Subject: alt.support.asthma FAQ: Asthma Medications

From: [email-masked] (Patricia Rose Wrean)
Date: 2 Nov 1994 01:18:24 GMT

Archive-name: asthma/medications
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1 Nov 1994
Version: 3.2

          alt.support.asthma FAQ:  Asthma Medications
          ===========================================

This FAQ attempts to list the most commonly prescribed medications
for the prevention and treatment of asthma, both in the U.S. and
overseas.  It is maintained by Patricia Wrean <[email-masked]>.  

The following information came from two sources:  most of the
drugs available in the U.S. are listed in the 1994 Physician's
Desk Reference (full citation at end of post); the remainder
of the information, including those medications available 
overseas, came from the many helpful contributors listed at the 
end of the post.  If you do not wish your name to be included
in the contributors list, please state that explicitly when
contributing.  Also, if I have left anyone's name out, please let 
me know so that I may include it.

** Although the maintainer and contributors do their best to keep
   this FAQ updated, it is by no means an authoritative work.  
   Asthma is a serious illness requiring supervision by a 
   physician.  Please do not attempt to change your medication
   regime without consulting your doctor.

Corrections, additions, and comments are requested; please include 
the name of the country in which the medication is available, as 
it isn't always obvious from the user-id.  If the drug is available 
as an inhaler, please specify it as a MDI or one of the other types 
mentioned in the glossary, or add a description of the inhaler if 
it is not present already.  

Abbreviations are explained in the glossary at the end of the table.  
If the medication is followed by a country name in brackets, then
to the best of my knowledge it is only available in that country, 
and not in the U.S. 

If the drug is available in a nasal form for allergies, I've 
included it for completeness.  I haven't covered oral steroids,
only inhaled, or antihistamines at the present time.

+ = added since last version
& = updated/corrected since last version

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Type of drug          
         Chemical name         Brand name       Comments 
----------------------         ----------       --------

Anti-inflammatory, 
  non-steroidal

         cromolyn sodium       Intal            available as MDI,
           (called sodium                         capsules for Spinhaler,
           cromoglycate                           neb soln
           in UK)              Nasalcrom        nasal spray

         nedocromil            Tilade           MDI
                               Tilade Mint      MDI (UK)

         sodium cromoglycate -- see cromolyn sodium

Anti-inflammatory,
  steroidal (inhaled) 

         beclomethasone        Beclovent        MDI
           dipropionate        Beclodisk        diskhaler (Can)
                               Becloforte       MDI (Can, Sw), larger
                                                  dose than Beclovent
                               Becotide         MDI (UK)
                               Beconase         nasal MDI
                               Beconase AQ      nasal spray

                               Vanceril         MDI
                               Vancenase        Pockethaler (nasal MDI)
                               Vancenase AQ     nasal spray

         budesonide            Pulmicort        turbohaler (Aus, Can)
                                                neb soln (UK)
                               Rhinocort        nasal turbohaler (Can)
                               Nebuamp          neb soln (Can)
  
         dexamethasone         Decadron         Respihaler
           sodium phosphate      Phosphate               
 
         flunisolide           Aerobid          MDI 
                               Aerobid-M        MDI, with menthol as 
                                                  flavouring agent
                               Bronalide        nasal turbohaler (Can)
                               Nasalide         nasal spray
                               Rhinalar         nasal spray (Can)

         fluticasone           Flixotide        MDI (UK)
           proprionate                          diskhaler (UK)
 
         triamcinolone         Azmacort         MDI
           acetonide           Nasacort         nasal MDI

Anticholinergics (bronchodilators)

         ipratropium           Atrovent         MDI
           bromide

Beta-agonists (bronchodilators)

         albuterol*            Airet            inh soln
           (salbutamol is      Proventil        MDI, inh soln, syrup,
           WHO recommended                        tablets,
           name generally                         Repetabs (SA tablets)
           in use outside      Ventolin         MDI, inh soln, syrup,
           the U.S.)                              neb soln, tablets,
                                                  Rotacaps for Rotahaler
                               Ventodisk        diskhaler (Can, UK)
                               Volmax           ER tablets

