wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) (08/12/85)
I have bad pollen allergies from May through September, and my
ophthalmologist recently put me on eyedrops containing cromolyn sodium
(brand name: Opticrom). She said these eyedrops had come on the market
a few months ago, and she'd done some research on them. I'm to use
them through September then call her back and let her know how things
are going.
The eyedrops work extremely well, but I'm hesitant to commit myself to
putting something in my eyes for extended periods of time if it's
still experimental or is known to cause problems in some people (I can
see the newspaper headline now: CROMOLYN FOUND TO CAUSE TEAR DUCT
CANCERS THAT RESEMBLE CASABA MELONS; NATION IN PANIC).
Cromolyn sodium has been used for a longer period of time, I believe,
in nosedrops. Does anyone out there have any experience with these
nosedrops, or know of any bad reactions/side effects to them? Better
still, is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and
its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend
taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone.
-- Cheers, Bill Ingoglysdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (08/13/85)
> Cromolyn sodium has been used for a longer period of time, I believe, > in nosedrops. Does anyone out there have any experience with these > nosedrops, or know of any bad reactions/side effects to them? Better > still, is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and > its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend > taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone. Actually, cromolyn sodium has been used in an inhaler for the prophylaxis of asthmatic attacks for more than 15 years, with almost 10 years of U.S. experience. Pharmacologically it is a rather interesting substance, a unique approach in the treatment of allergic syndromes: it prevents the release of histamine and other autacoids from certain mast cells when challenged by antigens. So, it is unlike adrenalin and other sympathetic amines which have pharmacological effects opposite to those of histamine, and it is unlike antihistamines which block H1 histamine receptors on target cells. Finally, it is unlike corticosteroids which block the inflammatory responses induced by the release of such autacoids. As you might expect from its mechanism of action, cromolyn is useful only in PREVENTING allergic reactions--it has no effect on the body's response once the autacoids have been released from the mast cells. So, you take the drug precisely when you're NOT suffering from an acute attack of hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. Cromolyn seems to be well tolerated, with rare reports of irritation and even rarer incidences of individual hypersensitivity to the drug. Long term studies haven't found any remarkable side effects. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA
evans@wanginst.UUCP (Barry Evans) (08/14/85)
> I have bad pollen allergies from May through September, and my > ophthalmologist recently put me on eyedrops containing cromolyn sodium > (brand name: Opticrom). ... > ... is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and > its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend > taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone. > > -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly Cromolyn Sodium in eyedrops? Interesting. I take that (prescription drug) in powder form called "Intal" for my asthma. It's been about nine years now, and haven't had any adverse side effects - but then I don't put it in my eyes. I accidently wiped my eyes once with some of the powder on my fingers... quite the burning sensation, I must say. Maybe it's just the concentration of the chemical? I'm not a chemist or pharmacists, so I haven't the slightest idea what it is. I suspect that the eyedrop form of this drug has been around in Europe for some time now, as when I started taking it for my asthma it had just been introduced in the U.S. after testing in other countries. But, as far as my asthma goes, the stuff works great... Before I started using cromolyn sodium I was averaging severe attacks once every day or two. I was about 13 years old at the time. I started with four inhalations daily, and within a month virtually all attacks had vanished and I was able to engage in much more physical activities/workouts. The attacks I did have while taking the drug were generally mild. Physical workouts (e.g. intense activity) would sometimes result in temporary mild attacks which would usually clear up without addition medication after the exertion was stopped. Several years later I entered college. The "new" environment allowed me to reduce dosage to twice daily (noticeably, i wasn't around cats and dogs). I later tried eliminating the drug all together. That experiment