Anyone take Asthmanex?

[Psyborg]

Just got prescribed this last week by my Pulmy. Didn't like the slow deterioration of my breathing and wanted to try a steroid to see if it would help before doing another Bronch. Just wondered if anyone else takes or has taken it. Seems pretty easy to take, pretty much flavorless.

[chrisTIn@]

I don't know anything about Asthmanex, but I sure hope it works for you!

[JanW]

I took it back when they thought I had asthma and not WG. It was fine. Side effects wise it gave me osteoperosis, but considering that a lot of weggies are on/have been on pred, that's a risk you already have.

[pberggren1]

Bob, have you tried bronchiodilaters like Advair, Atrovent, Ventolin and such?

[Psyborg]

They wanted a steroid because I responded pretty well to the injection at the site of the damage last year I think.

[annekat]

Bob, have you tried bronchiodilaters like Advair, Atrovent, Ventolin and such? I thought Advair contained a steroid. I haven't used it, too expensive. My WA Basic Health plan covered Flovent, also a steroid. I've used the albuterol inhalers like Ventolin but find I can't use them too often or they'll stop working and make it worse. Right now I don't need an inhaler at all but keep them on hand in case I do. I am now on a Medicare drug plan and it looks like the steroid inhalers will be expensive, or not covered, unless I look into getting "extra help" or Medicaid, which would help pay for them, I think.

In any case, a great tip I discovered is that any inhaler works better with a "spacer", which can be bought online for around $30. Especially with the steroid inhaler, that was the case for me. It barely worked without one. Some brands come with one attached.

[Sangye]

Anne, if your Medicare Part D company is refusing to cover a drug, you can get your doctor to appeal it if the drug is your only or best choice. I don't know if it always works, but it has for several meds I'm on.

[Psyborg]

This one is weird, it's a powder, not a mist. So the inhaler is different than others I've used.

[pberggren1]

I think I know what you mean Anne. Is it called an Accu Chamber?

Bob, I think I too that one as well. Is it a pill that you put in the inhaler then press a button then inhale?

[Psyborg]

Not this one, it's just a twist inhaler thing. You twist to release a dose then inhale through the device.

[annekat]

Anne, if your Medicare Part D company is refusing to cover a drug, you can get your doctor to appeal it if the drug is your only or best choice. I don't know if it always works, but it has for several meds I'm on. Thanks, Sangye.... I've only scratched the surface of understanding the coverage with Medicare or the drug plan. They haven't refused anything yet, and I don't need the inhaler right now, and I was only going by the literature they sent which listed certain drugs but not all of them. I need to go on the website to look at every single drug, whether there are generics for it or cheaper versions which are covered, etc. It sounds like there are some inhalers out there I didn't know about. I really don't take a lot of drugs right now, but that could change in the future, so your suggestion is a welcome one.

[annekat]

I think I know what you mean Anne. Is it called an Accu Chamber?

Bob, I think I too that one as well. Is it a pill that you put in the inhaler then press a button then inhale? Mine is called an OptiChamber, but it is probably the same thing. I used to use Azmacort, which had it's own built in spacer, and it worked great. Then my health plan stopped covering it but would cover Flovent, which had no spacer. It didn't seem to be helping me, and I'd heard about spacers somewhere so researched them on the web. There were even instructions on there for making one out of a toilet paper roll or a Coke can, if I remember right! As it turned out, I didn't order one online but asked at the counter of my pharmacy and they had one or could get one fast. I think it was around $25 at the time, though I'd seen more expensive ones on the web. A spacer somehow improves the delivery of the medication by sort of nebulizing it inside the tube (spacer) where you can then inhale it more evenly instead of just squirting it at the back of your throat. Of course, no doctors ever told me about spacers; I had to figure it out for myself.

[Psyborg]

SO I finally decided to stop the asmanex as I suspected it was causing me to feel MORE congested. I knew that I was on the verge of hives with the full dose my Pulmy prescribed. So yesterday I look it up to see if that's a side effect to hang my hat on and I see an advertisement for nasonex on the same page. It was then I realized that Nasonex and Asmonex are effectively the same medicine in different forms. I couldn't take nasonex previously because I reacted poorly to it LOL. I guess I need to start paying a bit closer attention. Obviously my body doesn't like that drug. Not a major reaction, but not a good one either.

[drz]

SO I finally decided to stop the asmanex as I suspected it was causing me to feel MORE congested. I knew that I was on the verge of hives with the full dose my Pulmy prescribed. So yesterday I look it up to see if that's a side effect to hang my hat on and I see an advertisement for nasonex on the same page. It was then I realized that Nasonex and Asmonex are effectively the same medicine in different forms. I couldn't take nasonex previously because I reacted poorly to it LOL. I guess I need to start paying a bit closer attention. Obviously my body doesn't like that drug. Not a major reaction, but not a good one either.

Wouldn't your pharmacist know this and advise you? It seems strange they wouldn't warn you if they knew your history.:confused1::unsure:

[Psyborg]

I never mentioned to anyone that it caused a problem accept in passing.

[pberggren1]

I would be nice if there was a way to kee info like this on electronic records for all health professionals to look at.

[drz]

I would be nice if there was a way to kee info like this on electronic records for all health professionals to look at.

I list those kind of problems under drug allergies and they do keep those records everywhere I have any medical record.