              * MDI uses albuterol, all other forms (tablets, etc.)
                use albuterol sulfate

         bitolterol mesylate   Tornalate        MDI 

         ephedrine             Ephedrine        inh soln (Can)

         epinephrine           Bronkaid Mist    MDI, OTC - epinephrine
                                                  in form of nitrate
                                                  and hydrochloride
                               Bronkaid Mist    MDI, OTC - epinephrine
                                 Suspension       in form of bitartrate
                               Medihaler-Epi    MDI, OTC - epinephrine
                                                  in form of bitartrate
                               Primatene Mist   MDI, OTC

                               Primatene Mist   MDI, OTC - epinephrine
                                 Suspension       in form of bitartrate
                               Sus-Phrine       injection

         fenoterol             Berotec          MDI, inh soln, tablets
           hydrobromide                           (Can, Aus, NZ)
           
         isoetharine           Isoetharine      inh soln
           hydrochloride         Arm-a-Med

         isoproterenol         Medihaler-Iso    MDI
           sulfate             Isuprel          MDI, neb soln (Can) --
                                                  as hydrochloride

         metaproterenol        Alupent          MDI, inh soln, tablets,
           sulfate                                neb soln, syrup
                               Metaprel         MDI, inh soln, syrup,
                                                  tablets
                               Metaproterenol  inh soln
                                 Sulfate 
                                 Arm-a-Med

         pirbuterol acetate    Maxair           MDI, autohaler

         procaterol HCl        Pro-Air          MDI (Can)

         salbutamol -- see albuterol

         salmeterol            Serevent         MDI
           xinafoate                            diskhaler (UK)

         terbutaline           Brethaire        MDI
           sulfate             Brethine         tablets, neb soln,
                                                  injection
                               Bricanyl         tablets, injection
                                                turbohaler (Aus)

Xanthines (bronchodilators)

         theophylline          Aerolate         TD capsules, liquid
                               Quibron-T        tablets, SA tablets
                                                  (see also
                                                  combinations)
                               Respbid          SR tablets
                               Slo-bid          ER capsules
                               Slo-phylline     ER capsules
                               T-Phyl           CR tablets
                               Theo-24          ER capsules
                               Theo-Dur         ER tablets
                               Theo-Dur         SA capsules
                                 Sprinkle       
                               Theo-X           tablets
                               Theolair         tablets, SR tablets,
                                                  liquid
                               Uniphyl          CR tablets

         dyphylline**          Lufyllin         tablets, injection,
                                                  syrup
             ** similar to theophylline         

         oxtriphylline***      Choledyl         DR tablets, SA tablets

             *** oxtriphylline is the choline salt of theophylline,
                 and 400 mg of it is equivalent to 254 mg of
                 anhydrous theophylline

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Combination Medications:

Brand name         Chemical names of ingredients    Comments
----------         -----------------------------    --------

Asbron G           theophylline sodium glycinate,   elixir, tablets
                     guaifenesin (expectorant)

Bronkaid Caplets   ephedrine sulfate, guaifenesin   tablets, OTC

Congess            guaifenesin, pseudoephedrine     tablets

Duo-Medihaler      isoproterenol hydrochloride,     MDI
                     phenylephrine bitartrate

Duovent            fenoterol hydrobromide,          MDI (UK)
                     ipratropium bromide

Marax              ephedrine sulfate,               tablets
                     theophylline, 
                     Atarax (hydroxyzine HCl)

Primatene Tablets  theophylline, ephedrine HCl      tablets, OTC

Quadrinal          theophylline calcium salicylate, tablets
                     ephedrine HCl, phenobarbital,
                     potassium iodide

Rynatuss           carbetapentane tannate,          tablets, syrup
                     chlorpheniramine tannate,
                     ephedrine tannate,
                     phenylephrine tannate

Tedral             theophylline, ephedrine HCl,     tablets -- no longer
                     phenobarbital                    manufactured

Ventolin-Plus      albuterol, beclomethasone        MDI (Sw)
                     dipropionate

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Glossary
--------

aerosol inhalers:

