About Allergies: Is Xopenex Worth the Extra Cost?

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies Xopenex (levalbuterol) is an inhaled medication for the treatment of acute asthma symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Xopenex (which contains R-albuterol) is the active isomer of albuterol (which contains a racemic mixture of both R- and S-isomers) Xopenex was first developed because animal studies suggested that S-albuterol caused inflammation in the lungs, which could possibly worsen asthma. It was also thought that as more racemic albuterol (mixture of the R and S-albuterol isomers) was taken, the S-albuterol isomer would accumulate within the lungs and worsen asthma symptoms. Xopenex was therefore expected to work better at treating asthma symptoms than racemic albuterol. Albuterol is well-known to cause certain side effects, including muscle tremors, jitteriness, palpitations and increased heart rate. Early studies on Xopenex suggested that because far less medicine was needed to achieve the same benefit as albuterol, fewer side effects would occur. In addition, it was initially thought that the S-albuterol isomer was primarily responsible for many of the albuterol side effects, and therefore Xopenex, which does not contain the S-albuterol isomer, would cause few side effects. So, is Xopenex worth the added cost over albuterol? The bottom line might surprise you... Could Your Cold Actually Be A Sinus Infection? January is cold and flu season, and many of us are walking around with stuffy noses and a box of Kleenex right now. Some of us have allergies, some have... Read more What's the Best Albuterol HFA: ProAir, Ventolin or Proventil? Since the switch from CFC-based to HFA-based albuterol inhalers, a generic version of albuterol no longer exists. Today, there are 3 different brands of albuterol HFA available: ProAir, Ventolin and... Read more Should I Take Claritin, Zyrtec or Allegra? My patients frequently ask me which over-the-counter antihistamine they should take -- Claritin, Zyrtec or Allegra? You might be thinking, "Wait a second, I didn't know Allegra is available over-the-counter?"... Read more Alternative Therapies in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergies Discussion of various alternative, controversial and unproven techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases, including the popular area of herbal supplements. Allergies Ads Allergies Symptoms Side Effects Asthma and Allergies COPD Medicine Child Allergies Featured Articles Glossary of Terms Information on the Most Common Allergy Medications Allergy Basics Frequently Asked Questions Nose and Eye Allergies Skin Allergies   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies Advertisement