Advair Diskus side effects

I am a 45 year old black female who was placed on Avdair in September of 2009. In the beginning before Advair, I had never had any respiratory problems. It began with wheezing only at night lying down and slight chest congestion. My doctor diagnosed me with acute bronchitis and placed me on antibiotic Zithromax which did not completely clear me up, so he prescribed Bactrim for 10days which did. I thought I was home free until maybe 3-5 days after completion of the antibiotics, I started wheezing again one night and the next morning I was severely short of breath. I was able to get through that morninig long enough to get to my doctor, who prescribed Advair 50/100 twice daily. I was very skeptical about taking it, but when you think this breath will be your last, then you do what you have to do. I've been on Advair now for 6 months and It has been the miracle drug for me so far. I tried to wean myself off 3weeks afterwards, but have been unsuccessful. My throat starts to close after missing 2 doses and the asthma symptoms return. The only side effects I have had is a froggy throat,decreased smell and taste sensation, sneezing upon awakening and a little weight gain which may or may not be related since I am so preoccupied with breathing that I am not watching my diet or exercising regularly. I was very depressed about having to be on Advair since this is so life altering for me. I asked my doctor what caused all of this and he said it is allery related, he did not give me an asthma diagnosis. I just know that this works for me and I have come to the conclusion that I will be on it for the rest of my life. I am still in disbelief that this suddenly happened to me, but life throws you lemons sometimes. Im happy that Advair is my lemonade!

I have been dealing with allergy-induced asthma for twenty years. I can go for months at a time without any problems and be hit with severe respiratory problems within minutes if I'm in the wrong environment (mold, pollen, etc.). I started using Advair four years ago--and would only use it when I knew allergy season was about to hit in the spring and fall. I didn't notice any problematic side effects. However, this summer, with the H1N1 scare, I decided to to be proactive and started taking my Advair twice daily. I've been doing so for the past six months and I have gained 10 lbs. I workout 6 to 7 days per week--1 to 1.5 hours cardio plus weight training. My eating habits have not changed. I've had the H1N1 vaccination and will be going off the Advair to see if my weight goes back down.

i have had excruciating pain in my right knee and upper part of my right leg while only being on Advair diskus 250/50 for about 3 weeks now. It did help with my wheezing however i cant sleep at night because of the muscle pain i have been having. I NEVER have had issues with either of my knees and am seriously considering stopping the Advair!!!

I have been on Advair 100/50 for 3 years. I have dry mouth, dry eyes, dizziness, and night tremors. But all of this I can deal with since I can breath much better on the medication compared to off. I have COPD. I have not had any hair loss but did start gaining weight almost immediately after starting Advair. If I miss a dose, I know it within an hour or so. I wish it wasn't so expensive.

I also had a seizure from advair .In July of 2004 I was on my lunch break . I came home and decided I needed to take the Advair . Which I usually took twice a day . I took a puff and then I immediately felt dizzy fell over the counter and started shaking . I could hear my mother trying to yell my name in my right ear but i was unable to respond . It was the scariest moment of my life . She immediately called the doctor and I never took it again .

I've been on Advair 500/50 for about five years now. Nothing seemed to control my adult onset asthma before then. Singulair worked great but caused shin pain. I seem to tolerate the Advair well in most regards. About 3-4 years ago, I started having a productive cough. It is not all day long, but usually upon first rising and occasional bouts during the evening. I am also hoarse, but it could be due to other meds. I have had pulmonary workup which was great. I have recent cardiac workup, also great. Breathing is fine, better than ever. It is this cough that makes me sound worse than tv's Felix Unger. I am beginning to think it is caused by the Advair, as no other diagnosis is forthcoming.

I have been on Advair for about 8 months. The only side effect I am trying to confirm is form the Advair is an odd smell in my nasal cavity and my taste is off. At first I thought old favorites had changed their ingredients - tasted a bit like chicken broth. I tried a nasal wash and it smelled, too. When I eat hot items that make my nose run, the smell melts into my mouth and ruins the flavor. Is there a way to confirm this is an Advair issue? I brush my teeth and/or rinse after each use.

