Salmeterol 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 am very skeptical of all of the claims I have read here. I am no advocate of GSK or any other drug company for that matter, but I think people are getting carried away with attributing their symptoms to Advair. The known side-effects are readily available, anything else is purely based on assumption. I agree that Advair may in fact have many more possible adverse effects than they let the public know, but let us be careful about making ourselves little scientific researchers and concluding a causal relationship based upon a single case study (and an informal one at that). Talk to your doctor about trying something with less risk, such as Singulair, Azmacort, Intall, Fluticasone Propionate, etc. Please though, be careful not to be so quick to claim generalizable findings based on your specific case. I myself am going to work with my physician to attempt a gluten-free diet and a less invasive medication therapy. Advair is not habit-forming or addictive, so withdrawals are doubtful at best. Read up on the pharmacology of Advair (salmeterol in particular), and you can come to your own conclusions. Best wishes to all of you fellow asthmatics!

A report from the Netherlands discusses depression. I had failed to notice that the report stated that in three cases the onset of the depression after taking Singulair was from 3-14 days.

Discussion and conclusion
Lareb received four reports of depressive symptoms in patients using montelukast.Possible confounding includes that asthma itself has been associated with the development of depression . Inhalated corticosteroids can also exert effects on the central nervous system. Fluticason in combination with salmeterol which is used by patients A, B and D, is associated with hyperactivity and irritability whereas budesonide, which is used by patient C also has been associated with depression .
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The latency of montelukast-induced depressive symptoms varies from 3-14 days.
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In three of the cases a positive dechallenge was seen. The fact that the patients (except for one) did not suffer from depressive symptoms before they started montelukast, the short latency, and recovery after withdrawal of the drug all strengthen our hypothesis that depressive symptoms are an ADR
related to the use of montelukast.

According to the Marketing Authorisation Holder of montelukast, depression will be added to the product information.

I have been on Singulair for nine years and I thank Merck for discovering and manufacturing it. I also thank my doctor for prescribing it to me. I have my life back! I had asthma so bad I was on high dose inhaled steroids and Albuterol. I had a nebulizer on my kitchen table and a drawer full of Albuterol in my refrigerator. Like clock work I would wake up wheezing and gasping for air and have to administer myself a treatment at 4 am every morning. I would try to exercise and I would wheeze and cough. I then went on Singulair and my nebulizer has been in the basement for at least 9 years, I have the drawer back in my refrigerator too. I exercise now and even ran my first race last summer without needing an inhaler. Thank God for Singulair. I am not going to die from my asthma.

There are so few choices to treat asthma and allergies and all the medications have problems like an FDA black box warning for increased death on Salmeterol(I stopped taking that) which is in Advair and emotional disturbances with steroids and increased suicide risk with Zyrtec which is now over the counter.

I do feel sorry for Cody's parents. It must be tragic to lose a child. My heart does go out to them. However looking rationally at this story, there seems to be a whole side missing. The news story did not mention anything about Cody's past history on the news. Did he ever have signs of depression? Was there an interview with his doctor? Was he having problems with friends at school? Was he into any drugs or adolescent games? Teenage boys also have the highest rate of suicide, medicines aside.

With all due respect, I never saw any of Cody’s friends or teachers be interviewed. Maybe this did happen and I missed this but I watched the news cast videos. Could there be more to this story that is purposefully being edited out or just not asked?

I never believe the media fully. They are very irresponsible and inaccurate at times.
If you read the product information of any drug including aspirin you would never want to take it. The truth is that many times the benefits of drugs out weigh the risks. I know I will keep taking my Singulair because I do not want to die of asthma sucking on inhalers like my mother did.

Okay- A friend just emailed this site to me, my son is 4 and has been taking Singulair for about 2 years. He has seasonal allergies which seem to be year round, asthma and food allergies. He is on Singulair and Allegra daily, this in it self freaks me out. What I have noticed for at least the past year is that when he is running around or moving a lot he hold his right side and says he has a pain in it, we now call it a "stitch". it happens not from strenuous activity, our doctor just says its growing pains, that doesn't make sense. something is bothering him it happens with somewhat frequency. I am really thinking about his behavior, it seems to me he can change on a dime. from happy to very angry, outbursts and then right back to sweet, yes this could describe any 4 year old, but not any 4 year old is on Singulair. I remember saying to him where is my sweet boy? I feel like that might have been when we started the meds, i am so used to his behavior now that it seems almost normal but there was a time he acted differently. and i do remember saying that.... was it when he went on Singulair???

