Bricanyl MDI

HiI know on the old site there was a thread about this and the withdrawal (if that is a word!) of it. I am confused because I went to see my consultant last Thursday and she prescribed bricanyl MDI to me for the first time instead of salbutamol. She did this because I get really bad shakes with the salbutamol. She also changed my becotide to flixotide. Anyone any ideas why she did this?I couldn't get the bricanyl so rang the asthma nurse at the hospital. I can't use dry powder inhalers so she told me to make an app with my gp and ask them to prescibe atrovent to take 4 times a day.I have an asthma review tomorrow so will mention it then. Thw whole point of this garbled post is I was wondering what those of you who were taking bricanyl MDI are taking now?Sorry to ramble!Steph xxx

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Hi Disco Dolly,

Wish I could help, but I can't...

I won't find out what alternative medication I'll be perscribed until my current supply of MDIs runs oot. I'm not a happy chappy, but there aint much we can do. Looks like I'll just have to experiment when the time comes.

Take care,

Derek

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i would like to know why to coz unfortunatly im alergic to salbutamol!! fun i have with that one!! lol. i have bricanyl nebs but a mdi incase out n cant get to my neb.

andrea

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Allergic to Salbutamol

Hi wheezyab,

If you're allergic to salbutamol and are unable to use a dry powder inhaler (many people can't) this is quite a bit problem. Nebs are all very well but aren't always amazingly practical especially when you're out and about. The only real solution I can see is to carry a terbualine preparation for injection (sub-cutaneous). Far from ideal for several reasons but it should help in an emergency. Problem is, your doctor may well be reluctant to prescribe it. Have a chat to him/her and see what they say.

However, you never know, if enough people complain about the withdrawl of the MDI they may give it a reprive - they did with the volumatic spacer. Let's hope.

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One thing here...

Bricanyl does come in tablet form although not widely used alot...

I've been taking the tablets along with all my other meds for around 4-5mths now and they do help me...

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Hi

I am meant to be picking up my new script on Friday so will let you know what their alternative is. Thanks for the replies, a tablet may be intersting will look it up. Thanks

steph xx

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AstraZeneca

I have just used there website to compain, how effectual it will be i dont know. I've tried the turbohailers and salbutomol based ones, and now i'm on some singluair tablets in the hope that they might have an effect.

I have a tiny bit of Bricanyl MDI left, which I will save for a real emergency. To be quite honest, i am petrified.

I spent last night in hospital beacause of this and the doctors are running out of alternatives. Why were users of Bricaynl not informed that this would be discontined with sufficent time to find a working alternative?

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i didnt know that they were withdrawing bricanyl but im angry about it because its the only thing that works 4 me

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It's possible that they're removing it so they can bring in a new alternative.

It could be this that I heard about, the Gyrohaler.....

merlin-biosciences.com/News...

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I agree, I was on salbutamol as a child but sadly it never really worked so they changed me to bricanyl which works brilliiantly. You can imagine my shock when i found my repeat prescriptioin saying ventolin, i of course changed it to bricanyl and it was only when i picked it up from the chemist did someone explain it to me. Salbutamol no matter how small the dose gives me low potassium and i get severe joint pain, excess thirst etc and it drives me up the wall. The doctors spent 4 years from 14-18 trying to find out why my knee in particular was hurting so much and it was only after the research came out that they found an answer,. I think we should all complain to astra zeneca, hopefully they'll buckle under the pressure. They need to give people warning about such things, my pharmacist though thinks that this might be due to doctors trying to unify asthma treatments to one standard so maybe the other forms of bricanyl will also be removed??

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Unify asthma treatments? If that what they are thinking, it's ridiculas! With everyone asthmatic being so different in symtoms and what drugs work and what they are allergic to, how can they possibly unify anything? Seems to me the only ones that are gonna suffer are people like youselves that depend on the drug. I wonder what it will take before the drug companies actually listern? Does someone have to die? I hope not.

Christine

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couldn't agree more but thats the only explanation my pharmacist gave me, as hes in the dark as well. Lets hope a large complaint volume will work some magic.

NessaX

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The reason why it has been withdrawn is because it contains CFC's as the propellent and they could not find a suitable propellent that is CFC free. As of the 31st December 2005 all products containing CFC's had to be withdrawn according to some new international law to do with the environment. What do you use instead of Bricanyl MDI?

Love

Steph

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The only other option is the bricanyl turbohaler!! as ive said before im allergic to salbutamol so bricanyls my only choice, i have nebs and sub cut but nebs are not always practical so the mdi suited me but i find the turbohaler to resistent when breathing in especially when airways tight anyway. I hope they come up with somethimg soon and wish we had some prior warning as i would have stocked up!!

Andrea