Good news - I just read in an article dated March 11th, that xopenex will be available in inhaler form by the end of the year.

Woohoo!!!! I was really interested in Xopenex, because Albueterol makes me sick to my stomach and shaky and tachycardic. I asked my doctor to let me try xopenex, but she said my asthma is too severe for xopenex, and I should be using albueterol. Maybe now that it will be availible in an inhaler I have it for just when I need a little boost.

Quote from blondy2061h:

Woohoo!!!! I was really interested in Xopenex, because Albueterol makes me sick to my stomach and shaky and tachycardic. I asked my doctor to let me try xopenex, but she said my asthma is too severe for xopenex, and I should be using albueterol. Maybe now that it will be availible in an inhaler I have it for just when I need a little boost.

Interestingly enough, when I was in the hospital I had very little response to two albuterol neb treatments, while the first xopenex treatment gave me significant relief. I was under the impression that xopenex was a better treatment - period (just more expensive, that's why it's not used as much). Plus, I, like you, had horrible tachycardia and shakes on the albuterol. I was told that the xopenex is a lot easier on your heart than albuterol.

Interesting. I wouldn't imagine cost is an issue, because I have great insurance and my doctor readily put my sister on it (she had bronchitis, but doesn't have asthma). I then asked to go on it too, and they said that medicine needs to shake you up a bit to work, and that xopenex would do nothing for me. Maybe I'll ask again next time I go.

Oh yes, and last time I was in the ER it took 6 albueterol treatments, 2 doses of pred, and 3 inhaled steriod treatments to bring me out of the attack, and no one even thought to try xopenex.

I've had my heart rate come close to 200 when given back-to-back albuterol nebs in the ER.

By the way, Xopenex is just albuterol without the isomer that causes tachycardia, shaking, and dizziness. It does the same thing as albuterol -- neither of them are stronger than the other.

Quote from blondy2061h:

Oh yes, and last time I was in the ER it took 6 albueterol treatments, 2 doses of pred, and 3 inhaled steriod treatments to bring me out of the attack, and no one even thought to try xopenex.

I don't think Xopenex is readily available at hospitals.

Are you sure you've had inhaled steroids in the ER? They're not supposed to be used in emergency situations.

Swimfast - I definitely had xopenex in the hospital and while I know that it is albuterol w/o the isomer, I also know that it worked to stop my attack whereas two (or three, can't remember) albuterol nebs only lasted about 45 minutes to an hour tops.

One question I have is why if it is the same strength, is the normal dosage supposed to be every 8 hours when the albuterol nebs are every 4. During the attack, while in the hospital they were going to give me albuterol every two hours (but I never made it that long), but when they switched to xopenex the orders went to every 4 hours (and I had no problem lasting that long). To me that suggests that the xopenex is indeed more potent.