Hi everyone, i am 30 years old and have been a severe asthmatic since i was an infant. I started taking advair about 3 years ago, and let me tell you , I had never felt that good, ever!!! BUT, I have developed quite a number of side effects including:
- Severe dry eye's
- terrible Problems with my teeth(pain)
- problems with my voice
- had pneumonia 3 times in about five months
- swelling in feet and hands after sitting for a while
- my body seems to go into "withdrawal" if i stop using the medication, even for a day, my breathing gets terrible!

I have been on and off advair for the past few years and yes, it does seem to take the wheezes away....it was prescribed to me as a result of what was diagnosed as a GERD symptom altho I didn't feel breathless, just wheezy. The wheeze did go away, but I have also suffered hair loss, which my GP brushes off as menopause which does not make me happy. So having read all the preceding posts I think I shall ease off the Advair and see how I am without it (GERD seems better controlled with diet changes), and switch to Flovent I think it is...the old inhaled steroid. I did ask for that and was given the prescription. I didn't find these asthma like symptoms bad enough to warrant a strong drug like Advair - I think it would be fantastic for severe asthma that needs it. Wonder if the other inhaled steroids affect hair too? Just praying it all comes back! Nothing worse than getting old AND losing your hair as a woman!!! I see some regrowth so fingers crossed.

after 6 months of using Advair Diskus, it felt like a piece of cheese cloth was at the upper part of my lungs. My breathing was very difficult, My Dr. didn't think it was Advair. After one year I also developed dry eye, muscle spasms in legs, cramps in my feet. I didn't know about side effect of dry eye. I have not used Advair for over a year now, but except for the feeling of cheese cloth over top of lungs, all other systems are worse. Dry eye is causing me not to be able to read but for a few minutes, driving at night is impossible if its raining. My computer letter setting is set at a very high font so I can read easier.

I've been on Advair for a little over 35 days. I started to notice a swelling or feeling of sores or loose skin in my mouth or lips. Then I started getting a pain and burning in both the nipples of my breast. I am going to stop taking it to see if both symptoms go away. Come Monday I'll call my doctor.

PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG! IT"S LETHAL> I was on Advair 500/50 for 2years to control my severe asthma, which it did and for about 6months I felt great, but at what a price?....Chronic Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Teeth Breaking, Bone Density Issues, severe hair loss, most awful leg cramps, dizziness, shortness of breath, night sweats, anxiety and chest pains. I suspected that Advair was too blame, came across this site and it all just clicked!. I immediately quit Advair cold turkey in March this year. In May during my annual physical I had an abnormal EKG and a murmur was noticed (for the 1st time in 20years). My primary care physician of 25years was as baffled as I was,.I had a perfect EKG the year before. She referred me to a cardiologist and he did a battery of tests (EKG, echocardiogram and stress test with contrast).The echocardiogram came back as abnormal with mitral valve regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation. Is it coincidental that some of the side effects triggered by Advair such as Chest Pain, dizziness, heart palpitations is also the common symptoms of heart valve issues? I don't know. I'm not a doctor, but my common sense tells me that this drug is the culprit.
Before taking this drug, I was a very healthy 40 year old. I could run 10miles a day, work 10hours a day and take care of 4year old. 3months ago before quitting Advair, I felt like a 83year old with advance heart failure. I'm finding my way back to almost feeling and looking my old self again minus less hair, broken teeth and a not so perfect ticker, courtesy of GSK and Advair.

I have been using Advair now for two months and I have gained 10 pounds. Is this a side effect of the medication?.
The doctor prescribed it twice a day and I am only using once a day 250/50.
Other than that is working our great for me.

Oh I take benadryl almost daily too.. BUt I try only if necessary since it makes me sleep.>Which is dangerous do to my apnea.. The day benadryl does not work as well for me some reason?

