I understand the title of this article is hardcore but the reality is that a recent decision by the FDA Agency will kill people in 2012. It could be you, a loved one, or maybe a close friend.
Starting in 2012, Primatene Mist will be taken off the shelves by the FDA Agency due to “CFCs depleting the ozone”. If you don’t know what Primatene Mist is it’s the ONLY over the counter immediate relief for asthma. There is nothing that compares to Primatene Mist and with thousands of positive reviews online, it works perfectly. It costs about $15 dollars at Walmart (over the counter) and is very popular because it works – fast (unlike a tablet that takes time to dissolve). I’ve personally been on Primatene Mist my whole life like the thousands and thousands of people who use it everyday to “just get by” or for emergencies because with asthma a simple sneeze can trigger an asthmatic attacked. I have been rescued by Primatene Mist on several occasions and would even say that it may have saved my life on several occasions (plus many trips to the ER). The same is true for thousands of other customers who have asthma worse than I do. I have challenged myself on several occasions to just find one negative review (or customer/medical problems) with Primatene Mist online. Out of the thousands and thousands of customer who use it everyday there is nothing negative. In fact, you find why more medical issues with aspirin. Primatene Mist has been a safe and effective treatment for asthma symptoms for over 40 years now. After reading all the reviews and feedback regarding the FDA’s decision to ban Primatene Mist, their customers are extremely angry and death is discussed quite often (due to prescription costs, waiting times at doctors offices, and the low quality of medication not working for them). They are seriously concerned they will die due to the FDA Agency.
Is this FDA decision meant to push people to spend money on doctor visits, ER visits, insurance, and over priced asthma prescriptions forever? Does the FDA really care about CFC’s depleting the ozone? If that was the case, why not pull hairspray, fire extinguishers, paint booths, air conditioning, and perfumes. It’s a reckless decision by the FDA Agency (leaving no other solution available) and unfortunately many more asthmatics will die in 2012 as compared to the previous years.
I’m starting to question the honesty of the FDA Agency (working in raise revenue and/or with other drug companies) after this outlaw decision scheduled to kill people in 2012. It makes you question their expertise and “nanny” behaviors. When do we as citizens draw the line and say that is enough? This isn’t a life threatening decision but more of power play to keep control and ownership of the public. We don’t want the FDA in our personal lives or making decisions to control our lives right? When do we say no that is a personal heath choice and not a legal or World health decision? The FDA Agencies job is national defense and science. Those are the only issues that should require FDA involvement. If not, the FDA will be banning sugar next because it’s unhealthy (actually soda has been taken out of school already mostly). If not several years from now it will only get worse. You know cancer is less common in women who have had children and it’s more common in women who have had abortions. Breast cancer is one of the most expensive diseases we have, however, should it be monitored and forced on you to make the world a more “healthy” place. There is a line that shouldn’t be crossed in personal choice and healthy (or not) lifestyles and we need to make sure that line is not crossed with the FDA.
I have used primatene mist for over over 25 years its been my hero its saved my life many times I don’t want to die please put i…t back on the shelf …I need this to breath…please
Ms. Evelyn R. Quaye (Died March 6, 2012) This is the lady from the Stop the BAN of Primatene Mist group. According to Kristin Elsie Graef, the “natural causes” was an asthma attack because she ran out of Primatene Mist. We have to fight harder to get it back!
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/progress-index/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=156393688#fbLoggedOut
Evelyn R. Quaye’s Obituary on The Progress-Index
http://www.legacy.com
Evelyn Remel Quaye, 38, of Chesterfield, Va., passed away on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, of natural causes. Evelyn was a popular artist and musician in the Richmond and Petersburg area. Evelyn Remel is
Yeah its all a rip off in America. Everything is 5x cost. I can get my Qvar (one of the most basic and entry medicines for ashma) for 36 bucks! in Canada just over the boarder. In America, its about $180. that is a total rip off! I know about the clinics I go there all the time as it’s the cheapest optional available. With cliinics tho you always have to pay at the door which is another real scam. i already know what i need (just to renew my Qvar), however, they drain you everytime for the extra $50 at the door and do absolutely nothing for me. I’m done with American and their bs. The problem is all these taxes and patents bs. other countrys are way cheaper and don’t that all this bs.
