Asthma and COPD, while related, are not exactly the same. Each condition has its own underlying pathology and set of causes and contributing factors. However, their similarities lie with the effects of inflammation on the airways and in the lungs. The symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath and chronic coughing are also common to both conditions. COPD is considered an irreversible and progressive airway disease, while asthma can be chronic or acute and even resolve with age.

Asthma can cause chronic pulmonary symptoms which rescue inhalers are not well-suited to resolve. Treatment of these lasting symptoms require longer acting medications. Likewise, as COPD progresses, restriction of the airway increases. The underlying issues causing the wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and coughing involve inflammation of the airway and muscular spasm (bronchospasm) which further constricts the air passages.These life threatening conditions require intervention.

How Spiriva Works

Because Spiriva (tiotropium bromide) treats the underlying cause of long-term airway obstruction commonly seen in asthma and COPD, individuals with both conditions often achieve measurable symptom relief. Bronchospasm is an involuntary tightening of the muscles lining the airways and lungs which results in airway constriction. Spiriva is a bronchodilator, acting on the smooth muscle receptors in the airway. This smooth muscle lines the airway and gut, and is responsible for “automatic” bodily functions like breathing and digestion. The active ingredient in Spiriva, toitropium bromide, helps to relax this muscle. This effect is called bronchodilation: a “relaxing” of the bronchi and smaller branches known as bronchioles in the respiratory tract. Excess mucous production also stops the movement of air into the alveoli, or lung sacs, where the air exchange with your bloodstream takes place.  Spiriva acts to reduce mucous production in these areas, and these two combined effects result in symptomatic relief.

Symptom Relief With Spiriva

Bronchodilators like Spiriva can be either long-acting or short-acting. Spiriva is not used as a “rescue inhaler” for acute attacks of asthma, because it is a long-acting medication. However, the advantages of this type of long-acting bronchodilator on COPD and asthmatic conditions are well studied and acknowledged by the medical community. Their efficacy has been observed in clinical trials, and the trust the prescribing physicians have for these types of medication comes from experience. Patients report marked ease in breathing, and a return to activities they had long abandoned due to their difficulty breathing. As always, you should consult with your primary physician and pulmonologist before starting Spiriva. As a long-acting, 24-hour anticholinergic bronchodilator, Spiriva can help you to manage your COPD symptoms and literally breathe easier.

Help With COPD Prescription Costs

The combination of drugs COPD patients usually take to manage their symptoms can be prohibitively expensive. Even with insurance, prescription assistance programs can be remarkably helpful in managing this cost. If you take Spiriva as your long-acting bronchodilator, RX Solution can help with the cost of your medication. If you are an uninsured or under-insured American who is struggling to pay their prescription medication bills, The RX Solution is here for you. We believe that no one should have to choose between the rent and their medications; our company helps take the financial stresses of prescription medication off of your shoulders by expediting the approval process for many different prescription assistance programs. To find out if you qualify, give us a call today at (888) 823-0042 or visit us at our contact page. 

But there is hope. Hope exists in the form of prescription assistance programs for low-income earners and seniors. It’s a program that will help you continue your treatment without hurting your budget.

The Strain to Get Better

It’s heartbreaking to see patients give up their medication or struggle to pay for groceries and housing all because of expensive medication.

In April of last year, the Consumer Reports (CR) surveyed more than 1,000 adults taking prescription drugs and found that 70 percent of them asked their doctor if they can cut back on some of their drugs and eventually got rid of at least one. Another survey from the CR revealed that most doctors don’t talk about medication costs with their patients.

Drug manufacturers, meanwhile, raised prices on treatments for chronic and life-threatening conditions, such as cancer and diabetes.

Aside from treatment cost rising, prescription drugs have been increasing. Back in 2014, the top cause of the 5.3 percent increase in overall health care costs pointed to medication going up by 14 percent. A new report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology revealed that cancer patients have been filing for bankruptcy protection due to out-of-pocket expenses and high deductibles.

A lot of people now pay thousands of dollars a month for the sheer will to survive. There is, however, a way to unload this burden.

The Solution for Low-Income Earners and Seniors

The answer to the problem of expensive medication: drugmakers’ patient-assistance programs. These programs can help you through co-payment assistance and free or discounted medicines. Every year, millions of eligible patients receive billion of drugs; qualification would mean meeting the federal poverty limit or having little over $100,000 in annual family income. Eligibility to any of the program also depends on the medication.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offer up a list of the assistance programs.

Other ways to lower your prescription costs include the following:

• Double-check with your doctor if you need the drug
• If necessary, talk to your doctors about how much it may cost
• Try 90-day prescriptions

Big Benefits for Little Payments

We understand how the generous efforts of countless health programs may not be enough. We also know the painful consequences of not following through with your treatment and how that can worsen your health condition. This is why we offer several programs that allow you to complete your treatment while still being able to pay for your basic needs.

With the support of doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers, we’re able to provide assistance programs that lower the cost of prescription medication. We help the uninsured, the underinsured, low-income earners, and seniors.

Get in touch with us today for more details and let us help.