Breathing treatments symptoms and conditions

I recently went into an asthma attack that admitted me into the hospital on Sept 3rd. I was given albuterol treatments which I also use at home and have for 3 + years via nebulizer when needed. They also prescribed ADVAIR on Sept 4th or 5th and released me from the hospital. Once home my breathing started to decline despite using my nebulizer on time. By Monday night my breathing was shallow and my Cramps had severe pain onset. I began walking stiffly. I went to bed that night and my breathing continued to decline. In the morning I could hardly walk because of the pain in my calves. I could however sit and they "seemed " fine but turned in a bit. I took my children to school and at 8am dropped them off to the teacher at the curb check in. (Meaning I did not have to get out) I pulled aside to get out and see a friend and as I stepped out of the car my calves seized again. At the advice of my friend I decided to right away drive around the corner to the Medical Center where I go. I had an appt later that morning for follow up from Hospital, but decided I better not wait.
BY 8:10 I was in a red zone with my asthma Chest in FULL SEIZE (225 peak flow from over 375 an hour earlier using the peak flow meter I had in my car)
I got out of the car to go into the medical center and IMMEDIATELY Dropped DOWN a Foot and my Feet FLIPPED over my Knees Bowed out and I was walking like a Monkey. I scrambled to get into the medical center where I yelled for assistance and was given breathing treatment with no relief and sent to the Hospital via Ambulance. Breathing 3 breathing treatments in 3 hours no relief of Seizing in Chest. Xrays Clear. .I stayed there until Sept 16th where I have now been released, I am still walking monkey like , I have numbness in my face, a severe headache and I have not slept since Sept 14th at 5 am . I am not tossing and turning, I am wide awake.Today is Thursday Sept 18th. It took at least 3 days of before I was taken off ADVAIR. I had been on ADVAIR for at least 7-8 days 150/50 twice a day. I noticed a difference in my Chest muscle within 12 hours. My legs started to soften and not be so stiff within 1 or 2 days, however my feet drag sideways as I take a step. I have to swing my legs forward for each step. I directly link this to the ADVAIR.

i just posted a message and wanted to add a little to it...when i said she has screaming fits i mean she arches her back her eyes go blank and she screams at the top of her lungs. she picks things up and throws them she will hit, kick, punch, pinch, and call you names its like anything she can do to hurt you. One day at daycare she was in a bad mood and a little boy walked by her and accidentally bumped her and she punched him in the face and when they tried to put her in timeout she decided to pull the phone jack out of the wall. This is the 2nd daycare she has been in since being put on singulair the first one she broke 3 of the owners fingernails off by kicking her and she got suspended for a week due to her being violent towards other kids. As far as the asthma goes I will say that singulair works great for it i haven't had to do as many breathing treatments on her but i will do 50 breathing treatments a day if i have to because she has been off of the meds now for 2 weeks and i am seeing a slight improvement in her attitude.

I am so thankful to have found this information!!!!! We have an appt tomorrow afternoon because of my 3 1/2 yr old daughters chronic leg pain. It hasn't fit the growing pains symptoms and I have to give her Tylenol or ibuprofen every day - she is inconsolable with pain at times. (She has been on Singulair for 2 years!!!) After reading these situations, I checked singulair's side effects which include 2 other symptoms that my daughter has all the time without explanation - nose bleeds and stomach pain!!! I am taking all this to the doctor appt tomorrow. We missed a nightly dose of Singulair once before and she had to start breathing treatments the next day, every 2 hrs for a few days until we got her breathing under control again. I am anxious as to what our alternatives are and what they're side effects may be....
Thank y'all for sharing your experiences !!!!

