Question: Switching From a CFC to an HFA Asthma Inhaler - What Should I Expect?
Answer: If you have a long history of having used an asthma inhaler, there's a good chance that you've used a CFC inhaler. CFC stands for chlorofluorocarbons, which are used as a propellant to push the medicine out of the canister and into your lungs.
Though CFC asthma inhalers have been used for years, they are now banned in the United States and many other parts of the world. CFC inhalers are safe for you to use, but they can deplete the earth's ozone layer -- our greatest protection from the sun's powerful rays. Because of this, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) passed a law requiring drugmakers to repackage metered dose inhalers (MDIs) so they'll be healthier for our environment. This is set to happen through a gradual phase-out process to take place over a period of a few years. By the end of 2008, the only type of MDI you will be able to buy will be the new HFA inhaler.
HFA, which stands for hydrofluoroalkane, is an alternative propellant that is more earth-friendly. The same medicines are in the HFA inhalers as the CFCs, and they are proven to be just as effective. Only the propellant that is different.
The new inhalers may take some getting used to. They may taste slightly different and, because the spray is less forceful, feel less cold coming out of the canister. Not to worry: The medication still gets into your airways just as effectively.
The HFA inhalers are likely to be more expensive, at least for a few years, until generic versions become available. Many drug companies are providing assistance with HFA inhalers for people who need it, however, offering discount coupons and free trials.
Over-the-counter CFC inhalers with epinephrine, such as Primatene Mist, are still available for now, but lawmakers may also ban those for the same reason. If that happens, it is unlikely that there will be HFA-type replacements immediately available.Both controller medicines (such as Qvar) and quick-relief medicines (such as Albuterol) are now available in the HFA type of asthma inhaler. Since HFA asthma inhalers are the wave of the future, we may as well get used to them as quickly as possible.
Sources:
"FDA Proposing Phase Out of CFCs in Metered-Dose Inhalers for Epinephrine." U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 23 January 08. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01706.html "Topic of the Month - May - Transition to HFA Inhalers." American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology; 23 January 2008. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0507/