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.

Advair is a drug that is delivered in 100/250/500 microgram (1.0 x 10-1 g) doses to the lungs. Research has show that there is no systemic residual fluticisone (steriods) found in your circulation. Unlike prednisone it is delivered straight to the lungs, acting only on the lungs. As for the long acting bronchodialotor salmeterol, it is very similar to albuterol chemically but acts for a longer period of time. I don't think advair is causing all of these problems. Have been on this for over 2 years and significantly controls my asthma and the two components of advair have been used safetly for many years. They have been proven in clinical trials and have brought great relief to many.

Try working out and eating better. Stop worrying about yourselves and do something interesting. It will take your mind off your weird side effects, that are mainly created by your mind.

Mistake in entry saying 'occaisional use of Salmeterol reliever'- potentially fatal to use Salmeterol this way- meant to say ' salBUTAmol reliever'. Xinafoate and steroid combination far worse than the asthma on its own.

Used it, in conjunction with a salmeterol reliever, to get off steroids. Inceased suddeness and severity of attacks, twice having to be ambulance driven to the ER. Absolutely unable to shed the 60 pounds put on with steroids- despite having been a healthy weight for 35 years, before taking these drugs. Have now given up all but the occaisional use of Salmeterol reliever, all symptoms gone.

After starting Advair last Nov. I suddenly had so much pain in legs and arms. Difficult to walk or lift anything. This pain continued until spring when I demanded a diagnosis. It was diagnosed as polymyalgia rheumatica. They do not know what causes it. I already had fibromyalgia. After prednisone for one day ALL pain and stiffness disappeared and I need to take prednisone for one year. I noticed others with fibromyalgia had much increased pain after Advair

What side effects should I watch for?
Although side effects from fluticasone and salmeterol are not common, they can occur. Tell you doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

dry or irritated throat
cough
difficult or painful speech
tremor
nervousness
dizziness
headache
upset stomach
diarrhea
cough
dry mouth
throat irritation

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
vision problems
white spots or sores in your mouth
swollen face, lower legs, or ankles
cold or infection that lasts a long time
muscle weakness
increased difficulty breathing
skin rash
unusual bleeding or bruising
rapid or increased heart rate
chest pain or discomfort

My doctor switched me from Flovent to Advair last spring. Within two weeks I had a grand mal seizure. Am now back on Flovent which works fine. My doctor thinks it's the salmeterol in Advair that I reacted to.

I had been on advair since it came on the market. I have suffered from increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. I complained in Nov. to doctor who proceeded to decreae the dose. I continued to have the same symptoms and in addition was having bouts of tachycardia and possibly skipped beats that were very disturbing. I again went and this time was told that by decreasing the dose that it was only the steroid and that the salmeterol was the same in all. Duh, why did he decrease the dose when it had no affect on the salmeterol. Now he decided to stop it altogether. My heart rate is back in a normal range and my blood pressure has come down to a very good reading. I do not have the the increased heart rate. However what I am experiencing is an increase in pain due to arthritis in my joints. i am wondering if this is because I have stopped the advair and the steroid that is in it. Has anyone else had that reaction after long time use of advair and then stopping it.

To the "guest" who posted about their 7 year old being on Advair:

You're wise to take him off of it. I can't believe so many doctors are giving this drug to children!

It's the salmeterol (which is the long-acting bronchodilator) that's causing his behavior changes. But if you're son's asthma is only mild, prescribing a drug like Advair seems very excessive. (Not to mention stupid.)

In my own experience (as well as other family members) Singulair has actually worked better than Advair. Of course there's no drug that's free from side effects, but I don't know of anyone who's had problems with Singulair. I highly recommend asking your doctor about Singulair as an alternative.

Good luck,
Jen