Inhaled budesonide in the treatment of early COVID-19 illness

[Maestro]

Quote

Early administration of inhaled budesonide reduced the likelihood of needing urgent medical care and reduced time to recovery following early COVID-19 infection.

 

 

Source: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.04.21251134v1

 

Budenoside is used in inhalers for the treatment of asthma. According to MIMS Thailand, this type of inhaler is also sold in Thailand, eg Budecort, classification D (available without prescription). Something to remember is one should get Covid-19.

[Kiujunn]

This is the STOIC trial,  peer reviewed and published in the Lancet last week. 

 

thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2

 

A small study financed by AstraZeneca,  using Pulmicort Turbuhaler from AstraZeneca, not randomized double-blinded.

The results are fantastic.

 

Another recent study from Oxford, the PRINCIPLE trial,  still has some good results,  but by far not as fantastic.

Maybe because in the second study they started medication later?  Or because the participants were older? 

 

economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/04/12/budenoside-a-cheap-asthma-drug-can-alleviate-covid-19-at-home?utm_campaign=the-economist-today&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=salesforce-marketing-cloud&utm_term=2021-04-12&utm_content=article-link-6&etear=nl_today_6

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Kiujunn

[Jingthing]

Are you sure Budecort inhaler is sold in Thailand? I could be wrong but I don't recall seeing that one. I use Clenil for asthma which is a steroid inhaler used in the same way as Budecort (as a preventative rather than a rescue med) but it uses a different active ingredient. Which begs the question on whether anyone has tested beclometasone  (used in Clenil). 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Jingthing

[internationalism]

budesonide comes also under name aeronide, obucort, pulmicort, that beside budecort.

on friday I have asked in a very large pharmacy in bangkok, they don't have it.

After reading this article I have written to them all the names, but no reply, so looks like they really don't stock.

 

Possibly became a hospital drug or import discontinued a long time ago. It was discussed on the forum 9 years ago.

 

possible the other inhaled corticosteroids will work, but it looks there is no research being done.

Author of this article suggests using them, but after discussion with a doctor, pulmonologist. They are immunosuppressants.

 

So far use of steroids in pills, like dexamethasone, is recommended only at severe cases, just before ventilation.

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308028/

 

I will try to import it for personal use, no sure if I can find it without prescription. If anybody has access in thailand please let me know, I need, at least, 2 of them. 

[rabas]

A Bangkok medical clinic called MedConsult advertises Budesonide inhalers for 420 baht/each. from their page:

 

MedConsult

Founded in 2003 by Dr Donna Robinson,

MedConsult is a renowned medical

clinic in Thonglo, Central Bangkok

 

https://www.medconsultasia.com/product-page/budecort-200-inhaler-budesonide

 

They also have a chat window.

 

Address in Thonglo, they offer PCR testing...

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by rabas

[Kiujunn]

Pulmicort is the AstraZeneca budenoside inhaler that was tested in the STOIC trial.

It is readily available at every decent pharmacy (not hole-in- the-wall) all over Thailand,  and it is very well known. 

Price at Fascino about 680  Baht. 

 

Cave: this is not a medication that you should self-medicate if you haven't been tested positive for covid19.

This is not a medication that you can easily take a long time.  The patients in the STOIC trial took it about a week (they took it until symptoms subsided, median was a week)