Intal Compound

I would be interested to know if what would be the closest approximation to the no longer available 'Intal Compound'. This used to serve me well, Let's just say I feel nostalgic!! (see my profile)

Thanks for any ideas,

twizzle50

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Intal was mainly composed of sodium cromoglycate. It was my first asthma med too. + I was also in a trial for its use in Hay fever, when I was a kid in the 60's. It works on the mast cells.

It didn't work that well for me. However I know that it has come back into fashion, and works well apparently for people with exercise induced asthma.

It is still available, ask your doctor.

I looked at your profile and see that rhinitus is a prob for you too. Nasonex is the thing to try, ask your doctor, take it all the time even when you have no obvious symptoms, it is a steroid nasal spray, but it is topical, so not much gets into your system, and it can really help.

Cheers

RI

[KateMoss]

Hello Twizzle!

A fellow Essex Resident! (I am in Mid Essex area but know Southend!)

Regards Intal Compound, they discontinued the compound one because it contained a bronchodilator ( either ventolin or bricanyl) which was not really needed in a preventer. It was decided it was best to keep preventers and relievers separate from each other I think! I had Intal for a year or two many years ago. Tilade is the sucessor but it tastes revolting - even with the mint in!

You state in your profile that you are worried about steroids.

The steroids your doctor was most likely refering to are inhaled steroids, not oral ones or the ones that naughty sports people use! By inhaling steroids, virtually all of it stays in the lung area and hardly any will be absorbed into your body unless you take huges doses of the inhaler. Please don't be afraid of trying a steroid inhaler - I may make a huge difference to your symptoms.

It acts in a different way to tilade / intal.

You have identified Rhinitis as a trigger - this is a well known feature of asthma now - If you can control that, your asthma symptoms may improve too! Nasonex is a good one as Ri has recomended, thouugh your GP will advise you - please ask about it though.

The majority of the asthma medications today are very good and have minimal side effects ( far outweigh the side effects of uncontrolled asthma).

There are some combination inhalers too that your GP may try. These have the preventers and protectors in - a steroid to keep the inflamation down and also a long acting bronchodilator ( reliever) which works like pit props - keeps the airways open for around 12 hours.

also if you have an asthma nurse at your surgery - see them! They can esplain lots more of what is available.

Anyway, hope this helps

Take care

Kate

PS What sort of post cards do you deal in?? Picturesque or the more .... er... cartoony ones? LOL

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i had intal as my 1st inhaler too! from what i can remember it was powdery and yuck so i hate to think what tildae tastes like if it's worse than that!

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Many thanks for your replies re Intal Compound Cal, Kate and Ri. I will have a good read of them.

Hi Ri, Are you sure it is still available!? My doctor says it isn't! Or is there another route to it? I just want to eliminate it from my research into remedies for me now...

Hi Cal, I didn't mind the powerdery taste of Intal, but I find the Tildae mint a little annoying as it seems to moisten my nostrils, so it's not good on the other front! I aslo feel that Tildae is not as effective somehow, maybe because Intal had a dual action.

Hi Kate, Very many thanks....Too much to digest in a moment, but I will print it off!!

PS. Re Postcards. I am a dedicated collecter (a sad case perhaps!) and dealer in most types of vintage postcards, from naughty seaside ones to views places years ago. It is possible that I am allergic to them though! I also reproduce the local Essex views as sepia photographs in a larger format and show them at fairs etc. Last year I was doing the North Weald Saturday Market which is outside in all weathers, but in the autumn I found it was getting a bit touch and go with my chest so stuck it out till January before calling it a day. I thought I would give myself an overhaul now before I pick up with it again!!!

Thanks again,

Twizzle

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Intal Compound"" is no longer available. As Kate says, it was a combination inhaler - sodium cromoglycate plus a bronchodilator, isoprenaline. What *is* still available is Intal itself, which contains sodium cromoglycate only.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

CathBear

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Yes, and isoprenaline has been discontinued as a reliever in this country. It's a beta-1 and -2 receptor agonist, less selective than salbutamol, so it has more effects on the heart and blood pressure than salbutamol and the other more modern beta-2 agonists. It was discontinued because of concerns over its safety and long term effects on the heart and blood pressure.

The closest equivalent would be an ordinary Intal (sodium chromoglycate) inhaler and a separate reliever inhaler like salbutamol. Sodium chromoglycate is much less frequently used in adults these days, though, because it's felt to be far less effective at treating the underlying inflammation than the newer preventers that contain inhaled steroids. There is a certain amount of evidence that suggests that treating asthma without using inhaled steroids can increase the death rate in the long term.

Kate is right in saying that inhaled steroids are very safe drugs. They are completely different from the anabolic steroids abused by athletes, and are not associated with the sort of side effects that those of us taking oral steroids like prednisolone know so well. When you take inhaled steroids, almost all the dose is taken into the lungs and acts directly there; very little of it is absorbed into the systemic (body-wide) circulation. Systemic side effects are very rare, and are usually only a problem on very high doses.

You don't have to put up with the sort of constant asthma symptoms you describe in your profile, twizzle. The vast majority of people can be completely controlled, with minimal or no interferance with their day-to-day lives, once the correct combination of medication has been found. Please do go back to your doctor and discuss treatment, and don't dismiss inhaled steroids - they have helped many millions of people to live a normal life despite their asthma.

Take care

Em H

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..thanks once again. This site is certainly very helpful.

Hi Emily, I will print off the information you have given me, ably complimenting Kate's! I am less concerned about steroids now, and I will discuss these with my doctor more seriously next time he is doing his best to help me!

Hi cathbear, Many thanks for the clarification!

I feel as though I am now making progress thanks to the replies to my post, well conceptually at least - and I am sure now that I will soon be on the road back to normal!

Many Thanks

Twizzle