CFCs were banned in ALL inhalers. Generic Albuterol ran less than $10 (plus doctor expenses) but even Albuterol had to change: the new CFC-free Albuterol is brand name only and therefor expensive. (so much for Obama’s “healthcare affordability”). For those of us without health insurance, the most affordable thing to do is find a community clinic – sometimes health dept clinic in your town (often free or income based), request they give you a prescription for a nebulizer (a rebuilt one from a medical supply company runs about $40 / or borrow one that’s not being used), and a prescription for generic Albuterol for the nebulizer – which is still fairly in expensive. No as cheap as Primatene but less expensive than the ER. Also, if you can afford a doctor visit, make the doctor aware you are paying out of pocket an ask for samples or coupons. When co-pays are too high ask the doctor for something else. All insurances pay differently for diff meds. One insurance may prefer Advair so the co-pay is reasonable while another ins won’t cover it at all. Insurances are complex now, usually docs dont know what your I durance likes. Most doctors are still in their profession because they really want to help – so don’t be afraid to speak up & ask for help!
If you want things to change – you must DO something. Commenting on this article is a good start but change happens only when you voice your opinion to your politicians who can tell the FDA to make an exception for asthma inhalers. For example, there’s a petition over at change.org asking for this exemption. Or, you could call/write your congresswoman or congressman. Or, you could write to the FDA and explain why this is a terrible decision and why it MUST be stopped.
I have been using primatine for over 40 yrs.I have COPD and primatine has hwlped me alot.My Dr.subscribel albuteral.T he primstine was taken off the shelves by money hungry biggots who could care less if people die from not having thhis wonderful product banned. Let them have asthma or copd and see how it feels not to be able to breath.I hope prmatine comes back real soon because unfoetunatly a lot of people are going to die feom not having orimatine avaiilable Primatine saved my life., we need to get the word out thay theFDA is killing millions of peope with this senseless ban.I am 62 yrs old and on social securitg because of a dissabbility Twenty dollars for pfimatine was well worth it to save my life lets stop this stupid ban before some one dies from asthma or copd.I relied on primatine mist to help my copd attacks now I have to use albuterol whic makes me jittery.
Im running out of primatene it is really a life savor one half puff maybe 1 or 3 times a week does the trick for me but when I tried an albuteral inhaler I developed a really bad tolerance for it and had to use it several times daily until I went back to primatene.
Im so sad that the FDA has completely sold its soul to the devil.
I nearly died because of this. I could not find Primatine through the month of December because everyone was stocking up and pharmacies jacked up the prices on the last ones (my local Walgreens listed it at $69 in December 2011). I had an asthma attack two days after Christmas and used the last of my mist. I tried to wait it out but it got persistently worse over a 24 hour period and had to eventually call 911. I was rushed to the ER where I slipped into a coma and was unconscious for nine days. I woke up on the 7th of January. When I woke up I was paralyzed from atrophy and could not move for two weeks. The Doctor said it will take me a year to recover completely. I am now on Advair, Singulair and albuteral which costs about $400 per month that I don’t have. I can understand banning hairspray or other CFC propelled aerosols but to ban a life saving medicine because the propellant is deemed not to be environmentally safe is wrong and this article is correct by stating people will die and probably already have because of this irresponsible decision . Thankfully I was not one of them.
I called Armstrong Pharmaceuticals and they are suppose to release a non-CFC replacement soon. They are and we are being crushed by our oppressive government and the far left tree hugging greenpeace global warming NAZI’s. Write your congressman now, vote all liberals out of the whitehouse, congress, your state house, your county, and your town….THIS IS INSANE.
i am almost out of my primatine and i am panicking…
I went to walmart to get a few primatenes today for my two teenagers who use them regularly. i was unaware of the ban. this is really upsetting and you are right: now what do we do? for those who have no insurance this will be a huge issue. petition?
