Copd symptoms and conditions

I have had COPD for years and treated with daily prednisone and Foradil but I wanted to come off prednisone so used Symbicort and Spiriva and was doing good until a new doctor put me on Advair 250/50 and my body went to h... I had terrible bronchitis with hacking cough for 5weeks, noise when on exhaling, severe leg pain, blurred vision, flu like symptoms and harder to breathe. Came off off Advair and felt better the next day. Saw another doc who yelled at me for stopping it but by the weekend I couldn't walk 5feet and this was using my oxygen machine. Stopped Advair and saw my regular doc so I'm back to my original meds and recovering. Yes, I think doctors get a kick-back and yes, there should be a class action suit.
Everyone......take charge of your own body!!!!!!

Where to start!! I was also put on Synthroid and have been on it now for 6 months, before that I could hardly get around and thought I was lazy. It has been changed 4 times and now I am on 88. My legs ache all the time, cant sit for long periods of time, they drive me nuts. I take Xanax at night so I can sleep but I wake up 3-4 times a night and cannot hardly walk they are so stiff. Does anyone know what the heck is wrong? I am on 12 different meds for COPD and an aspirin every day from a Heart Attack and Bypass, truly a bummer. I was so active before all this and could think on my feet, now I am just completely forgetting everything.

About 2 and 1/2 months ago I went to an urgent care facility since I felt like I was suffocating. I am a long time smoker (30 years) and have not had any problems with breathing accept for the occasional morning cough. Long story short, the doctor after hearing my breathing and taking 2 xrays said "you have a pocket of infection in your lung and COPD". I didn't realize it was that quick and easy to diagnose COPD and thought there were more extensive tests to prove that, but I went along with the doctor. The doctor prescribed Advair, an antibiotic, ProAir HFA (albuterol pump rescue inhaler), a decongestant and prednisone. I thought that was an extreme amount of medication but the doctor said she was being proactive. After a couple albuterol breathing treatments and a shot of steroids at the urgent care center I was on my way.

I finished the treatments of antibiotics and steroids as prescribed, but I never took the decongestant (did not want to over-medicate myself). Immediately after starting Advair my joints ached and I felt over all like I had the flu. With my 1 weeks checkup with the doc I mentioned this and she just smiled. About a week after that the achy joints starting easing up, but I started cramping in different muscles. For instance one week I would have a dull cramping in my leg that was persistent during the day and worsened at night. Then the leg stopped cramping, then the lower part of my back started in to a point it was hard to get out of bed, walk or bend over. Then when that stopped something else started up. Then during the last two weeks that I was on Advair I was having periodic chest pains, tightness in my chest, (once again) difficulty breathing, and my vision started to go (blurring)...that with the lower back pain. I am almost 50 years old and have been in excellent health my whole life, and honestly I have never felt as bad as I did while on Advair.

I stopped taking Advair 6 days ago. No, I did not call and ask the doctor's advice because I knew what the doc would say. The first day after quitting Advair I had restricted breathing so I used the rescue inhaler once. The breathing issue became better during the remainder of the day. Slowly the cramping in my body and chest eased up. Today (6 days later) my vision is back to what it was, no chest pains, occasional restricted breathing and will use the rescue inhaler during those times.

I think it's too early to know the long lasting affects of Advair, but at this stage in my life (unless I am worse off with my breathing than I am right now) I don't care to use the medication.

I was given Yutopar via a drip at 22 weeks pregnant and as a result had three fits. It was immediately stopped and I was taken to a labor ward with dim lights and just left to hope labor did not proceed and thank God it didn't. On returning hope I could not climb staris because of breathlessness and to this day that has persisted. Mt health Visitor who was concerned for me visited Pharmacy to discuss the possible side effects of this drug and was told that lung function could be affected. Now 20 years later I have what looks like COPD, and am thinking back to those days in 1988!

I have been on both the albuterol solution and the inhalers for over 20 years now and I have been diagnosed with copd have been intubated twice, and and have potassium problems along with blood clots. I found this specialist who told me that albuterol was causing the potassium problems and possibly the clots. I was told by my dr to use this medication 4 times a day not as needed. now it has destroyed my health and my life. be careful with albuterol and also prednisone please

I have COPD and with every cold that settles in the chest, I'm back on the antibiotics and prednisone. Like many of you, I hate it. When I first started it was with the dosepak and that didn't bother me at all, no side effects, but with progression of my disease and lungs getting worse, I'm now told to take 40mg for seven day and stop...NEVER, I have always take the 40 for 2 days and tapered down 10mg every 2 days. The last two times I've been on the pred I have been so nervous, almost tremmors, headache, muscle aches, dizzy and just can't put up with the side effects.
Like everyone else I'm told they are probably not from the pred. Took my last pill this morning and I thank God for that. Think I'll just have a little talk with Him and if He is willing, I won't need the ugly medicine.
God Bless all of you who have to take prednisone, I do know how miserable it can make you feel, and it just seems to get worse.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, NO TWO PEOPLE ARE ALIKE AND NO MED IS RIGHT FOR ALL OF US.

