Hi,

My partner and I are thinking of moving to Vancouver early next year. My partner is a cronic asthmatic. I've been reading some of the other posts about asthma and Vancouver, some saying how the air is clean due to the Pacific breeze. Some people have said their asthma is much better in Vancouver than the UK. Is this a good judgement?

We moved to Perth, Australia two years ago and her asthma is by far much better than the UK. We returned to the UK for a few weeks and her asthma is terrible again. She sounds like a 40 a day smoker. Her main triggers are animals, dust and damp buildings. I know Vancouver gets a lot of rain but this is not really a problem.

Also, costs of medication are a concern after looking into other posts. My partner uses Bricanyl Turbuhalers (terbutaline sulphate) and was wondering if this is a doctor prescribed drug or can be bought over the counter. In the UK is has to be doctor prescribed but in Australia can be bought over the counter. Also, does anyone have an idea of costs or good healthcare plans that would cover asthma inhalers?

Many thanks
Jon

Yes,you need prescription for the asthma inhaler and it is not cheap.
If you have Pacific Blue Cross extended insurance,you can
claim 80%of the cost of the inhaler .I think there are other
insurance companies that offer medicine coverage.
See the Wiki for more information.

The air is pretty good in Vancouver,I would be more concern
of the air quality indoors ie high moisture in the house poor ventilation,pet dandar ,dust ,black mold etc.

My 15yr.old nephew had asthma when he was 8yrs.After several tests
they found that it was the spores from black mold that were causing
the asthma like symptoms. It was a rental home and the problem
went away after they moved to a healthier home.
Hope that helps.
Yoong

Hi there,

sorry to hijack the thread...

What does an inhaler cost then? either before or after any insurance claim. I too have asthma and have wondered the same thing.

regards
darren

Just an example .
$25.00 + $7.98 dispensing fee for 200 doses before the insurance claim for terbulatine inhaler.Price was from Real Canadian Superstore Pharmacy.
Compare the online price.
http://www.pharmacy-online.ca/drug.j...taline+sulfate
Yoong

You can get the generic version of Ventolin for about $19 and the purple inhaler (can'r remeber what its called in the UK anymore but its called Advair in Canada) is $99 a pop. Inhalers can vary greatly depending which one you have and whether there is a generic brand available.

Thanks for the replies.

I'll have to look in to insurance a little more. Its good to know that these meds are prescribed as we might take a shed load over with us to save money. How much does it cost to see a doctor for a prescription renewal?

The indoor air is a concern. Pets can be a trigger. We think its more spores/bacteria on the animal rather than the allergic reaction to the animal itself. My partner has been around animals is well ventilated and clean houses and never had a problem. Sounds similar to your nephew Yoong.

Are houses in Vancouver generally damp?

Sheesh!! thats expensive!

Have to hope the air will make a lot of difference then



Jesus!!!!! Just looked for the salbutamol i use on that site..... $105!!!

I called the walk in clinic and it costs $100.00 to get the prescription
renewed
Only buildings that are poorly built and not properly maintained
do cause alot of health and financial nightmares for the owners/residents.
You will find more info if you googled for leaky condos.

How often you get in contact with the triggers, that you say cause the problem, will effect the amount of usage and therefore cost.

Was an asthmatic when in the south of England and almost dying in Dyfed twice - never go back.

Daughter had a portable nebulizer and spent 3 Christmas out of her 1st 7 in hospital after attacks.

Coming to the Dry Prairies and learning not to overbreath, haven't brought a single thing for Asthma in the last 11 years. No symptoms no gasping for air. Nothing for either of us.

So 1st learn to keep your mouth shut and hold yer breath when the attack happens. ( if you can breath in but not out).

What are the conditions in Perth that help you avoid your triggers?

Just to emphasis what Yoong said above. Vancouver is wet and humid in the fall and winter and if a house is not properly weather proofed and is not adequately ventilated then mold can become a serious problem very quickly. If you are buying it is important that your building inspector checks for this. Don't assume that because a house is new it is OK.

Having said that, I don't want to frighten you off. The majority of houses, young and old, are just fine.

JonboyE Jnr. had very severe asthma as a child. We moved here when he was 11 and he has only had one minor attack since. This was 6 years ago. I know very many children growth out of asthma in their teens, but hopefully your partner will find the same.

Vancouver does generate pollution. On a still summer day you can see the haze build up over the city. The prevailing westerly winds tend to push the polluted air up the valley so you may want to look to the west of the region for somewhere to live. Unfortunately, it tends to be the more expensive part.

Flew in to Vancouver from the island yesterday and the smog and pollution is very evident as far out as Horseshoe Bay. The Sunshine Coast and Island were much clearer. Coming across from Courtney we could see this veil of haze sitting over Vancouver. Not a pretty sight, and to think we all live in that. Of course in the winter or anytime there is a prevailing easterly, the east end of the valley is clear and crisp, Vancouver gets all its smog back.

Thanks for the info Grah.

The weather in Perth is a dry heat which really helps her breathing. Because of the high heat, houses here generally dont have carpets which trap animal hair. This is a big problem in the UK as most houses have carpets and the cold and damp doesn't really help either.

Although her asthma in general is never as good as Perth compared to the UK but we can prevent trips to the hospital by avoiding houses with pets. Basically, i was hoping to determine from this thread if peoples asthma in general is better in Vancouver than the UK. Although peoples triggers can be very different it seems that some people are generally happier with their asthma in Vancouver than the UK.

If we move i think we'll look for an apartment/townhouse with wooden floors.

Hello, Jon, has your partner investigated the Buteyko method of breathing?

When we were in Australia, we had three friends who achieved total relief from asthma symptoms by taking half a dozen Buteyko lessons and doing the 20 - 30 minute breathing exercises every day. My understanding at that time (late 1990s) was that Buteyko lessons were widely available in the UK.

When we returned to Calgary in January 2000, I found it very difficult to find any information in North America. All I could come up with at that point was a book and an audio tape on Amazon (less effective than one-on-one instruction, I would have thought).

But a Google search now reveals that Buteyko has come to Canada.

Hope that helps.
x