It’s all about money. The love of money is the root of all evil. Our government doesn’t care who lives or dies. They never have & never will. Doctors are at the root of all this. I hate the bastards. I would rather die than give them the satisfaction of charging me a visit to their office, plus the money for a prescription medication that doesn’t work. The fact is, Primatene works & they can’t prescribe it. It has nothing to do with the ozone. They don’t give a fat rats ass about the ozone. They just want everybody that has a problem to come let them guess what is wrong. How many people have they mis-diagnosed? To hell with ’em. That’s where they’re going anyway.
Like everyone else I was living a happy life with my Primatene Mist. Readily available — $15 at WalMart. Used it 4 or 5 times a week.
Thanks to Chowdhury, director of the FDA division that oversees pulmonary medications, I’ll be using Albuterol. I don’t know if it will work yet, but, the pharmacist at Walgreens says to take it as directed – 2 or 3 puffs, 3 times a day. I told the pharmacist that I wasn’t using the Primatene everyday, why so much? I got nothing but a blank stare. I also mentioned the $15 price tag of Primatene and asked if he knew why Albuterol was $46 (my copay after insurance!)? Again, I got the stare. Thanks Chowdhury! I hope you’re sleeping soundly at night knowing that you saved the ozone from those bad bad inhalers! I also hope your dreams are filled with the agonized wheezing breaths of the thousands of us who aren’t sleeping at night because a trusted and viable medication was taken away. Or maybe you’re awake at night too–listening to your rowdy bedmates, the pharmaceutical companies pushing Primatene replacements at 200 times the cost. You should look ashamed!!
When the Government says ,”I am here to help you”, it means they are here to control you. Somehow while we have all been sleeping while they took away Primatine Mist. For them it was discovering a gold mine. You are forced to go to a doctor to get a prescription. Somebody gets a pay off from that. Then they can control the price of what the doctor prescribes. My first Qvar at Group Health was $4.50. I pay anything under $10.00. Primatine Mist was still in the stores so Qvar was even cheaper for me. Then it went to $20.00 co pay but In January I had Qvar and Pro-Air prescriptions refilled and the cost was $60.00 EACH. I complained to my doctor and he even agreed that was way out of line and went to the pharmacy with me to inqire if it were an error. No it was not an error and they assured me it is the cheapest puffers I can find. Doctor couldn’t do anything about it but told me to ust use the Qvar once a day and it would cut the price in half. Most of us people(old on social security) cant go out and get a second job so its sort of a choice between the poor house and the cemetry. I have a POLST all signed but if I pass out in the alley or down town they will use every life saving technique on me until the amount I owe is equal to my savings or the price of my house, then decide its time to pull the plug. There is no reason that Primatene Mist was taken from the stores. There is no reason that QVar price went from less than $5.00 to $60. Election year is coming but there are too many people who don’t have a clue what government control is doing to us. They cant give you a thing without taking it away from someone else. Educate yourself and your friends before they decide we can no longer vote.
Kudos to all your comments. I’m in the same boat. 56 years old, been using Primatene for over 40 years – the only med that has saved my life numerous times. I’m scared silly now-did’nt see the recall untill it was too late. Does anyone know of any overseas pharmacy that will ship a generic version. If you do-please let me(US) know.Dam the FDA! Thanks
Looks like one of the guys behind this push for elimination was Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatology Products. Obviously not a clue what the hell he is talking about. I was reading more online and this guy was quoted as saying just see a doctor and get a medication for ashama like its no big deal. We all are not rich like you dick head! We don’t want to get stuck paying all our money on medicine monthly. It’s like Badrul Chowdhury and his fda gangsters don’t even think about this stuff before pulling the trigger that will hurt and kill people.
This decision absolutely disgusts me. The FDA should be ashamed of themselves. I found out about this ban at CVS the other day. I was not home and didn’t have access to my perscription inhaler. I stopped in while having a bad asthma attack and the phamacist informed me that I would find no relief there. There will definately be deaths related to this dicision. This industry is incredibly shady and needs to be stopped. I hope that we can raise enough hell as Americans to get this product back. Please join me in spreading the word and fighting this obvious move to make greater profits from people who are suffering.