Here is a update on my condition since last posting, please keep in mind that prior to 7-15-08 I was totally normal.I have recently found out that I have Psoriatic Arthritis,Fibromyalgia,COPD,3 bulging discs in my back and also Bursitis in Right hip.All from Levaquin! I also was the one that put 2 & 2 together and talked it over with my PCP and now I have a Rhuematologist,Lung DR,Neurologist and I am currently seeing a Pain Management DR.I had my 1st.epidural injection yesterday for the bulging discs and will have 2 more and see how it works.I am beyond being frustrated and I do not know what the future holds for me.Some days I wonder if my life will ever be somewhat normal again.Take care everyone and god bless us all,,,,

I was diagnosed with Valley Fever right out of high school. I was always very active in high school and in competitive cheer. I was in amazing shape and great lung strength. After have Valley Fever everything changed dramatically and still do this day I cannot breath right and am totally out of breath doing the smallest things. I was eventually diagnosed with COPD and was instructed to take advair 2x a day. I have never felt worse in my life. I get all shaky, my heart races, anxiety, I am out of breath and feel sometimes that I am going to pass out. I am an avid snowboarder and last week on our yearly snowboard trip in Colorado I started feeling shaky and passed out on the mountain shortly after taking advair. I do not recommend this to anyone. I would rather have a nasty cough than to feel totally out of control of my body.

I have used Advair for just two days and every muscle in my body has developed weakness and pain, so I stopped and will seek another drug for my newly diagnosed bronchial COPD

My 71 year old mother was put on Advair approximately two years ago after she was diagnosed with COPD. She has always been a tiny, petit woman her entire life, and after being placed on Advair she has nearly doubled in weight. This week she has broken out in shingles (herpes zoster) on her back and left breast. For a year she has had psoriasis on her right hand. Never before has she had so many rashes and skin issues since being on Advair. She has also experienced joint pain and numbness since being placed on Advair and began having panic/anxiety attacks as well - something she has never had in her life. Also, the hoarseness, or "lump in her throat" she is always trying to clear is nearly always present. Monday she is suggesting to her GP that she be weaned off of Advair altogether and we'll see what other options are available. Maybe this is the "miracle drug" for some; but for others it has been a nightmare.

I am a 63 year old male that has COPD and a few days ago my doctor prescribed ADVAIR. A lady that works with my wife recently lost her husband to a heart attach and he was also on ADVAIR. Another worker overheard the conversation and said that he had recently lost his father to a heart attach who was also on ADVAIR.

Think I will stick with the inhalers and skip the ADVAIR.

Thanks all.

Roy

I just got done reading a lot of this page, I was in tears. I'm a 23 year old female; I started taking Advair 250/50 (two times a day) about 3 1/2 years ago for COPD. Before my problems started I was working overtime every week, just financed a car a year previous, moved out of my parents and felt like I was on top of the world. Minus my general anxiety and clinical depression, I was only on 2 medications plus an albuterol inhahler.
I kept getting sick, was having trouble breathing, so I was put on Advair; at first It's like I read in almost all these forums...It's a miracle drug! I was able to breathe, but I noticed I was starting to feel pretty lazy, in 2 months I gained 30lbs. I kept taking it along with a lot of other medications for more problems that seemed to keep coming along. In late summer of 2005 I had a seizure while I was at work in a restaurant kitchen. I was opening and had passed out between 4 fryers and a flat-top grill; an ambulance picked me up. I kept getting dizzy spells and vertigo, I started having seizures a few times a week; I was released from my job on a long-term medical leave because of the hazard it was for me to work there. Things kept getting worse, It got to the point of averaging 17 pills a day because of medical problems. Before I got sick I weighed 131lbs, I currently weigh 170lbs. I was having seizures everyday, then every other day, and it slowly decreased over time. I went through so many tests, I'm still going through them. I started having really bad bowel problems which I'm still dealing with; It's sort of like IBS. I also deal with chronic daily stomach/abdominal pain; in a laproscopy, the doctor said that my small intestine looked like "a bag of snakes". Another daily pain that I'm still dealing with mouth/teeth/jaw pain. Although I rinsed my mouth out after each use, I believe Advair royally screwed my mouth up for life. My gums bled everyday, I had to use a kids toothbrush, my gums were peeling off; It was told to me that It's like a mouth yeast infection. The gums over my canines started receding and didn't stop until I quit taking advair. The nerves on my canines are exposed and partially rotted, other teeth have chips and are rotten around them. The gums above my canines are still raised and will still flare up from time to time. I haven't been able to work since August 2005. I've been denied disability twice. I have panic attacks when I'm around people. I'm scared to drive because I've had a seizure behind the wheel. I'm in so much pain everyday that I normally don't move unless It's to use the bathroom. I used to cook 80 hours a week, hang out with friends, and work out. Now, I can't work, can't be around people, and take enough medications to start a pharmacy. It's odd how it all seemed to start when I began Advair. One other thing, I'm constantly coughing up these weird mucas spheres. My advice if you're thinking about taking advair...well, I'll just say if I would have known that this is what it'd do to me, I would have chose bronchitis 4 times a year.

