Feeling better today!

At last my sore throat is going away and my chest isn't getting congested after all. I did go back to using my old inhaler, but at this point I don't know if the XOPENEX HFA caused the sore throat but I do think it was only a cold. My lungs were getting congested, though, and the old albuterol CFC cleared them right up.

I have been busy writing letters. I heard back from Senator Lugar and from a reporter from the local newspaper. There are a lot of people who are in a real bad way because of this new propellant in asthma spray. The word needs to be gotten out and people need to be encouraged to register their complaints. The FDA says "asthmatics will just have to get used to it." WHAT!!! They say you need to inhale the medicine harder because the spray is softer. I was sucking my freakin' brains out to get the medicine in and look where it got me!!!

I now have a spacer which I use with my inhalers. It works like this: the mouthpiece of the inhaler plugs into one end of the tube. You shake the inhaler (extra, extra, extra well for the new HFA ones). While holding the spacer in front of you, exhale and press the inhaler. Watch the mist fill the tube (you can see it). Now put your mouth on the opposite end of the spacer and slowly draw in until your lungs are full. Hold as long as you can. This way you draw all of the medicine into your lungs. It doesn't squirt on the back of your mouth or your tongue or your throat.

My lungs were still not clear with the HFA inhaler attached to the spacer. If you are having similar problems, please register a complaint here (bottom of page): http://www.consumeraffairs.com/health/hfa_inhalers.html
And read the story here: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/02/asthma_hfa.html

Remember, not all people are sensitive/allergic to the new propellant. For them an HFA inhaler may be fine. But for those of us who ARE sensitive/allergic, the FDA has taken away our right to breathe. WE CAN FIGHT THIS AND WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dinner tonight was leftover roast beef, shredded and simmered with pepperoncini peppers and served on homemade buns with homemade oven baked fries. AND we opened the Asti! A toast to Christmas in southern Indiana! We hope we are moved before then!