Questions About My Son's New Prescription

I too have 2 children with asthma and all I can say is that they are going to be switched over to the new inhalers as the old albuterol inhalers are no longer in production. It's not like we have much of a choice. Since you still have the old inhaler buy the new one and see how effectve it is. If it doesn't work as well you can always switch to the old one and inform the doctor that the new one isn't as effective and see if he can prescribe something else.

Good Luck....we're in the same boat on this one.
K.

I have asthma as well and when I switched from albuterol to Pro Air, I had the shakes and stuttering. So I quit using it and my doctor has since put me back on albuterol and she said when they get rid of the albuterol inhaler we will think of something else then. Hope that helps and good luck

You could also talk to your pharmasit they have a wealth of information and can answer most of your questions. They would also know your sons history and what other meds he may take and are sometimes help you more than the doc. I hope this helps good luck.

Sorry hon, have never heard of it. However if you are ever uncomfortable giving your child something even when prescribed by your doctor...I feel you should say so. My son (17) and I both have asthma, and our doctor wanted to put him on steriods. I don't like them in any way, shape, or form and talked to my doctor about it. He decided to go a different route that we both were comfortable with. Just because they have that certificate, doesn't make them invinsible. I say...speak your mind. You'll feel better!! Good luck!

Hi, I have never heard of it and my youngest daughter takes albuterol due to her having cystic Fibrosis so something tells me that her Pulmo doctor doesn't want her on the Pro Air. Talk to the dr ask them to change it back to albuterol.

Mandie~

Have you ever asked his doctor about Advair? My husband and nephew both take this for their asthma. It is supposed to be safer and more effective than the albuterol. They take it twice a day.

ASk the doc that prescribed it and he/she can tell you more about it. It could also be changed to something you feel more comfortable taking. The nurse can even answer you Q's about it if you dont have time to wait for a return call from a doc. I can guarantee he/she wont just pick up the phone because a patient has called. They call back.

I work in a pharmacy and I can tell you that there are a few different brands of albuterol inhaler out there and if he doesn't like the ProAir kind, you could ask your pharmacist to get you another type, like Ventolin or something. There may be one out there that tastes better.

It has been a while since I worked in a retail setting, so I don't know enough about cost to help you there. Your insurance may restrict you to using just one kind of inhaler, but it wouldn't hurt to ask your pharmacist about trying a different one.

Yeah, no CFC's because we REALLY need to protect the environment and can't seem to figure out how to do that by raising a vehicle's MPG, so they screw with our kids medicines instead!

My son says the new kind tastes a lot worse, and I tested that theory out by taking a puff off the new inhaler. He wasn't kidding! It's pretty gross. However the pharmacy has stopped giving the old albuterol, so there is no way around it.

You get into stuff like Advair, you're looking at long term (generally steroid) drugs that aren't meant to relieve sudden symptoms like Albuterol is designed to.

They do make both a liquid and pill form Albuterol, however they are not as efficient as the inhaler. The FDA wouldn't allow the new reformulation to effect the efficiency of the Albuterol without having done a new product (the way patent laws work in the pharmacy world they have to do this) so I don't worry about it being less effective, I just wonder why is tastes so bad!