I have been on Advair 250/50 for 5 years for asthma. I'm a 48 year old female. I have experienced severe hoarsness and my voice is rough sounding. Some days I am so hoarse that others have a hard time understanding me. I have had 5 kidney stones in the last 5 years, never had one before taking Advair. I had the last one a month ago and it was so large I had to have surgery. I experience nausea about once a day. I seem to always have a headache. I feel tired all of the time. Over the last year I have developed high blood pressure. I have gained 20 pounds. I have rashes on my upper arms that comes and goes. I experience mood swings. The Advair does control my asthma, but these side effects are too much anymore, especially the hoarseness. I am going to ask my doctor for other solutions.

I am diagnosed with COPD. On March14, 2008, I visited my pulmonologist due to having a bacterial infection in the lungs and nose. I was given a script for Levaguin 750 mg for 7 days. After my first dose, my feet felt like they were on fire. I spoke with the pharmacist and he said it could be a side effect. I finished the meds with a lot of trepidation, feeling uneasy and anxious. However my large toes began to have a tingling sensation, which I reported to my PCP and he said to keep a check on it. I just came from my PCP today, July 8,2008 and now, in addition to my lung problem, I have peripheral neurophathy, involving all my toes and also my hands. This medicine is dangerous, as looking back at the time after I took this medicine, I was seriously considering ending it all! I will never take any medication in the future until I research it thoroughly. I trust my PCP and I trusted my pulmonologist, but I feel the pulmonologist should have informed me of the possible bad sich effects. Be careful out there!!!

For 59 years I have had familial periodic paralysis. Lately my potassium level has been down. This problem started after taking albuterol for copd.
I take two puffs every 8 hrs .I could not understand why I was getting paralysis as it had tapered off considerably the last 15 years and I have not had paralysis at all for 3 years until the last 4 months. Now I will have to take small amounts of potassium every night but less than when I was younger.
The Albuterol has helped me considerably!

My Dad is 75 years old has been in and out of the hospital because of exasperations brought on by COPD. He is fine when he gets out of the hospital with 40mg of Prednisone then like many others tapers to 30mg, 20mg then 10mg until he isn't taking any. Then the exasperations start he's back in the hospital and the Prednisone cycle begins again. I have notice he has mood swings as he has become very irritable. He also use to work out with light weights ever morning, he no longer has the desire. He also use to go for walks, in the park treadmill etc. he no longer does those activities either. I also notice his eyes look different. I realize this drug is keeping him alive, but he has become a different person.

Everybody here knows that I have been interested in trying to find out if Singulair (montelukast), which is a quinoline, ionizes and forms quinolinic acid under physiological conditions that lower blood pH. Some researchers have also mentioned that another montelukast metabolite that occurs is known to be a toxin. In other words, until someone can get blood tests that confirm what the toxic metabolic is, we are just guessing but I would bet that it is a good guess.

One of the strongest cases for that argument would be what happens to some people during sleep. There are some people whose CO2 levels rise. If the levels rise enough to cause change in pH to a more acid condition, then montelukast can possibly ionizes just enough to create minute amounts of neurotoxins that could cause bad dreams, hallucinations, sleep deprivation or a number of other neuro-psychiatric problems. Compound the effect of night after night of minute amounts of neurotoxins caused by CO2 and montelukast ionization then it would be easy to understand how depression and personality change results. There are other conditions that cause elevated CO2 levels and acidosis such as COPD.

If anyone has any data regarding their CO2 levels from sleep studies or other bloods tests, would you please send me a private message?

