Corticosteroid symptoms and conditions

I was started on Advair HFA about 35 days ago. A little background about me is that I'm 35 years old, in good physical shape. I'm a competitive cyclists doing road races anywhere from 45-100 miles, I work out 2-4 hours everyday. I've had lifelong chronic asthma, but have fought the disease with my healthy lifestyle. I also play the saxophone.

Since I've been on Advair I've developed a constant sore throat. Been coughing up stuff constantly when I'm out training on my bike. Can't seem to sleep for more than a few hours at a time. The worst side affect has been the leg cramps which are killing my training for up coming races. I have constant leg cramps that force me to get out of bed over and over to work them out. My energy levels have dropped to the point that I can't do even half a workout without being totally wiped out. This is coming from a guy that averages 60miles a day on the bike, the other day I couldn't even do 15 miles and had to stop from the constant cramps and tiredness. This stuff is a nightmare. I've gone back to using nothing but my albuterol inhaler. I'll continue to do lung exercises 4 times a day and completely clean up my diet and basically get this stuff out of my system. Let this be a warning that you can't get something positive without something negative as well.

I'm so glad I found this! I thought I was going mad for a while there. Background: I'm a 34 yr old female. Diagnosed w/ asthma at 12, but they suspect I had it before that. Used only Ventolin for a long time. Five years ago, right around the time I had my second child, my symptoms (and allergies) seemed to get much worse. We moved around that time, to a house with a HUGE Chinese elm in the backyard (which I now know I'm allergic to) and right next to a main freeway. Around this time, Dr. prescribed Advair 250/50 when he realized I was using Ventolin up to 6 & 7 times/ day. The first year, I actually felt so much better (I could BREATHE!!) that I think I wouldn't have noticed any side affects. Year two I had MAJOR hair thinning. Dr said "age and hormones". Following 3 years on it: Almost constant nasal congestion (despite always being on a decongestant), sinus infection, tonsil infections, laryngitis, TWO bouts of pneumonia in 3 years. Around the year mark on it, I did experience the depression and anxiety, however, I had had the "baby blues" with my first child and just thought it was a more severe version of that. Now, I feel CONSTANTLY "run down" and almost always have some low-grade infection (yeast, UTI, sinus, bronchitis...etc.), am always hoarse and am just waiting for another round of pneumonia. I also get dizzy A LOT. I am in the second day of a cold turkey quit and am looking for alternative diet/exercise therapies. Good Luck to everyone!

I was diagnosed with asthma as a child. In late teens it seemed to not be problem, however after 50, I started developing symptoms of asthma again as evidenced from COPD tests. I am currently using Advair 250/50 since 55 yo.

One symptom, that I have not seen addressed here is that of "slow healing" after injuries. I injured my back awhile ago, and it seemed like 2 years before most of my symptoms were gone. To this day I still feel lingering effects. Then I scraped my shinbone. It seemed like it took forever to heal, and now there is an ugly red/purple scar where the minor scrape was.

I had never taken so long to heal before, and read that this was a problem with taking Advair. I never figured my asthma was that serious in the first place, so I simply cut back on the Advair to once/day or less as it seems still to keep my breathing OK. Sometimes, after a few days of not taking Advair, I feel some minor difficulty with breathing.

Now that I am 63, and so concerned about "slow healing", which I attribute to Advair, I have asked my Dr. to perhaps take me off Advair and simply take Albuterol when needed. Then I read that Asthma patients should only use Albuterol if that is sufficient to control symptoms and to advance to Advair to control more severe symptoms. Another article says that Albuterol does not heal Asthma, only assists with sudden onset of breathing difficulties and that I may still damage my lungs if I do not take Advair.

I remain at a loss as to what is best: Taking Albuterol when needed (perhaps a few to several times/week) or as I was doing before, contrary to recommended dosage, of 1-2 times/day. Fortunately my Dr. goes along with my changes, but tells me if symptoms get worse, she will put me on Advair 2X's/Day (which I probably will ignore dosage because of healing side effects, and use once/day or less).

I will report back later after trying Albuterol for time without the use of Advair at all.

I have been on Advair since Feb. of this year, I have had a lot of these side effects but didn't really realize it was from this med. At first I was told to take it 2x a day, reading the directions it says it has to be 12 hours exactly apart. My work schedule didn't allow that so I just took it 1x....Working 2 jobs I just thought when I couldn't sleep and was always tired, it was from working a lot. When I told the Dr. about not being able to sleep more than 4 hours, I was told since I was taking the meds 1x a day that wasn't it. After a bad cold and bronchitis I was told I had to take the Advair 2x a day, now i'm more tired than ever, still can't sleep and have a headache that won't go away even with migraine medicine. I'm even jittery and forgetful--kinda ditsy now and itchy off and on all day...After reading this blog site I see its not in my mind and i'm going to stop taking this med. I think i'm going to the health food store and find something natural.

I was just wondering if anyone else has a yeast infection type of effect from this. The insertion was horrible since it came out the first time they put it in. i was bleeding for almost 2 months and now spotting off and on. i have horrible itching and dryness. they thought it was a yeast infection so i treated it with the yeast infection medicine and did the 7 day one. then 2 weeks later it started again. she think i stopped using the hydrocortizone cream too soon. i don't think that's it. i think it might be the mirena and if it is i want it out asap. i've never had itching or dryness. anyone else had these side effects?

