Spiriva Respimat Users
Posted , 2 users are following.
You may already be aware of the recent news cautions on this COPD medicine.
For those who are not yet aware the caution is with the Spiriva Respimat mist inhaler concerning patients with existing cardiac problems. [i:152f3db3dd](See Pulse News quote below) [/i:152f3db3dd]
Do speak with your doc if you take this medicine so you can personally, be properly guided by a medical professional.
To quote in brief from various sources........
[b:152f3db3dd]Yahoo News dated 14 June 2011:[/b:152f3db3dd]
[i:152f3db3dd]\"The new study, published in the British Medical Journal, is based on an analysis of data from five clinical trials involving 6,500 people\"[/i:152f3db3dd]
[b:152f3db3dd]Patient UK news item dated 15 June 2011:[/b:152f3db3dd]
news.patient.info/newspaper.asp?ss=3
[i:152f3db3dd]\"What we think is going on is that the mist inhaler is delivering a higher concentration of tiotropium than it should be\"[/i:152f3db3dd]
[b:152f3db3dd]From Pulse news dated 14 June 2011:[/b:152f3db3dd]
'Tiotropium remains a very effective drug in the management of COPD, but it may be wise to consider using the dry powdered form of the drug rather than the respimat in patients with pre-existing heart problems until further data becomes available.'
[i:152f3db3dd][b:152f3db3dd]Tiotropium [/b:152f3db3dd]= Spiriva medicine[/i:152f3db3dd]
[i:152f3db3dd][b:152f3db3dd]Respimat [/b:152f3db3dd]= The Spiriva Respimat Mist inhaler.[/i:152f3db3dd]
different delivery from:
[i:152f3db3dd]
The [b:152f3db3dd]dry powdered form [/b:152f3db3dd]which is capsule used in the Spiriva handihaler.[/i:152f3db3dd]
1 like, 7 replies
breathless Vee2
Posted
I have been on the Spiriva for about 2 1/2 months. I have not had any difficulty in using it other than a minor sore throat if I do not rinse. There is also an occasional headache as with any steroid. Other than that, I had no idea of a higher dosage being delivered. I will check with my doctors....
Vee2 breathless
Posted
MaggieMuffin Vee2
Posted
I've been on the Spiriva Respimat 2.5 inhaler (1 puff daily only) for about 6 weeks. My chest medicine doctor whom I've been seeing for about the last 9 years since being diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea recently put me on this inhaler after I complained to him for YEARS about still being so tired even while using CPAP nightly. He knows my complete health history, even the fact that for years I've had A-fib and heart palpitations - years and years ago this all began with several attacks of tacychardia and I've been on beta blockers since then to help control my heart rhythm but still have the irregular heart beat. Should my doctor have considered all of this before putting me on the Spiriva? Could it be doing me more harm thann good? Seems like none of my doctors ever cared enough to test me and diagnosis me correctly years ago as I would have quit the smokes way back then instead of just 4 months ago after finally being hit with the COPD diagnosis. Very frustrated to say the least! The sad part is is that I don't even feel the Spiriva making any difference - still winded, short of breath and fatigued all of the time!
breathless MaggieMuffin
Posted
It's a frustrating and very expensive disease. Of course you should have quit smoking years ago. All of us who smoked took a big risk even after the packaging specifically siad it could cause all the diseases which it can. Now you are in a place (like myself and many others) where your life in the later years is not going to be so golden and smooth. There are things you can do. Build your strength with some sort of exercise daily, get 8 full hours of uninterrupted sleep. Take your medications as precribed. Stay out of large crowds, pollution, exhaust fumes, chemical and perfume smells. None of these are good for your lungs and certainly won't help you feel any better. Get proactive, you need to talk to your doctors and find out what stage you are in 1 thru 4.....and what your FEV scores are. I have no idea where you live how old you are and how long you smoked...these are all variables. Let us know a little more about yourself and we will all keep good thoughts going for you. Make each day count. Breathless.
MaggieMuffin breathless
Posted
I am 62 and about 30 lbs. overweight. I started smoking later in life about 20 years ago but was never a heavy smoker - usually less than 1/2 pk. a day and sometimes never inhaled - that's no excuse though. I would love to get quality sleep every night but unfortunately I also have sleep apnea ( diagnosed about 8 yrs. ago) and have been using CPAP nightly for the past 4 years. I was still fighting fatigue during the day but my doctors never
pushed for me to stop smoking and none of them ever suggested pulmonary testing, so I continued to smoke without considering the health consequences. So I may have had COPD for many years and just didn't know I did. I try to walk about a mile every day but the heat and humidity make it difficult, but I still do. My first FEV1 test was 55, then about 2 months later the spirometer test showed 76. That confuses me, maybe because the 2nd test was done along with a full pulmonary function set of breathing tests. The chest x- rays showed small holes - I'm assuming that would be emphysema. I need to be more proactive, ask a lot more questions and do all I can no matter how difficult it may be to improve the quality of my life. Tomorrow, pulmonary rehab starts so we'll see how things go after that.
breathless MaggieMuffin
Posted
Jeanette, you have to be proactive. I just started a new additional natural treatment for myself this morning...I will be glad to share it with you, it is one that M.D. Anderson and from all history reports has been used for thousands of years, back to before Christs' time...at any rate it is a lung cleanser and restorer for ex smokers who have damaged their lungs. I will keep you posted as to how it works, they tell me to give it two weeks before I will feel the results, but it's natural and along with swimming underwater daily it certainly can't hurt. It's so hot here in Houston, Tx., that you melt before you get in the water and immediately want to get back in the house to cool down, the humidity makes it almost impossible to breath....I'm going to insert the recipe for this lung repair and cleanse. 1/2 liter of water....16 ounces of brown sugar, 16 ounces of garlic, one small sliced up ginger root and 2 tablespoons of tumeric. Mix everything except the tumeric in the water and heat, after it's gotten hot add the 2 tablespoons of tumeric then let it cool. Put it in jars and take 2 tablespoons on an empty stomach each morning....That's it. Try it if you like, most people say they feel so much better. I will keep you posted on how I'm doing. God bless and it sounds like your FEV's are good, mine are absolutely horrible, they tell me my lungs are that of an 80 year old. I wish you the best and all that God has to offer you. I do know this, No one can take me out of this world but him, so I just continue on and try to be careful where I put myself. God bless you.
Vee2 MaggieMuffin
Posted
The news is over a year old, I would suggest you do a search using the following words (if you live in UK - if overseas substitute UK for the country you reside) keyword search:-
patient uk cardiac and spriva respimat
after reading the cautions from NICE and medicines org and the .gov link you may then wish to take the matter up with your GP.
And of course you should go back to your doctor if you feel your medicine is not working for you, its important to try and stabilise COPD.
Best wishes, let us know who you get on with your doctor concerning this matter.