INTAL: Hi everyone, I know that this... - Asthma Community ...

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INTAL

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Hi everyone, I know that this might seem like a throw back from the 1980s but is anyone else on Intal I have been on it now for the past 3 years and had a pretty good result from it. Is any on else on it?Wanda

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16 Replies

Hi Wanda,

I am on Tilade, which contains the same active ingredient as Intal (I think) I was originally prescribed Intal but found that pharmacies could not get hold of it from suppliers so was swopped to Tilade, have also found it has helped a little, more when i first started it than now.

Whenever a pharmacist sees it on the script they always comment on how its like a blast from the past because it is no longer in 'fashion'.

Libby

xxx

wow Wanda,

thanks for the trip down memory lane. I can remember taking that when I was at school - in the 70's.

Happy Wheezing

Dom

michael is on intal. has been for about 6 months. he is also on the oral version of sodium chromoglycate. hes only 3! maybe hes been here before!!!!!!!

hi wanda,,

i;m on nebulisd intal - starttd it late last yyear. it's nnot out o f fashion hhere in australia. but donn;t know if its made mcuh differencce to me .. had ttoo many chhest infecttions to tell really. i'm glad it worrks well for you.

love,

Lis

xoxxo

wow yes that is a trip down memory lane.

I was on Intal for about5 yrs in early 80s and it worked well for most of that time but i then became resistant so progressed onto the dreaded steroid inhalers.

My daughters asthma is much the same as mine was as a child and so mentioned to the GP about Intal -u would have thought i had asked for them to poison her!! The reply i was given was that its very rarely used asnot as effective as steroids., when i asked if i could still try her on it i was told that our practice dont prescribe it end of subject!

Im still convinced its what would help her as she is mainly allergic & viral triggers.

Do they still do the old spin halers or is it an MDI now?

wow yes that is a trip down memory lane.

I was on Intal for about5 yrs in early 80s and it worked well for most of that time but i then became resistant so progressed onto the dreaded steroid inhalers.

My daughters asthma is much the same as mine was as a child and so mentioned to the GP about Intal -u would have thought i had asked for them to poison her!! The reply i was given was that its very rarely used asnot as effective as steroids., when i asked if i could still try her on it i was told that our practice dont prescribe it end of subject!

Im still convinced its what would help her as she is mainly allergic & viral triggers.

Do they still do the old spin halers or is it an MDI now?

Hey Kirsten hopalong,

no its an MDI now. Quite thick and soapy, but also in neb form too. GP gave me both and let me choose, but i never looked at whether one was stronger. I used to use it, it worked so well for me when i was going through a good patch and not so well when i was poorly as I coughed it up a lot. find it difficult to take. I think its a great drug though, you should try badger for it.

Other kirsten, what are the name of michaels tablets? I only realy stopped it as 1. the con wanted me to and 2. i found it so hard to inhale. Would be interested in that xx

Hi,

Thanks to your replys to my message.

Interesting to see different peoples replys. I too have great difficulty obtaining it have been waiting a week now for my most recent script. I used to have it in neb form but found it too time consuming. I currently have it in easi breathe form but have had it in nebbed form and spin haler and as far as I am aware it is still available in spin haler though I hated the spin haler.

Doctors as you say are not keen on using it I use it along side my steroid inhaler and find it effective but have been told if I ever goe into hospital not to tell them as they will stop it straight away, Its interesting to see that as time has gone by and new drugs devlop how old drugs and ignored without even been tried as part of someones medication regime and how view on it varys from country to country.

Wanda

Spinhaler? Cor blimey, I thought that was a blast from the past! But yes, Wanda, you're right.....they are still available, but only for Intal.

*wanders off down memory lane*

My son has been prescribed tilade by the brompton. I was told by seans consultant that the tilade inhaler was the same as intal, his con also said some patients have found it is effective for excercise induced asthma. Well i figured we tried everything else on the shelf so why not give it a whirl, it didnt make a dramatic difference to my sports mad kid but then he is on such an ever growing cocktail its hard to work out which one does the most benefit!

Julie x

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1Smiler1

i'm on cromagen inh this that the same as intal? Have been on it for about 1 1/2 yrs I asked for it from bropmton i was a reg in op and i asked about trying it as that summer my gp had out me on th equilt nasal spray.