  MDI        - metered-dose inhaler, consisting of an aerosol unit and
               plastic mouthpiece

  autohaler  - MDI made by 3M which is activated by one's breath, and
               doesn't need the breath-hand coordination that a regular
               MDI does

  respihaler - aerosol inhaler for Decadron (see table above).  I have
               no idea how this differs from the usual MDI

dry powder inhalers:

  rotahaler  - dry powder inhaler used with Ventolin Rotacaps (see
               table above), i.e.  albuterol sulfate in capsules.
               Each capsule contains one dose; the inhaler opens
               the capsule such that the powder may be inhaled 
               through the mouthpiece.  Available in the U.S.,
&              Canada, and UK.

  spinhaler  - dry powder inhaler used with Intal capsules for
               spinhaler.  Each capsule contains one dose; the 
               inhaler opens the capsule such that the powder 
               may be inhaled through the mouthpiece.  Available 
&              in Canada, UK, and the U.S.

  diskhaler  - dry powder inhaler.  The drug is kept in a series of
               little pouches on a disk; the diskhaler punctures
               the pouch and drug is inhaled through the mouthpiece.
               Currently available in Canada and UK, not in U.S.

  turbohaler - dry powder inhaler.  The drug is in form of a pellet;
               when body of inhaler is rotated, prescribed amount of 
               drug is ground off this pellet.  The powder is then
               inhaled through a fluted aperture on top.  Available 
               in Australia and Canada.

forms of tablets:

  SA         - sustained action.  SA and CR (below) have been used
               interchangeably and almost mean the same thing,
               except SA refers to the pharmacologic action while
               CR refers to the drug release process.  Any drug
               release which is controlled in a zero-order fashion
               (constant rate of release) is generally referred to
               as Sustained or Controlled Release.
  CR         - controlled release.  See SA.
  DR         - delayed release.  This generally refers to enteric-
               coated tablets which are designed to release the drug
               in the intestine where the pH is in the alkaline range.
  ER         - extended release.  Dosage forms which are designed to
               release the drug over an extended period of time,
               e.g. implants which release drug over a period of
               one or two months or years.
  TD         - time delayed.  This is slightly different from DR in
               that the drug release is designed to occur after a 
               certain period of time, e.g. pellets coated to a
               certain thickness or multi-layered tablets or tablets
               within a capsule or double-compressed tablets.

forms of solutions:

  neb soln   - nebulizer solution.  Drug comes in nebules for use with
               nebulizer.

  inh soln   - inhalation solution.  Some manufacturers use this as a
               synonym for neb soln; others use it to mean that drug 
               comes in bottle with dropper, distinct from neb soln. 

country abbreviations:
 
  Aus        - Australia
  Can        - Canada
  UK         - United Kingdom
  Sw         - Switzerland
  NZ         - New Zealand

misc:

  OTC        - over-the-counter, all other medications are prescription-
               only in the U.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Physicians' Desk Reference is published annually by:
      Medical Economics Data Production Company 
      Montvale, NJ 07645-1742
      ISBN 1-56363-061-3
It is a compendium of official, FDA-approved prescription
drug labeling.  The FDA is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Contributors:
------------

  Lawrence M. (Larry) Bezeau                             [email-masked]
  Daniel Canonica       [email-masked]
  John Connett                                    [email-masked]
  Mark Delany                              [email-masked]
  Steve Dyer                                            [email-masked]
  Ian Ford                                        [email-masked]
  Susan Graham                                      [email-masked]
  Rick Hughes                                   [email-masked]
  Simon Kelley                                        [email-masked]
  Rick Nopper                           [email-masked]
+ Matt Ray                                      [email-masked]
  John Saunders                                [email-masked]
  Stephan Seillier                                 [email-masked]
  John Underhay                                      [email-masked]
  David Williams                                [email-masked]
  Travis Lee Winfrey                          [email-masked]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I am not a physician; I am only a reasonably  
             well-informed asthmatic.  This information is for 
             educational purposes only, and should be used only as
             a supplement to, not a substitute for, professional 
             medical advice.  

Copyright 1994 by Patricia Wrean.  Permission is given to freely
copy or distribute this FAQ provided that it is distributed in full 
without modification, and that such distribution is not intended for
profit.

-- 
Patricia Wrean                             [email-masked]