Getting back to normal, still on my Soap Box

I had my follow-up appointment with a cardiologist on Wednesday. He said:

"There is nothing wrong with your heart!"

He also told me to stop taking the Lopressor (heart medicine).

I understood my heart was ok when I followed up with the internist last Wednesday. What I didn't understand was why I was having chest pain with exertion. So I asked the cardiologist. He said I was having bronchial spasms.

Now, I have had asthma since I was 3 years old, but I don't ever recall having chest pains that mimicked angina. Nor do I recall having episodes of dizziness and sweating along with it. However I have run across some other people reporting the same symptoms with the use of the ProAir inhaler. By the way, I seem to be doing ok on the XOPENEX HFA. I am using a spacer, which is much better than trying to inhale directly from the mouthpiece.

So what is different about the ProAir, you may wonder. It's the propellant. ProAir contains ethanol along with the HFA propellants. Apparently some people are sensitive to ethanol.

Ok, back on my soap box for a moment, while I'm thinking about it. So, what is it about CFC (freon propellent)? Why was it removed from asthma spray? Here are three common but incorrect arguments:

(1) CFCs are absorbed into the body when inhaled and are not released into the atmosphere, so how can CFC MDIs (metered-dose inhalers) threaten the ozone layer?

FACT: They DON'T threaten the ozone layer, but the argument is INCORRECT. After you inhale the CFC propellant, you exhale almost all of it intact into the air, immediately. The CFCs are NOT broken down in your body.

But there is a NATURAL PRODUCTION AND DESTRUCTION OF OZONE ALL THE TIME- and the thing to remember is that CFC MDIs release such tiny amounts of CFC cumulatively, over time, that the impact they have on the constant natural creation and destruction of the earth's ozone is insignificant.

And not only have stratospheric CFC levels been dropping since 1994, but in addition, ozone concentrations have stabilized in key areas of the stratosphere since 1997- and these positive developments have occurred while global CFC emissions were MUCH GREATER than peak CFC MDI emissions EVER WERE, strongly confirming the fact that CFC emissions from MDIs do not pose a threat to the ozone layer.

(2) There are still CFCs in hair sprays, deodorants, air conditioners, spray paints, and refrigerators, so why don't they remove the CFCs from these things before they ban CFC MDIs?

FACT: They already took CFCs out of the above products, many years ago.

(3) Greenhouse gases, CO2, pollution, car and truck exhaust, smog, power plant and factory emissions represent serious risks to ozone depletion (and to our health), why don't they clean these major threats to the ozone layer up first before they ban CFC MDIs?

FACT: These things all apply to the issue of man-made GLOBAL WARMING, NOT to the issue of man-made STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION, which are actually two separate issues. The Montreal Protocol deals with man-made OZONE DEPLETION, the Kyoto Protocol (which the U.S. has not yet signed, but undoubtedly soon will) deals with man-made GLOBAL WARMING.

(Those were copied from https://www.savecfcinhalers.org)

Ok, off soap box for now.