Re: My calculation of the volume of a Flonase pump spray actuation

[Guest guest]

Wow ... a very high brow method for doing it.

But why not just empty the entire contents of the Flonase bottle into

some precise measuring container (like a test tube) then divide the

volume in the test tube by 150 (or whatever number of sprays one

would expect from a bottle of flonase). This number would roughly

indicate the volume of each " syringe squirt. " Convert that number

into CC's and voila ... you've allocated the entire contents of a

Flonase bottle into a month worth of syringe squirts.

/Avi

> The following is my calculation of the volume of a pump spray

actuation of

> Flonase. Looking at the Flonase PI (Product Information) <A

HREF= " http://www.uspharmd.com/packageinsert/flonase.pdf " >http://www.us

pharmd.com/

> packageinsert/flonase.pdf</A> I read that the formulation is

an " aqueous

> suspension " on the first page. That means to me the formulation is

mainly water in

> terms of weight.

>

> Looking at the last page under " How Supplied " I read that 50 mcg

of

> Fluticasone is supplied in 100mg of formulation through the nasal

adapter with each

> actuation (or each pump spray). And that the net fill weight is 16

grams. And

> 120 actuations(sprays) are supplied. (An mcg is a microgram which

is a millionth

> of a gram or one thousandth of a milligram (mg).) A milligram (an

mg.) is one

> thousandth of a gram.

>

> The density of water is <A

HREF= " http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae157.cfm " >What is

the density of water?</A> 1 gram per milliliter

> (ml). And density is weight (or mass) divided by volume: 1 gram/1

ml. My

> calculation for the weight (or mass) of an actuation or spray is

that 100 mg is

> one tenth of a gram or 100 mg = 1 gram/10. Thus the weight of one

actuation (or

> spray) is 100 mg or 1 gram/10.

>

> Assuming that the weight of formulation is mainly water (which I

think is a

> very good assumption), this means to me that the volume of one

spray is 100

> mg/density of water = 100mg/(1 gram/ 1ml) = 1 ml /10 = 0.1 ml (one

tenth of a

> milliliter or 1ml/10).

>

> This information also leads me to believe that there are 16 ml of

drug

> formulation in each Flonase bottle (net fill weight of 16 grams).

And 120 actuations

> or sprays uses up 0.1 ml x 120 = 12 ml of formulation. So there are

16-12= 4

> ml of medication formulation in the bottom of the bottle after 120

actuations

> or sprays. The PI says that after 120 actuations the amount of drug

(50 mcg)

> in each spray may not be accurate any longer. (And it suggests

discarding the

> bottle after 120 actuations). So this means to me that the spary

emchanism does

> not work that well when you get less than about 4 ml in a bottle.

>

> Again eveyone should double check my calculations with your doctor

and/or

> drug company GSK. And I can assume no responsibility for this " off

label " use. It

> might be easier to obtain Flixonase Nasule drops (GSK) directly

from the UK

> (Britain) in conjunction with your doctor and avoid using syringes

like I do

> altogether. It might also be cheaper,as Flixonase nasule drops are

(I think) a

> higher concentration of drug. Although as I said, I am not advising

anybody as

> to the advisability of drug importation or legality and I would

advise

> everyone to visit the FDA website and see their cautions about drug

importation (see

> my previous posts for the webaddresses).

>

> Bob

>

> THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE REPRESENTS THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF

THE AUTHOR

> (WHO ALSO SUFFERS FROM THE DISEASE " ASPIRIN TRIAD " OR " SAMTER'S

SYNDROME " ) AND

> IS NOT PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO PERSONAL

OR

> PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FOR ANYONE READING THIS INFORMATION.

>

> THERE IS NO DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP FORMED BETWEEN THE AUTHOR

AND ANYONE

> READING THIS INFORMATION. AND THE AUTHOR ENCOURAGES INDIVIDUALS TO

BECOME

> ACTIVE AND INFORMED ABOUT RISKS AND BENEFITS, AND TO WORK WITH

THEIR OWN DOCTOR(S)

> ON TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL DISEASE.