I have a 4 year old whom was diagnosed with Asthma over this winter. She has always had coughing at night and Asthma treatment seemed to really work. We wanted to take her off the breathing treatments to build her system back up so she was given two months of Singulair. It seemed to work great. Asthma symptoms seemed to be controlled without puffers and nebulizers. However the last week which would be the 6th week on singulair she suddenly had severe separation anxiety. Even at Vacation Bible School which she loved and knew her teachers she had what I would call an anxiety attack which was completely not her normal disposition. I didn't put it together though until last night. She woke up and got in bed with me. After barely falling asleep about 3am she woke up screaming that there were bugs everywhere. She "saw" them and "heard" them and began slapping at her legs arms and face. At first I thought it was just a nightmare that I couldn't get her to wake up from. I put her in the shower and she still screamed. This went on through the rest of the night. She finally calmed down a little after an hour of histarics but still said she saw bugs. The more I thought about it I thought it may be the singulair and as soon as I searched for it I found this site. Needless to say she will not be taking this drug again. We will try to find some other way to treat her asthma. Thanks for all the insight.

I was put on Yaz (same as Yasmin but with a smaller estrogen dose) due to irregular periods and a presumed hormonal imbalance. That was in September '07. Four month later, on Jan 1, '08, I went to the ER with breathing difficulties, and weakness in my arms and legs. I had been having muscle cramps/ charley horses in my right calf, but that was the only other health problem I had experienced. I thought I was having an asthma attack. So did the ER - at first. After I did not respond to the breathing treatments, and I became completely out of breath and exhausted after walking across the hall to the restroom, the ER doc checked my D-Dimer level to see if I was at risk for blood clots. He said if it came back over 500, he would have to do further testing for clots. It came back 4500!! I was sent immediately down for a CT Scan which showed mulitple clots in both lungs, mostly small, but several of significant size. I was immediately put on oxygen and a heart monitor, and an IV drip of heparin was started. I was in the hospital for 4 days, had to learn to give myself shots of Lovenol in my stomach until my pill form of blood thinner had time to kick in. I am now taking Coumadin blood thinner every day until July, when my D-Dimer will be checked again. Depending on the results, I may come off the Coumadin, or I may have to commit to it for 3 years. However, I was tested for all the hereditary blood clotting disorders and all came back negative, so my doctor feels as though the cause has to be the YAZ! Everyone tells me I was very lucky and that I could have easily died, especially when I was just thinking I was having an asthma attack and put off going to the ER for a few days. If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin, and you begin to have difficulty breathing, any kind of leg cramps, weakness, or tightness in your chest (I had also been having severe heart burn) - go have yourself checked out!!!!!

Thanks for all these posts! My 4 year old daughter has a history of allergies which have in the past led to sinus infections and bronchitis. We used Xopenex and Pulmicort with the nebulizer along with Vazobid and Delsym and cleared up the bronchitis during Christmas 2007, but her pediatrician suggested her taking Singulair as a preventive medication for her allergies. This medication has turned our household upside down. She has taken it every night for 3 weeks and the side effects are the same as others have posted.......aggressive behavior, severe defiance to simple tasks, nightmares, stomach cramps, wetting accident at school (first time ever), weight gain, bruising, and vomiting. When told "no" she replies with wanting to kick me and tells me she doesn't want me as a mom anymore. The devilish behavior is intolerable. She was never like this before she started taking Singulair, and I am so thankful that I found this website quickly enough to put 2 and 2 together, and I am taking her off of it TODAY!!!

I have been on Singulair now for about 14 years. I am 58 yr old white female with Asthma. Severe enough to go to the ER every 2 weeks and get the breathing treatments, IV steroids, etc. Breathlessness is something I do not ever want to experience again.

I went to an allergist and had only a reaction to dust mites, however, my Asthma attacks were triggered by all odors, scents, pollutions from cars, trucks, and construction, (tar smelling products.) I wasn't able to go grocery shopping and go down the detergent aisle. I wasn't able to go to the Mall for fear someone would have on perfume or cologne. Funeral homes were out of the question because of the above mentioned and the flowers. I was basically home bound. Now my allergist had me on another medication, but it required blood tests every month to check the liver enzymes. So he switched me to Singulair. About a month into the drug, I noticed I no longer needed my rescue inhaler, not even at night, or my steroid-laced inhaler for prevention. I thought this drug was a life restoring miracle. Now having read all these comments, and I have almost all the same side effects,: weight gain, restlessness, restless legs, insomnia, ear infections, tinnitus. Gee, I thought these were all because of my age, and now I see it is my Singulair. I don't know if I am brave enough to try to wean off this drug, because when you can't breath, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. so .........WHAT DO I DO?