HEllo.. I am a 47 year woman, whom started losing alot of hair all of a sudden... I had been losing, a few to 20, throughout a days brushing.> But the last few weeks a good chunk on and off for months.. I started advair last year.. Just got my 3rd refill... I been on albuterol for about 4 years.. My airways close severely..Allergies to foods, chemical, nature flowers and plants.. I also have Apnea sleep disorder which closes airways.. I take, singulair, albuterol, advair, naproxen, and flonase.. daily... I try to take the advair only if really needed.. BUt usually needed every day.. BUT I got the thought the more recent meds have to be the culprit..Not unusual to lose a 100 hairs a day by studies ! But clumps from same spot, all of a sudden! >YEa something not right ! So I started searching..Found so far nsaids such as the naproxen , and this advair both can make you lose your hair and then some ! I also get the itching for your life itch ! HEad to toe ! Dry, Told the doctor I use ever cream, lotion, gel, To Moisturize and it not help..
I been bloating on and off for years, with bowel trouble(IBS).. And nsaids also give constipation problems it seems , as advair has been said by users. BUt the last few years even more so.. I always excerscized..BUt bloat would make me not even appear as I exercise regular.. I have nerve problems all the time.. NEver had blood pressure... ALways read low if anything..NOW I am rating higher blood pressure when I go the dr.. I noticed in the last year My blood vessels show through my skin aLot ! That seemed weird to me ! Perhaps the meds? I been gettin more backaches than usual.. I always have them along in my life..BUT MOre prevailed Now in Lower back . My Eyes stay dry No matter what I do, Even feels like something in my eye, like a small bug or something... BUt never nothing there.. I get the ringing in the ears quite often now.. I think I will quit advair.. As for albuterol I do not know !? I do not know.>BUt Advair is the only meds I started recent.. And the clumps of hair been recent.>So I assume yes the advair !

THe person saying bad mouthing the advair or any med... that it is as prescribed only etc.. YOUR right ! Some people cannot take wat other persons can.> We take meds from a dr.. Not realizing we can have allergy reactions to the med, other people will not have ! PErhaps that it I have another chemical I cannot take in the advair, And perhaps the albuterol !

And another thing.>>The OZone harming chemical had been taken out the ALBUTEROL... they switched it to something else but calls it Albuterol still.. THat is what my Dr told me ! So if harmful to the Ozone, why not harmeful to humans. IT is about Sales to the medical fields more than HElping humans ! Money talks !

GOOD Luck.. and remember GOD is the 1st Physician.>HE cures still !

Thank you all for sharing your experiences of the side affects of Advair. I am 46 years-old and have been on Advair for almost 2 years. I've experienced hair loss, joint stiffness. I find myself taking Tylenol for body and back pains every night, and Bayer aspirin in the mornings. My feet are so sore. I've also had decrease in libido.. at first I thought I was going through menopause. I did not have all these problems before Advair. Look what most of us had to sacrifice just to be able to take in deep breaths without feeling like someone is standing on our chest. I will search for other alternatives. My grandmother used to make tea from lobelia leaves to help my uncle who suffered with asthma.
The drug industry is a business. Once we start taking any pharmaceutical drugs... we open ourselves to other health problems due to the side affects of those drugs.

I have had mild asthma for twenty some years but lately allergies made it worse and I was using my rescue inhaler every night. I went to the doctor and got Advair. My asthma cleared up right away but within a week I was having chest pains and pressure on my chest. My doctor diagnosed costochondritis, which is probably part of my problem. Still, I didn't feel right - bloated, jittery, coughing, dry mouth, constricted throat. I am prone to anxiety but in the past 24 hrs, I've had the worst panic attacks I've ever had in my life. I'm going off Advair. How long does it take for the effects to wear off?

I have had Asthma since I was a child. I am a 39yrs, male. My Asthma is seasonal; I only get Asthma around April and almost all of May. My Symptoms are; in the evening I am unable to breathe proper once I go to bed. I went to my doctor and he prescribed, Advair. At first, I taught wow, this is really good until I started having so many other problems. I cannot sleep once I take the spray during the night, due to sever Allergy, my throat itches so badly and my body aches, also my head scratches really bad. When I wake up in the morning, I am so tired and don’t feel like I want to go to work. If I take it in the day time, its worst, I feel a quick relief from the breathing but the side effect out weights the cure. I also feel really nervous and almost loose my voice. I think I will speak to my doctor on this as I am so not into taking it any longer.
Here are my Symptoms; Itchy Throat for weeks; Nervousness and lost of voice; Pain in my muscles; Fever; I don’t want to talk to anyone.
Note: I just recently started tracking these symptoms as I have been using this for the past 3 yrs or so and would constantly get the feelings above, but did not know what was causing this until I started making notes of these symptoms.