I was put on Singulair about 2 years ago because of my COPD. No allergies were ever mentioned by my Doctor. This site has been a god send for me.
Since starting Singulair I have been put on Digoxin for an irregular heart beat that I never had before. I have been put on Gabapentin for leg pain and cramping in my feet whenever I put my feet up or laid down to TRY and get to sleep. I have been put on so many pain killers for back pain, leg pain, neck pain I can't even count them all. I won't take them, they make me so sick. Now I find that I wake up with a headache every morning, feeling sick..oh yes, I was given medication for nausea also. And I don't want to forget the six months of experiencing never ending dizzy spells. That was another medication to ad to the list of ALL THE MEDICATIONS I HAVE TAKEN OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS for the side effects of Singulair. I stopped taking it a couple of days ago and I woke up this morning feeling so good. Oh, lets not forget the Xanax, Prozac and Cymbalta for depression.......OMG! I'm looking forward to see how many of these medications I can toss now that I've stopped taking Singulair. I just wish I had found this site two years ago, oh yeah, I am on Advair also. I've been, lets say "in a chronic bad mood" too. Some would say a "B". I've already noticed a difference there too.

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SWEATING, NAUSEA

I'm a 66 year old female who took Singulair for 6 months. I could perceive no positive effects on my breathing. My doctor prescribed this drug as treatment for my COPD. It took some time for me to realize that it was having negative effects on my personality. I was moody, sad, weepy, depressed, all conditions that are contrary to my usual positive outlook on life. A week after I stopped taking Singulair, I could tell that I was reverting back to my upbeat self again. Although I can tell that this drug has changed me. I will never take this drug again, and I recommend that others research it thoroughly before taking it.

I have just tried Advair, and after 4 days, joints all over my body started to ache. My eyes hurt alot and my vision got blurry. Lastly, I just have a general feeling of unease. I quit the advair and was much better within 3 more days.
All pain is gone and eyes feel normal again, although my eye sight seems diminished. I took no other drugs and felt fine before taking the Advair.

I am 44 and suffer from mild copd. I can get by with Albuteral, and will do
so from now on. I know that one is safe.

Good luck to all.

I was on toprol-xl for almost 8 years without many problems. i also take isosorbide mononitrate.A few months back I was switched to the generic version (metoprolol succinate er by sandoz) now i have many problems.First I have to say I am disabled with severe COPD. Although I do not feel depressed I have a lot of symptoms of depression. Remember I had no symptoms what so ever until switched by Walgreen's or HMO or Doctor to the generic version. Not sure what to do I have a doctor that does not truly listen,plus he did not want me on toprol xl to begin with. Even though it was good for me. Good luck people!

my brother is taking advair for COPD. he is also on blood pressure medicine
and a medicine to stop smoking. he has been having terrible insomnia for many months now. also. several times when he's driving, he's suddenly become so tired, he has to pull over. it happened again recently in the middle of the afternoon and he had an accident. he says just before the wave of fatigue comes over him, he seems to have some severe allergic reaction with sinus drainage. has anyone else ever had any of these experiences? this seems incredibly scary.

I had been taking Advair 500/50 for several years, however, most of that time I only took it once a day (not the recommended 2X). My diagnosis is near fatal asthma/COPD. About a year and a half ago I began taking Spiriva in addition. I am stable, but with a low pulmonary function for the past year (peak flow remains around 200). I see an acupuncturist/herbalist and an currently trying Wei Labs products: Soup A and LC Balancer, that are supposed to reverse lung damage. I recently visited a new, conventional, pulmonary specialist who wanted me to retry Advair at its recommended dosage, which I did. I noticed a nagging headache (at my forehead), a tendency to be agitated very easily, and a diminished peak flow. His response was to continue and add another medication (Singulair, which I have tried years ago with no good result). I stopped the Advair (though I am continuing on the Spiriva, until I see more results from the herbs). Also, I am a thin person who exercises all the time, and I had noticed that my weight was about 10 lbs more than I would like it to be (this had been the case for a couple of years). I have yet to see if that will drop, I have only been off for a couple of days. Additionally, I have had the experience with conventional steroid sinus meds over the years; the meds would stop working after a month or two and I would end up with worse congestion. I ultimately had a surgery to clear polyps and extra tissue, and have been breathing well through my nose since 2004 without meds. I feel I need to get off the conventional meds for the asthma too, on them I appear to be in a slow decline.

My mother has been on Advair for her COPD for about three years. Over the last year she has had to have two crowns and 6 cavities filled. Prior to using Advair, she went years without any dental problems. I can't find any info on dental decay being a side effect with Advair use. Has anyone else had these problems?