless! I got virtually no relief, and I used a spacer. My sister uses this too, and she said the same thing. This inhaler doesn't work! We are getting sicker out here. Are you listening?!

Bring back the old inhalers. Talking about unintended consequences, I have to use more and pay for more, because the drug company used this as an excuse to up their prices. It is no longer considered a generic. All for what? Protecting the ozone? This all goes into my lungs. Stupid, stupid EPA and FDA.

Recently, I had to go to the urgent care for my asthma because over the counter inhalers were pulled from the shelf. The doctor there gave me this stuff called ProAir, it sucks big time. Why in the world would these people put this ** on the market? It's more expensive, symptoms are harder to control and it does not last. Bring back Primatine mist, the ozone has bigger enemies.

The medicine works nowhere near as well as the old CFC Albuterol inhalers. Also, the price jumped over thrice just for changing the gas that propels it out. This should be considered a criminal racket! They didn't invent the medication, but now are charging 3x more for changing a gas!