Mr. Asthma

Question:

> Ellis, > Pardon the patch job on your post, my Mac crashed when I tried to save it and I > got this from Dejanews, unformatted properly. > I do appreciate the references your sent, and will try to get to all of them > soon.  Do you just do a search (on what search engine?) to find all that you > do?

I have my own database/Bookmarks/Favorite Places for various asthma/allergy related topics.  I do use various search engines, but they only find a fraction of what’s out there, and many are outdated or of poor quality. I look for links to recognized sources, like Mayo Clinic, National Jewish, JAMA, NEJM, Virtual Hospital (U IOWA). So I sent you my previously accumulated list of links on Sinusitis. > I read the article on the Jama site, since I get regular updates from them. > But don’t you think it is funny that the Dr. who elaborates works for Merck, > the company that manufactures Singulair.  A little conflict of interest there. > Wonder what Zeneca thinks, who sponsors the Jama site.

This is very common; a drug company funds a study to prove the efficacy and safety of their new drugs. The results are then published in peer reviewed medical journals. That’s why the peer review process is so important; to root out dishonest researchers. If you do a Medline search, you will find Glaxo funds studies on Flovent/Flonase, Astra funds studies on Pulmicort, etc. The article states that Singulair has a longer duration of action than other drugs in its class, presumably Accolate. This should be pretty obvious since Singulair is only needed once/day and Accolate twice/day. So the article didn’t really say anything ‘new’. I have read many posts on alt.support.asthma of patients switching from Accolate to Singulair; you are the first one I have heard of switching back the other way. Let us know how it works out; Maybe Zenecca will sponsor a study comparing Accolate and Singulair (but don’t hold your breath, unless you are a Buteyko practioner). Ellis – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I guess it just goes to show, that each and everyone of us is unique, even down > to the meds that will work on us. >>There is a new article on montelukast (Singulair) posted at the JAMA > asthmasite; it indicates this drug has a longer duration of action than > otherdrugs in this > class.http://www.ama-assn.org/special/asthma/newsline/reuters/06113116.htm Data > available on montelukast safety, efficacy in chronic asthmaExcerpt:"WESTPORT, > Laboratories, Rahway, New Jerseyand colleagues, note that montelukast’s long > duration of actiondistinguishes it from other leukotriene receptor antagonists. > " Sinusitis links;

Response:

Ellis, Pardon the patch job on your post, my Mac crashed when I tried to save it and I got this from Dejanews, unformatted properly. I do appreciate the references your sent, and will try to get to all of them soon.  Do you just do a search (on what search engine?) to find all that you do? I read the article on the Jama site, since I get regular updates from them. But don’t you think it is funny that the Dr. who elaborates works for Merck, the company that manufactures Singulair.  A little conflict of interest there. Wonder what Zeneca thinks, who sponsors the Jama site. I guess it just goes to show, that each and everyone of us is unique, even down to the meds that will work on us. Thanks again for the attention, and help you give to all of us, >There is a new article on montelukast (Singulair) posted at the JAMA

asthmasite; it indicates this drug has a longer duration of action than otherdrugs in this class.http://www.ama-assn.org/special/asthma/newsline/reuters/06113116.htm Data available on montelukast safety, efficacy in chronic asthmaExcerpt:"WESTPORT, Laboratories, Rahway, New Jerseyand colleagues, note that montelukast’s long duration of actiondistinguishes it from other leukotriene receptor antagonists. " Sinusitis links; http://www-surgery.ucsd.edu/ent/davidson/NASHAND/nasal.htm#TOC Nasal Disease http://www.ama-assn.org/special/asthma/treatmnt/updates/sinus.htm Asthma and Sinusitis 11-97 JAMA http://www.vh.org/Beyond/PeerReviews/50Sinusitis.html  Virtual Hospital, Sinusitis Links http://www.vh.org/Patients/IHB/Oto/AAO/SinusPain.html   Sinus Pain, Drainage, & Infectionhttp://www.vh.org/Beyond/PeerReviews/14URI.html Virtual Hospital, Upper Resp Infecthttp://www.aaaai.org/patpub/resource/publicat/tips/tip23.html SINUSITIS http://www.njc.org/MFhtml/SIN_MF.html Sinusitis 1993, NJChttp://www.njc.org/MFhtml/NSW_MF.html Nasal Wash Treatment