(33yr) Was given Omnicef for an ear infection. After 3rd dose broke out with huge patches of red whelps. Stop taking, but then my joints started to ache and I had large knots on the bottom of my feet and hands. Diarrhea and vomiting, severe stomache cramps and low blood pressure... followed by antiphylatic shock. While I was in the ER the discovered I was also having a heart attack.

It has been 3 weeks and every time I come off the steroids, the rash and other symtoms return.

Has anyone else had similar problems.

My son is off singulair for two weeks now and is showing improvements. He was on it for 7 years and at the beginning we blamed it on steriods, even though his dose was low. When he went off the steroids, the behavior didn't stop. I questioned the allerist if the singulair could be doing it, but was told no, it doesn't have those side effects. I don't blame the doctors because they weren't given the info. He was extremely emotional, cried for no reason, had no confidence, didn't like himself. We on more than one occasion have told his older sister that when he hits his teenage years we would have to watch him for suicide, as his reaction to problems was sooo out of whack! He was on motrin for headaches 4-5 days a week(blamed it on sinusses). Unexplained stomachaches. These symptoms came on over years, not right away. I have always thought that the steroids had done damage because he took them when he was so young. Until the news reports hit, and I started reading other people's stories and doing the "OMG, that's my kid!", I never put the problems on singulair. I was still skeptical, but took him off. His symptoms immediately got 100x's worse for a week. But funny thing is, his headaches are gone, his stomachaches are gone and he seems much less emotional. The strangest thing is, EVERY night, he comes in to kiss us good night 7 or 8 times, and sometimes by the 7th time he is crying and can't explain why. This has been going on for YEARS, EVERYNIGHT, never a break. It stopped! Just stopped cold 7 days ago. Comes in once, says goodnight, leaves and falls asleep. I know this isn't a coincidence. After years of wondering what's wrong with my kid, now I feel like I've been poisoning my him for 7 years. I'm not skeptical anymore.

My son was prescribed Advair for his asthma a week ago. He has been having leg cramps so bad, his legs buckle on him. Dr said it's not because of Advair, but after reading this site, I'm taking him off Advair immediately.

Hi, I was on Prednisone for a little over a month for Crohn's disease. I had minor side effects while taking it: couldn't sleep, no patience, dehydrated, dry eyes. It is the side effects from AFTER stopping prednisone that concern me. I''ve been off Prednisone for 3 weeks and I think I am losing my hair and getting acne-that I didn't have before or during taking Prednisone. Anyone experience side effects that started after stopping the med?

I have been on Advair for about a month, and have noticed a new, unpleasant "me". This new me is depressed, anxious, moody and super-sensitive. I have also found that the corticosteroid has not stopped my allergic asthma, as I have had a couple of attacks in the past month. I just want to live life free of drugs!!

My husband was given a sample of this for a month-long bout of bronchitis and we are now thinking it has done permanent damage to his vocal chords. He only used it 5 times, got thrush (yeast infection) in his throat and is still hoarse after a week of being off of it. Does anyone know the history of this drug and has the word "class action lawsuit" crossed anyone's mind besides mine? I am amazed at the way pharmaceutical companies run the healthcare business in this country!

I don't want to go off on a rant here, but are people aware that a large portion of the FDA's operating budget is provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers? This isn't our first experience with this type of thing and I'm about to launch a grassroots campaign to educate the public. Maybe they'll stop believing all the marketing hype.

I'm thinking that the pharmaceutical companies ought to heed the Hippocratic oath - FIRST, DO NO HARM. Wouldn't it be a remarkably different world if they would take all the money they're spending on marketing and use it to lower the price of orphan and AIDS drugs? They keep saying that research is expensive - and advertising on every possible television show, radio and magazines is cheap? Hello? Are we going to be sheep or are we going to be citizens and hold these companies responsible for what they're doing. Thanks for letting me vent. Please contact me if you want to do something about this. And no, I'm not an attorney, but I'm a writer and I think I just found out what my first book is going to be about...

My son is six years old and been on Singulair for 2 weeks, on the 3rd day he started complaining of stomach pain. That night he had a horrible nightmare and everyday since it has been something else it seems to get worse everyday. Sleepwalking uncontrollable rage that we have never seen before. He gets out of breath very easy and his comprehention is very bad since he has takin this drug. He is on day two of no Singulair and is still having trouble sleeping but the other effects are slowly ending thank god any parents thinking of this treatment for their child needs to do more research my doctor did not think it was the meds that it is just a normal child stage he is going through. (bull-h--t).

With regard to the reported blood sugar elevation with Sarapin: I am a physician who has been performing injections with Sarapin for a few years. Many of my patients are diabetic yet I have never seen a blood sugar elevation from Sarapin. I can see two possible explanations: It is common to inject a corticosteroid along with Sarapin for a nerve block; the corticosteroid could easily have the effect mentioned and it is very unpredictable. None of my patients are on the old sulfonylurea blood sugar medicines. Metformin and the TZDs and newer meds keep blood sugar more uniform than sulfonylureas or insulin alone. Diabetics not on the newer classes of medicines might have blood sugar elevations from Sarapin.