I did go to the doctor and put $280 on the credit card since I can only find part time work and no insurance, and the meds don’t work. I’m using 1 albuterol inhaler a week, and now I sleep about 2 hours a night from all the coughing and wheezing and my wife is scared I’m going to die. I used Primatene from last last 5 years no problem. So now I called the doctor back after some research, to get Albuterol in a liquid generic for $4 for a 30 day supply and use it with a nebulizer, which I’m looking for, so I can suck on it all day. F*ck .Y*u. – FDA
I don’t have insurance and they also put me on Qvar. It aint cheap runs me 180 for about 2 mouths (Im taking half the dosage recommended by the doc). If id didn’t it would last about one month. Works good but it’s so darn expensive. They put me on an emergeny inhalor also call proair it runs 40 and you use it as needed. The QVAR is a daily maintanance inhalor.
Primatene Mist was over the counter and cost 15 bucks.
I have lung problems and have a condition similar to Asthma and have to use inhalers when I have flare ups. I am on QVAR at the moment and I pay $20.00 co payment at Group Health. The co payment went from $4.00 to $20.00 and with the Primatene not available in stores these co payments can go thru the roof. Unless you are a politican with their great pensions and healthcare that does not apply to us I guess we wont be breathing much longer. I cant afford to go to a doctor and buy the prescriptions when it worked a lot better to just head to Safeway and spend whatever they were asking for primatine. Kepa who wrote a comment might be right. Occupy pharmacies could be the way to go. But don’t take it to the bank that anything you did would even get on the news. We only see and hear what they want us to see and hear. Jim
I have been having an Asthma attack for 2 days now. Looks like I might get to be the first murder victim of the FDA with this ban.
Any decision maker whos has experienced the helpless, frightening feeling that is an asthma attack would never, ever allow it to be removed from the market.
Occupy Pharmacies. Occupy ERs. It seems to be the only way to get attention these days. No one is listening and I cannot believe there hasn’t already been deaths attributed to this ridiculousness. The HFA inhalers are awful as well, now Primatene. I’ve stocked up and I have to get steroids from overseas to feel safe this year. I don’t know what I will do when my inhalers run out this year.
I want to know what we’re going to do about reversing this ridiculous ruling. Which idiot at the FDA signed off on this one? Do we have a movement addressing this yet or are we about to start one?
When I heard the reason Primatene was to be discontinued little
red flags popped up. It was decided in Montreal that the med was
bad due to florulcarbons. The gas from these summit leaders is more harmful than the med. I use Primatene. I have very bad asthma and lung conditions. Yes I do use meds which I can hardly afford. This is an Election year!
Lucky for you…I’m on Advair now (I guess it’s more serious than I though) and it’s like $400. There is different levels of medication or steriods they suggest. QVAR is like the lowest option available.
I am all stocked up on the last minute supplies and also visited the doc. I just used the walk in clinic and it was 50 dollars at the door. Like most people I don’t have insurance. The doctor put me on QVAR it works really good but cost me $180 dollor for a 2 month supply! Wish they had some coupons or something but I’m just stuck now and the government continues to rack it in in sales.
i’ve used primatene for 40yrs. no side effects. to go to a doc to get a prescription is min. $65. then the albuterol is at least another $20 (don’t know yet). i’m on unemployment and have no idea how to afford this. ran out the other day and had to go to 4 stores before finding any since everyone is stocking up. i know i will have an incident in 2012 and wind up in the hospital.
This ban of Primatene Mist is just ANOTHER intrusion into the private lives of the America People. If Americansdo not put a halt to this runaway government we will soon be total slaves to it. The “Government” does not have the authority to do this. LETS STOP THIS MADNESS NOW!
Absolutely correct. I had the same conversation with a liberal in law of mine, who happens to be an asthmatic. Oddly enough, his response was was”just go get a prescription”.
He didn’t understand the initial LIE of global warming. How can he even begin to understand the result.
I am beginning to be of the mind that there are some people who are stupid/simple/not capable of learning. It is somehow ok when people are ignorant and can learn. What we are dealing with are people who either can’t or do not want to know the truth.