S.

I'm very happy to have found this forum! I've had asthma for 25 years now. I was given Advair 250/50 when my Dr. noted that I'd been using my rescue inhaler way too much, about 5-7 times/day. That was 5 years ago. My asthma symptoms were immediately improved. I could take a deep breath for the first time in a year, and after a couple months was almost completely off the Albuterol. However... the last few years (especially the last year) have been not so good. My friend finally put 2 and 2 together after I was complaining (yet again) of feeling run down and having another throat infection (the fourth this year). She told me to check the info for the meds I'm currently on, which led me here. My symptoms are as follows: about 2-3 years ago, I experienced the hair loss and mood swings (severe) and anxiety. Then I started getting recurring tonsil infection, laryngitis, joint pain and constant "rundown" feeling. I've had full blown Pneumonia twice in the last three years. I never had any of this before I started taking Advair. I constantly have some sort of low-grade infection. I was considering removing my tonsils (which was why I was complaining to my friend). Now, I'm trying to figure out if I should try to just quit cold turkey or gradually. I know my asthma symptoms will return, but at this point-which is worse? The problem or the "solution".

I have only been taking this drug for about 3 weeks and I could not explain at first but just knew things were off. I can not sleep, have terrible nightmares all night long, wake up at 4 if I do sleep. I am 53 and have long hair and my head itches all the time. I now fear hair loss as I have read in other complaints. My eyes are dry, I just feel off, majorly ! My back and legs ache all the time, especially when I first get up in the morning I can seriously barely move or bend down. I feel like I am 83 instead of 53. I have had no headaches but have had weight gain already, especially in my midsection. I feel off mentally all the time, not able to concentrate at all. I am calling my doctor on Monday and they have to give me something else. Has anyone else had these symptoms and what else can you take or do?

I have pitting edema in my lower legs that will not go away with diuretics, two teeth broke off, enlarge abdomen, pain and tingling in hands, pain in my left knee, one sore throat after another, and I get a foul taste in my mouth without warning.

I have pain in my hands, swelling in my legs that will not go away with diuretics, two tooth broke off, weight gain especially around the abdomen, one sore throat after another, and foul taste in my mouth without warning.

Dizziness, weight gain, muscle cramping, nightmares, nausea, bloating, water retention. My legs look like elephant legs they are so swollen. I have been on Advair for 3 mos and I have gained 9 lbs. I exercise 45 minutes a day and still gain weight. The blood pressure is up, the blood sugar is up, the hemoglobin is down and the GERD is not responding to the Protonix. It is exacerbating everything and I am going to request a change in meds. I am 53 and I do not want to go diabetic at this stage.

After being treated for COPD, first with prednisone (some years ago) and with Advair subsequently, I have suffered waves of extreme fatigue and panic attacks. I don't know if it was the original prednisone treatment or the use of Advair. The dosage was reduced last year from 500/50 to 250/50, but the waves of attacks continue. I cannot attribute the condition to anything else. I am not on any other medications except Duoneb. I do not have high-blood pressure. I have developed a pad of fat on my abdomen, but am otherwise slender. Considering that I eat very little, I am probably overweight inspite of my weighing only 120 pounds. Has anyone else suffered with my problems following the use of Advair (or prednisone)?.

I'm 46 and have been taking Advair for 7 years and I'm amazed at all of the side effects I've noticed of Advair that I've never had before. Asthma aside, I've always been healthy, moderately active and eat healthy yet noticed over the last couple of years I constantly feel like a puff ball from water retention and bloating - it's awful. My eyesight is worse, blurry and dry eyes. Constant muscle and joint pain, occasional dizziness and lightheadness, mood swings, just about everything . I've also noticed a decrease in libido and an increase in blood pressure. Does anyone have experience with a better replacement for it that I can discuss with my physician that does not cause any additional side effects from switching from Advair to a different long-term inhaler?