I had 2 40mg Kenalog injections in L5 & S1 for a slipped disk a month a half ago. I had a consultation with my doctor beforehand and basically I was told that I may have some mild side effects a couple of days after the injection that would go away in a few days & possibly a bump on the injection site. I am a very healthy 31 year old female so I figured this procedure would cause me minimal problems......Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. 20 days I got my period and it wouldn't stop. It lasted for 9 days and 5 days later I got my period again for 9 more days. It has gone on like this for over 3 weeks now. I have always had a regular period that lasted no more than 4 days. I was completely horrified and thought the worst like cancer or something. My doctor has run numerous different tests on me and everything is normal except that I am anemic and low on sodium. The Dr. can only conclude it was this corticosteroid shot. After reading this message board I am at a lost for words! It seems like others had symptoms like this and even worse! I also planned on getting pregnant soon and no one told me this would be an issue. Now it is. I also read that this drug can lead to osteoporosis so to everyone out there on Kenalog start taking calcium and iron too.

I have experienced severe pain at injection site along with awful nausea and vomiting the first few weeks following the injections; unsightly rash/acne over neck, chest and shoulders that is taking over a month to clear; irregular and quite heavy menstruation...even midcycle... equaling three periods in 6 weeks. Palpitations sent me to my primary care md. These side effects have been an insult to injury and embarrassing. The rash has left scars and the constant bleeding has left me exhausted and a little scared. I use an SPF on my face...maybe why it was spared from the breakout. I told my orthopod about the breakout and he and his assistant laughed at me pretty much and said they never ever heard that before. I have been in to see my OBGYN, last week, and will speak to her soon about the likely correllation between Kenalog and my heavy/irregular and never ending periods. I did not make the OBGYN connection until after I read some testimonials. I was going to have some pretty uncomfortable obgyn tests done and they would have been in vain. It sounds like the pharm reps selling Kenalog...or a generic brand...have not been educating their docs on these awful and life changing side effects. I feel that the physicians choosing to use a specific corticosteroid should informl every patient what it is exactly they are injecting into them. Each woman shoud be told of the potential menstrual irregularities and major inconvenience. My husband and I have been trying to conceive and now it seems impossible.

I just recently came off Advair after 5 years of side effects, boy was I brainwashed! And a/o I am now taking Asmanex (corticosteroid) I began having withdrawal but I believe to the Serevent.
Until I read some posts here, I began to question what was going on with me. I thought at first it was withdrawal from Advair particulary the Serevent. But I just couldn't believe something we inhale could do that. But this inhaled drug did cause me and many others systemic effects.
The first couple of weeks off the Advair my anxiety was worse than when I was off the drug. Who thought that was possible.
And the most alarming withdrawal symptom was the tingling in my hands and feet.

I am taking methylprednisolone on the 6 day course, am on day two. I am also taking Panlor pain medicine. The combination of these two has produced a very interesting and for me a very pleasing side effect. When I am layed down to sleep, but not quite asleep, I get a somewhat mild euphoria. Then followed by hypnogogic pre-dreamstate imagery that is sexual in nature. Then when actually asleep and dreaming the dreams have been incredibly vivid and intense, in one case a nightmare that resulted in my physically yelling and waking up, which is highly uncommon for me. For me nightmares or intense dreams are a good thing, I am a sometimes lucid dreamer and I enjoy such experiences. I am hoping that these side effects continue. Other than that I get a mildly upset stomach because I do not follow the directions and drink a full glass of water. I should note that this side effect is not present on the Panlor alone, only in combination with the corticosteroid. I was given the steroid to reduce inflamation of my sciatic nerve, and so far it does not seem to have helped, but its only day 2. I might also add that I have been happier, more likely to laugh, although I am not typically depressed or anything, I assume this is a more latent form of the euphoria some people experience.

My right ankle has swelled.

This first occurred with Cordran Tape, and a check on the Internet indicated that the tape contains Cordran® (Flurandrenolide, USP), a potent corticosteroid which can cause swelling of the extremities.

Also I am taking Lipitor, which is interacts with corticosteroids, as well as several drugs for diabetes (haven't looked these up in connection with the corticosteroids).

My right ankle has swelled.

This first occurred with Cordran Tape, and a check on the Internet indicated that the tape contains Cordran® (Flurandrenolide, USP), a potent corticosteroid which can cause swelling of the extremities.

The Hydrocortisone in LindMantle is also a corticosteroid. Don't know why by doctor prescribed it to replace the Cordran Tape since he knew the steriods in the tape caused my ankle to swell.

Also I am taking Lipitor, which is interacts with corticosteroids, as well as several drugs for diabetes (haven't looked these up in connection with the corticosteroids).

If children are having side effects to Advair but need a corticosteroid to help control acute asthma, you may want to ask your doctor about Pulmicort or another such inhaler or daily nebulizer treatment.

Please go to www.advair-asthma-danger.com for morte info & useful links for both children & adults.