worked for a little while before unprovoked attacks began to occur. Eventually I started having attacks again on a regular basis, and my doctor was encouraging me to take medicines regularly. I dislike the idea of taking some asthma medicines because of the side effects (nausea, insomnia, the jitters, etc.) I finally asked him if I could start on the cromolyn again and he replied he doesn't normally prescribe that drug because people don't like the way the drug is administered; it is inhaled as a powder through the mouth. Myself, I don't care - it works. Currently, I'm taking the cromolyn sodium once daily, which seems to be enough for me at this time in my life. Once again I can sleep through the night without waking at 5am while gasping for air to reach for the Albuterol mist. I would be interested to talk with others who have experience with cromolyn sodium for asthma treatment, or to those who wish more information on it. -barry -- Barry Evans - Wang Institute (617) 649-9731 x383 [apollo, ucadmus, decvax, vaxine, masscomp]!wanginst!evans evans%WangInst@Csnet-Relay
dr@ski.UUCP (David Robins) (08/15/85)
> > Cromolyn sodium has been used for a longer period of time, I believe, > > in nosedrops. Does anyone out there have any experience with these > > nosedrops, or know of any bad reactions/side effects to them? Better > > still, is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and > > its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend > > taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone. > As an ophthalmologist, I have been using cromolyn eyedrops for a couple of years. Until recently, we had to have the pharmacy mix them specially for us, using oral cromolyn capsules in artificial tears, and sterilizing by passing through a milllipore filter. The shelf life, with refrigeration, was 10 days without preservative, 30 days with preservative. It was very expensive, and was used to treat very stubborn allergic conjunctivitis, and vernal conjunctivitis, a spring-time alllergy which is persistent. The steroids are great for relieving inflammation, quicly, but they can cause cataracts and glaucoma with long-term use. A few days use once in a while is ok, but vernal sufferers need continuous treatment for months. Other allergy drops (ie Visine A/C, Vasocon-A, etc) were of limited value. Chromolyn eyedrops, available since late '84 as a commercial preparation as Opticrom (tm), are a boon to allergy sufferers. There are no know side effects, unlike the steroids, and they relieve the symptoms almost completely. Since the onset of action takes 4-5 days, we often use a mild steroid drop in conjunction with the cromolyn during that time, and then discontune the steroids. Cromolyn eyedrops are taken 4-6 times daily for as long as the allergy causes problems. -- ==================================================================== David Robins, M.D. Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences 2232 Webster St; San Francisco CA 94115 415/561-1705 {ihnp4,qantel,dual}!ptsfa!ski!dr The opinions expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the Institute!
kenc@islenet.UUCP (Ken Cribbs) (08/16/85)
> > Cromolyn sodium has been used for a longer period of time, I believe, > > in nosedrops. Does anyone out there have any experience with these > > nosedrops, or know of any bad reactions/side effects to them? Better > > still, is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and > > its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend > > taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone. > > Actually, cromolyn sodium has been used in an inhaler for the prophylaxis > of asthmatic attacks for more than 15 years, with almost 10 years of > U.S. experience. > > Pharmacologically it is a rather interesting substance, a unique approach > in the treatment of allergic syndromes: it prevents the release of > histamine and other autacoids from certain mast cells when challenged by > antigens. So, it is unlike adrenalin and other sympathetic amines which > have pharmacological effects opposite to those of histamine, and it is > unlike antihistamines which block H1 histamine receptors on target cells. > Finally, it is unlike corticosteroids which block the inflammatory > responses induced by the release of such autacoids. As you might expect > from its mechanism of action, cromolyn is useful only in PREVENTING > allergic reactions--it has no effect on the body's response once the > autacoids have been released from the mast cells. So, you take the drug > precisely when you're NOT suffering from an acute attack of hay fever, > asthma, or other allergies. > > Cromolyn seems to be well tolerated, with rare reports of irritation > and even rarer incidences of individual hypersensitivity to the drug. > Long term studies haven't found any remarkable side effects. > -- > /Steve