My son is 4 1/2 years old and has been on Singulair since he was 2. We have been happy with the improvement we have seen in regards to his asthma. No more breathing treatments have been great. The last couple of years though he has continued to get severe headaches that put him out for at least a day with high fevers. The first time it happened was when he was 2 and he had a mild seizure with spiked fever. I haven't thought about it at all until he was due to get another headache and hasn't. We have missed some doings due to the holidays and walked out schedule. The timing and symptoms are seeming a little to coincidental. We have seen a hematologist and immunologist for his chronic headaches but no one knows why he is having them. He has even been admitted for them. His white blood cell count has been elevated with no known cause as to what his body is fighting. I think we will take him off of the Singulair for at another month and see if he gets anymore headaches.

I've had asthma since I was a teenager, and about 9 years ago I went to an allergy and asthma specialist and had the whole gamet of tests run to find out why my allergies and asthma were worsening. I was prescribed Advair, Albuterol, Prednisone, & Servient. At the time, these were the only medications I was taking and never experienced any severe side effects. My asthma was much better and by my one year check up, I had almost completely stopped using the Albuterol for sudden attacks. Due to my graduation from college, I was no longer covered under my parents insurance and due to the cost of the medications, discontinued my treatments. I felt fine, hadn't had any attacks or breathing episodes, so I felt I could do this without any problems.

Fast forward to this summer. My asthma symptoms had returned and my PCP put me back on the Albuterol. It helped the sudden attacks, but I was blowing through an inhaler in a month. Last week I found myself in my local urgent care center, barely able to breathe, gasping for breath. I'm 31 years old with an almost one year old. They gave my 3 breathing treatments and prescribed Prednisone (only 5 days worth), Albuterol, and the Advair. After a week on the Advair, I feel so strange. I haven't had to use my fast acting inhaler since last week, but I feel like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. I have a constant headache, a weird ache in my right arm, can't sleep even though I am exhausted, and my mind is constantly racing. It's like I can't slow down. After reading all these crazy side effects and comparing them with my own, I'm stopping the Advair. I have an apt. with my asthma specialist in 2 weeks and I will be sure that he doesn't put me back on this med. It's awful...can't imagine taking any drug with a side effect of death.

No side effects. My 6 year old has been on it for a year and it has controlled his asthma. No breathing treatments. No problems with moodiness. Great drug so far. I hope he does not develop any of the many side effects listed on this site.

I'm not sure what to think about Advair. My 16 yr old son has asthma & has been on Advair for a few years & did well for the most part. While on vacation last summer he came down w/2 ear infections & quickly went downhill. He had an attack & was nearly closed up completely; went to the ER & received several breathing treatments, a steroid shot & was released w/oral steroid prescription/antibiotics. The next afternoon he had another attck & went back to the ER. He was given breathing treatments & then an IV steroid treatment. He immediately got a raging headache & got morphine for the pain, started severely hallucinating & violently flipped for hours. He eventually was well enough to leave & woke up the next morn as a vegetable. Didn't know where he was...was hallucinating, couldn't walk etc. We went back home to his family doctor. It turned out the steroids was the culprit. I didn't know Advair was a form of steroid, & the IV steroids caused his psychosis, & he just had too much steroids in his system overall. A few days later he came out of it. My mother had said she heard Advair can cause severe infections & actually worsen asthma. I asked his DR & he said there were other reasons for those problems which didn't pertain to my son, so he's still taking Advair.

Ever since that episode, he is much more susceptible to EVERYTHING. First semester of school he missed a total of 10 days. He'd also been having horrible mood swings, could not sleep at night & then went into a depression. So he was precribed a low dosage of Elavil. This was about 10 weeks ago. 12 days ago he started wheezing & coughing, so we did his at home nebulizer treatments. He went to the DR & was diagnosed w/bronchitus & was given a Z-pak. Last weekend he worsened, took him back to the DR Monday & was diagnosed w/walking pnemonia. He was given another Z-pak & oral steroids. He's slowly getting better, but has missed 9 days of school & I don't know when he'll be well enough to return.