It has helpped but lasted sep i ended up begging one of the gp's who was trying to help me gp to let me have steroid ihn back. Coz i had spent nearly a month with poor sleep due to the dreded night cough.

Hi all,

Its a real shame that certain drugs seem to go out of fashion. Just because a drug has been around a while doesn't necessary make it obsolete; morphine for instance is still the ""gold standard"" pain killer.

There are basically two drugs in the Intal ""family"": sodium cromoglycate and nedocromil sodium. Intal itself is cromoglycate as is cromogen. Tilade is nedocromil. Essentially there is little to choose between them except on the basis of individual response.

Nobody is really sure exactly how these drugs work: one mechanism is stabilisation of mast cells (the cell that release histamine) but this is not the only mechanism. Experimental drugs that are far more potent mast cell stabilisers do not have the same clinical efficacy as cromoglycate. For some reason children seem to respond better to cromoglycate than adults. It is trial and error really who will benefit and who won't. This shouldn't be a reason not to try them though. They can have a steroid sparing effect in some people and this has to be a good thing.

It's worth noting also that in addition to asthma treatment cromoglycate and nedocromil are used as eye drops for allergic conditions such as hayfever; here, they are quite popular.

sorry it took so long to respond. michaels tabs are for his food allergies (mast cells in his gut) the inhalor is for his lungs and i almost forgot, he also uses the sodium chromoglycate eyedrops in summer for his hayfever. so its not as uncommon as it seems!!!!!

Following a trip to see the asthma nurse I now have been changed to Tilade!

Wanda

intal question

Hi all,

long tale and question after explanation.

I think Im a mild or possibly moderate asthma case but not sure. I was told I had asthma for several years, then told I didnt, however, my peak flow was best around 360,on the old scale not the new eu one, but nothing was done or said other than I wasnt to take the bricanyl any more. (only took it when I had to), but I have complained of breathlessness cough and wheeze from late teens (51 now). Anyway, following a viral infection I had a peak flow of 200 on the new eu scale not the old one, and was put on a course of prednisone, which got me to 280-300 with clear xray and chest.

Pred stopped and was given qvar preventer which I think is making my eyes blurry and seems to temprarily reduce pf by 10 to 20 points, and was also given ventolin to be taken four times a day. When I use it pf gets to 350. but it makes my heart play up, (I have a history of arrhythmias, open heart surgery sorted one lot now have another), so it was felt best to take ventolin as needed, and only if really needed, which, as I dont do much isnt too often, once or twice a day, so Ive been looking around for an alternative, since Dr and Chemist say there is none.

I learned about intal.

From what I can tell, that wouldnt cause heart palpitations etc, as a side effect but as its a topic here, felt Id ask if this is right. Ive always felt the problem to be allergy related personally, so feel intal may help me a lot there. IF I can get it!!

I have several health issues and because of the heart side, just about everything is contraindicated, so I rely on supplements. I found coenzyme q10 works as well as any med to keep heart stable, so Im not currently under a consultant because I have controlled it so well myself. (look out my heads swelling!)

Im currently experimenting with essential oils but no luck so far, and humidifier used with a hygrometer to make sure its not too moist, which does seem to prevent some coughing while its on, but I havent a clue wether I really have asthma or not, nor how severe my peak flow would class it to be, so any thoughts there would be welcome as well.

Thanks in advance

Carole

My pf should be 462 according to the charts

Hi

Aaron was on Intal along with lot's of other meds for a couple of years or so. He was taken off it last year, but he is sneezing and szeezing all the time, although he is on max dose of antihistamines. I know he is allergic to most things, grass especially. I mentioned to him that he may have to back onto it again- what a ""Tantrum"" that caused, he hated it! I can appreciate how he feels, having had it years and years ago, but he is nearly 12 and sick of all his meds, he hates his sub-cut and he is just becoming aware of fashion, girls etc. What we could do with is an all in one wonder drug that controls all asthma and allergies! Yeah dream on, I know!

Ps- I am doing a 35 1/2 mile horse ride for Asthma UK in June any-one want to sponser can contact me.

Vanessa

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