Dyer > {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer > sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA I'm an asthmatic (currently on daily steroid therapy... ) who first tried cromolyn sodium shortly after its first major promotion in the medical-advertising 4-color full-page ads about 11 years ago. I used the inhaled powder form of the drug, which I understand has some pharmacokinetic differences from the "new" solutions (such as the form used in ophthalmic preparations); but, potential differences notwithstanding, I thought I should relate my experience with the drug: Within four days of starting cromolyn therapy I developed a rather alarming problem--significant vasospasm of the median and radial arteries of my left upper extremity, resulting in a blue, "cold" left hand, quite a bit of pain, and significant concern on the part of a team of peripheral vascular surgeons as to the *possibility* that my problem was causally related to the new cromolyn therapy. I underwent arteriography three times in attempts to define my "lesion"--almost exsanguinated when the radiology resident forgot to keep pressure on my punctured femoral artery, and I lost so much blood that I was transfused with 2 units-- but no definitive anatomic obstruction was ever documented. The cromolyn was stopped, and so did my symptoms. I was discharged with a diagnosis of "peripheral arteriospasm of unknown etiology." Before anyone else mentions it, I'll be the first to admit that my own personal experience falls far short of the prospective, randomized double-blind research documentation needed to establish proximate causation... and I have no particular axes to grind... I'm *not* suggesting that the cromolyn caused my problem (which never manifested it- self again)-- my only purpose in posting this reply is to learn whether anyone else has experienced or heard of similar vasospastic phenomena occurring after using the drug. The objective-medical-research portion of my psyche continues to reject the suggestion that I experienced an adverse reaction; but the subjective/personal portion still harbors gnawing questions... Me ke nui mahalo [means "thanks a lot..."] --Ken Cribbs islenet/honolulu Subject: Re: Cromolyn Eyedrops Newsgroups: net.med Distribution: net References: <344@rti-sel.UUCP> <342@bbncc5.UUCP> > > Cromolyn sodium has been used for a longer period of time, I believe, > > in nosedrops. Does anyone out there have any experience with these > > nosedrops, or know of any bad reactions/side effects to them? Better > > still, is anyone familiar with the literature on cromolyn sodium and > > its safety? Just what the heck IS cromolyn sodium, anyway? A friend > > taking cortisone thought it was related somehow to cortisone. > > Actually, cromolyn sodium has been used in an inhaler for the prophylaxis > of asthmatic attacks for more than 15 years, with almost 10 years of > U.S. experience. > > Pharmacologically it is a rather interesting substance, a unique approach > in the treatment of allergic syndromes: it prevents the release of > histamine and other autacoids from certain mast cells when challenged by > antigens. So, it is unlike adrenalin and other sympathetic amines which > have pharmacological effects opposite to those of histamine, and it is > unlike antihistamines which block H1 histamine receptors on target cells. > Finally, it is unlike corticosteroids which block the inflammatory > responses induced by the release of such autacoids. As you might expect > from its mechanism of action, cromolyn is useful only in PREVENTING > allergic reactions--it has no effect on the body's response once the > autacoids have been released from the mast cells. So, you take the drug > precisely when you're NOT suffering from an acute attack of hay fever, > asthma, or other allergies. > > Cromolyn seems to be well tolerated, with rare reports of irritation > and even rarer incidences of individual hypersensitivity to the drug. > Long term studies haven't found any remarkable side effects. > -- > /Steve Dyer > {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer > sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA I'm an asthmatic (currently on daily steroid therapy... ) who first tried cromolyn sodium shortly after its first major promotion in the medical-advertising 4-color full-page ads about 11 years ago. I used the inhaled powder form of the drug, which I understand has some pharmacokinetic differences from the "new" solutions (such as the form used in ophthalmic preparations); but, potential differences notwithstanding, I thought I should relate my experience with the drug: Within four days of starting cromolyn therapy I developed a rather alarming problem--significant vasospasm of the median and radial arteries of my left upper extremity, resulting in a blue, "cold" left hand, quite a bit of