My mom researched Advair again & found that you shouldn't take it w/Elavil, which he is still taking. She also found that side effects from Advair are eveything my son is dealing with. My husband thinks she's nuts, but I have to wonder can Advair actually be making my son worse?

I agree with guest 33852 about the burning and the frequent trip to the bath room. I have a 3 year old and see spent 3 days in the hospital and many trip to the emergency room due to her weezy and not able to get it controlled with breathing treatments. So she has been on singular now for 3 weeks and ever since she goes pee some times 10 times in one hour and always complains of it hurting down there. So I asked the doctor when we where still in the icu of this and he said the antibiotic she was on would take care of it. It still happen after that. So I took her to her ped doctor and they did a urine test and nothing but it still has yet to go away. She also Is not listening she seems really silly and she has been complaining of being scared ever since and shes never done that before. So I have a appointment with the asthma specialists and I am going to get her on something else. Singulair is horriable and I think doctors are just throwing it at everyone who has asthma. My brothers on it and the doctor tried to give it to my two other kids who don't have asthma ( but have a dry cough through the winter).

MY WIFE HAS BEEN ON PREDNISONE FOR 4 YEARS HER FOR FIRST SIGN OF ASTHMA SHE IS 25 NOW WE HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WITH NO INS. THEY TESTED HER FOR EVERY DISEASE AND FOUND NONE THE DOCTOR SAID THE BREATHING PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED FROM SEVERE ALERGIES WE CANT GET THE ALERGIE SKIN TEST DONE ON HER BACK BECAUSE THE DOCTOR SAID SHE HAS TO BE OFF THE DRUG WHEN SHE STOPS THIS DRUG HER ALERGIES CAUSES HER TO HAVE BAD ASTHMA AND BREATHING TREATMENTS DONT WORK WHEN SHE STOPS THIS DRUG SHE ALSO BRAKES OUT IN RASH AND IT TURNS INTO A BRUISES SHE CANT GET OFF THIS DRUG WE NEED HELP SHE IS A MOTHER OF 2 AND HAD A MISCARRIAGE 7 MONTHES AGO HOW CAN SHE STOP TAKEING THIS DRUG?

I have been on Advair since 2001 and it has been the miracle drug. I used to have to do nebs twice a day and was using my rescue inhaler constantly. When I would get a cold for flu I would end up in the hospital and would have to take steriods for a couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, I began having heart palpatations. I went to my internal medicine doctor and she ran many tests to exclude any underlying heart problem. All tests came back normal except for the fact that I was running PVCs. At first, the doctor didn't want me to go off the Advair. I mentioned getting off of it and taking Singulair and she was fine with it, but wanted me to consult with my pulmonoloigst. After speaking with him, he decided that we could try taking me off the Advair.

It has been a week and I feel pretty good. I have used my rescue inhaler, but not excessively and I have not had to do any breathing treatments.

There are a couple things that I have noticed the most since I have stopped Advair - my knees are not hurting going up and down stairs and I am starting to feel as if I am not so swollen. I have also gained about 20 pounds since I started taking Advair.

Hopefully everything will work out.

I would be interested to know if anyone that has gone off Advair has actually lost weight?

I have a 17 month old that has been on Singular for 6 weeks. Even though she has been sleeping through the night since she was 8 weeks old, she has been crying out during the night, 3-5 times, for the past 6 weeks. I finally started to think back on what has been different since this 6 week time period. She has been very sick for 2-3 months but she is finally off breathing treatments and the singular is the only thing that she has been on for the past 2 weeks. I finally put 2 and 2 together and took her off the singular 3 nights ago and last night was the first night in 6 weeks that she sleeped all night long with no crying out!!
Just to finish, the crying out was more like night terrors. She didn't want a bottle, she didn't want to be held, she really wasn't even awake...She would just cry out like she had hurt herself. She was unable to tell me about any real side effects but give me another week to be sure, but I think I have solved our problem!!