becotide

is becotide been took off market my niece has just been to chemist and they wundnt give her an inhaler they said there is something in them thats dangerous, cant believe this as i got my daughters inhalers fine from my chemist day before

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Hi I don't know the ins and outs unfortunately (I'm sure someone else will step in) but the discontinuing of Becotide was discussed in asthma news on this website:Two treatments to be discontinued - 23 October 2006

Sorry I can't be any more help

Sarah

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Becotide *is* being discontinued, yes, but there's certainly nothing dangerous in it!

The reason that some metered-dose inhalers are being phased out - including the bricanyl MDI, becotide MDI, and the combivent MDI - is all to do with the Montreal agreement, which is something to do with cutting down the worldwide use of CFCs. All these inhalers use CFC propellants, and unfortunately the manufacturers have been unable to produce an inhaler of the same type with a non-CFC propellant - so they have been withdrawn.

Making a completely sweeping judgement without knowing the full facts, I would say that it's not correct that the chemist should refuse to dispense the medication - a) there are still some becotide inhalers around and b) there are acceptable substitutes which they can give.

Don't worry, anyway, there's absolutely nothing ""Dangerous"" about Becotide.

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Becotide discontinued

I've been on becotide and for last repeat was given beclomethasone instead-was told it's the generic name for becotide. Was told it has been stopped because of CFCs?

[KateMoss]

The drug companies had many years to research a new CFC free propellant

(CFC = chlorofluorocarbons - destroy the ozone layer and also act as a green house gas too contributing to climate change) The montreal Protocol came in in 1987 and created various deadlines for elliminating ozone destroyers for various industries starting with non-medical aerosols, then fridges etc and finally medical propellants.

Some managed it and replaced the propellant in most inhalers. Some drugs probably weren't compatible with the new propellants and within the last year they have had to be withdrawn. Though some companies have managed it I think!

(Will check the BNF if I have time)

You can still get the same drug but in a different inhaler eg Bricanyl is available as a turbohaler (powder) and Becotide which is beclomethasone is made in an MDI inhaler by other companies eg Qvar I think.

Your chemist should have perhaps said that it was dangerous to the environment / ozone layer instead of leaving you thinking that the inhaler was dangerous to humans.

Hope this helps

Kate

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There are plenty of inhalers that are still available in an MDI with a CFC-free propellant - usually a propellant containing HFA-134a. As Kate says, drug companies have had a long time to work on alternatives.

I am not really sure why Becotide is being discontinued, as Allen and Hanbury/GlaxoSmithKline are still producing a salbutamol MDI in the form of the Ventolin Evohaler, which contains HFA-134a, and other companies have produced beclomethasone-containing MDIs with non-CFC propellants, so it can't be a question of drug incompatibility. Perhaps Allen and Hanbury did not consider it economical to produce one - after all, salbutamol is used by the vast majority of asthmatics, whereas beclomethasone is only used by a probably gradually shrinking minority, as other things like fluticasone (Flixotide - also made by Allan and Hanbury) are becoming more popular.

If people can only tolerate an MDI, or prefer it (I know some people find dry powder inhalers difficult to tolerate), the alternatives are:

For beclomethasone - Clenil or Qvar come in MDIs with HFA-134a propellant (generic beclomethasone MDIs, AreoBec MDIs and Beclozone Easibreathe contain CFCs and will presumably also be being phased out in due course)

For budesonide - only CFC-containing propellants and dry powder inhalers are currently available, as well as nebuliser solution

For ciclesonide - Alvesco is available as an MDI with HFA-134a propellant

For fluticasone - Flixotide Evohaler is an MDI with HFA-134a propellant; nebuliser solution is also available

For mometasone - Asmanex is only available as a dry powder Twisthaler

It's worth bearing in mind that if you haven't tried a dry powder inhaler recently, the particles tend to be smaller these days, making it easier to tolerate. I used to use the old-fashioned Rotahaler and then the Turbohaler, and found that when my asthma got bad I was no longer able to tolerate either of them. However, I now use the fluticasone and salmeterol Accuhalers and have fewer problems, although they still make me cough and wheeze a little.

Basically, if you have been changed to something that doesn't suit, it's worth going back to your GP or asthma nurse to find a delivery device that does suit - your asthma nurse should have a selection of placebo (drugless) inhalers in a variety of delivery devices for you to have a play with and find one you can use!

Em

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Bringing to the top for Bradboy

Em