pain, and significant concern on the part of a team of peripheral vascular surgeons as to the *possibility* that my problem was causally related to the new cromolyn therapy. I underwent arteriography three times in attempts to define my "lesion"--almost exsanguinated when the radiology resident forgot to keep pressure on my punctured femoral artery, and I lost so much blood that I was transfused with 2 units-- but no definitive anatomic obstruction was ever documented. The cromolyn was stopped, and so did my symptoms. I was discharged with a diagnosis of "peripheral arteriospasm of unknown etiology." Before anyone else mentions it, I'll be the first to admit that my own personal experience falls far short of the prospective, randomized double-blind research documentation needed to establish proximate causation... and I have no particular axes to grind... I'm *not* suggesting that the cromolyn caused my problem (which never manifested it- self again)-- my only purpose in posting this reply is to learn whether anyone else has experienced or heard of similar vasospastic phenomena occurring after using the drug. The objective-medical-research portion of my psyche continues to reject the suggestion that I experienced an adverse reaction; but the subjective/personal portion still harbors gnawing questions... Me ke nui mahalo [means "thanks a lot..."] --Ken Cribbs islenet/honolulu
sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (08/18/85)
> > Cromolyn seems to be well tolerated, with rare reports of irritation > > and even rarer incidences of individual hypersensitivity to the drug. > > Long term studies haven't found any remarkable side effects. > > Within four days of starting cromolyn therapy I developed a > rather alarming problem--significant vasospasm of the median and > radial arteries of my left upper extremity, resulting in a blue, > "cold" left hand, quite a bit of pain, and significant concern > on the part of a team of peripheral vascular surgeons as to the > *possibility* that my problem was causally related to the new > cromolyn therapy... From my reading of the literature on cromolyn, this reaction hasn't been reported as a common side-effect. There are a couple of clinicians here who may want to contribute their own opinions. First and foremost, it's important to distinguish between an individual's reaction to drug therapy and the general experience gained from a drug's use which would guide its administration. Although your experience "proves" nothing for the general populace, given the drug's record of safety over 15 years, you yourself are another matter. It is entirely reasonable to be suspicious of the link between cromolyn and your vasospasm, and any reasonable doctor would not ever administer it to you again. Of course, it might indeed have been a coincidence, but prudence would argue against testing this in your case (vasospasm being a sufficiently undesirable and potentially dangerous syndrome to treat.) Consideration of an individual's idiosyncratic response to drug therapy weighs far more heavily in deciding upon therapy than any statistical data on large groups. I noted a sense of embarassment in your comments, that somehow your sentiments didn't fit in with the tenor of the "anti-faddists" who have been responding to Stanions and Stoll, etc. Not at all. It is expected that there will be individuals who respond to therapy remarkably differently from the norm observed in clinical practice. That doesn't make them "wrong"! The key difference is in the consideration of each individual's reaction to derive a model of what the therapy can be expected to produce. If vasospasm were noticed as a side-effect which occurred more frequently in the population being treated, then that fact would have to be weighed against the possible benefit to each individual patient being considered for this therapy. If there were no significant increase in vasospasm compared to the general populace, then a report like yours would probably be chalked up to individual idiosyncracy. There's a very good chance, however, that a report was made to the drug manufacturer for tracking. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA
ps101@sdcc13.UUCP (ps101) (08/21/85)
I have been using cromylyn sodium eyedrops for about two and one half years. I find them to be excellent to prevent the problems associated with aairbore pollen. I find them more desireable than the antihistimine eyedrops like naphcon. They jprjovide me with more relief and don't burn my eyes. I also use nasalcrom spray for nasal problems related to allergies. I find this more satisfactory than the nasal cortisone like preperations I use to take. Rob Horner (The opinions contained above are my own and in no way reflect those of my employer.) Summary: Cromolyn Eyedrop user. References: <344@rti-sel.UUCP> <342@bbncc5.UUCP> <195@ski.UUCP>