Zyflo vs. Singulair

[Guest guest]

From what I've read, Zyflo and Singulair both work on the same

chemical...leukotrienes...which wreak havoc for us Samterites.

However, Zyflo is more powerful since it actually blocks the

production of these chemicals, while Singulair allows them to be

produced but inhibits their uptake at receptor sites in the

respiratory tract. So with Singulair, the chemicals ARE indeed

produced. Zyflo would be contraindicated, however, if you have any

liver preconditions such as hepatitis.

I'm guessing that some of us who don't respond well to Singulair

(even at higher dosages) are unable to block all of the uptake at the

receptor sites so we still experience the inflammation in our lungs

and sinuses (and throat...i.e., leading to things like vocal cord

dysfunction). I was also diagnosed at Nat'l Jewish with VCD a few

years ago and given exercises for the vocal cords, but I found that

when the asthma cleared, so did the VCD.

I really believe that Samters involves inflammation of the entire

tract...top to bottom...including tissue in the throat. If you

wheeze as severely during inspiration as you do during expiration,

that's a pretty good sign that you have inflammation in your throat

as well. This can also be viewed on spirometry tests when the inhale

at the end is not a deep loop but rather a more jagged straight line.

I know that I often have to resort to inhalation of racemic

epinephrine to relax the throat muscles when I have severe breathing

problems...albuterol alone just doesn't do the trick.

in CA