How interesting -- I'm a 56 old female. Went to my Dr. because couldn't shake a chest cold, feeling like lungs not a full capacity. She listened and agreed there was too much wheezing. She gave me an Advair 250 inhaler, although when I asked, said that it would, my lungs would eventually clear themselves up. Instructed me to take twice a day for 5 days, then once a day until I felt I didn't need it anymore. The third night I was up all night with deep ache in my wisdom teeth, some bleeding in the gums, used ice packs and ibuprofin (sp?) to get through the night. After another day and night like that I could only think it was the Advair so stopped it. Saw my dentist 2 or three days later -- pain was decreasing, but wanted to be sure there was no infection. Showed denstist the inhaler but she said it couldn't be that and there were no signs of infection. So -- tried Advair again but again by the 2nd night I was up again with the ice packs, pain killers and bleeding gums. No more Advair for me, and I'm relieved to read that others had the same reactions I did as it means I'm not completely nuts.

I must admit I am very surprised by all of the side effects of Advair. I have been taking Advair 250 for years and have NEVER had any problems. I'm 28, healthy, thin, and happy. I exercise several times a week. ALL drugs have side effects. I don't think it's fair for anyone to say "don't take Advair, it's a horrible drug" because it works for some of us. I was taking Flovent before but it didn't work for me. I needed a rescue inhaler several times a week. Since I've been taking Advair I don't even fill my prescription for my rescue inhaler! All drugs have side effects, but they don't effect all people!

i quit advair in December and i've noticed that i lose the normal amount of hair in the shower, instead of the gobs i was losing before

I have been on advair 250/50 for about 1 year now and i have had dramatic weight gain about 40 lbs. which i cannot get off i have never been a heavy person, since i started this has changed. Also i have had tooth pain in my molars which are now cavities, that happened within 3 months from taking this drug.

Has anyone experienced anal fissures? Since Advair has mucus forming as one of it's side effects my husband and I were curious to see if anyone else was reporting weeping around the anus which is causing very painful skin irritation and a fissure. He also has terrible leg cramps while sleeping at night, hair loss, mouth sores, thrush in his throat. He has been on advair for over two years and we are now reading of all the same side effects that have been plaguing him for some time now. The anal fissure is difficult to discuss, but I did read of a mother below that wondered if her son's soiled underwear could be related. Does anyone else have this symptom?

My only problem with Advair, but believe me it was a doozy, was pain in my feet - on the bottoms of my feet. I mean, this pain was so terrible that when I woke up in the morning I could barely walk because the bottoms of my feet hurt that much. All day long I would have to put up with the pain. This went on for almost two years before I decided to quit the Advair. After I quit it the pain in my feet was completely gone within two months. The problem isn't the Flovent in the Advair. The problem is the Serevent in it. I know this because after quitting the Advair I still continued with a Flovent HFA inhaler for my asthma and the pain still went away.

i am 58 diagnosed with copd 2 years ago i was never sick and worked construction since 1969 but i did smoke 3 packs a day i thought my 30 lbs weight was from not smoking anymore im sure some is but not all of it i have been reading about the side effects other people have and i have more than i realized the worst besides the weight gain is the heart rate i recently was hospitalized for it if we are sick we need medicine but i don't know about this i have read about people who have stopped taking advair and then became worse when they had to go back it damed if you do and damed if you don't all i know is that i am retired and cant afford a $1000.00 hospital stay and now that i think about it i had two other 3 day stays in the hospital for lung infections and yes i get moody have headaches chest pains sore joints im on my way to getting old i don't think all those things are from age i think the advair has to go good luck

I was on Advair for less than a year and the Doctor's kept upping my dose. I went off of it for about 4 months last spring because of the weight gain issue. then I got sick with a respiratory infection last summer and Dr. put me on it again -- and I started immediately having jaw pain and terrible headaches. Went to dentist and found out my teeth were disintegrating (called resorption). I go to dentist every 6 months for cleaning and have xrays each year and never had a problem or cavities. Genetically both sides of my family have very strong teeth for their entire life (into their 90's). So I saw many dental specialists and surgeons and it was baffling to them. I'm 44 years old and now my teeth and jaw are a total mess. I've had my front teeth pulled and multiple bone grafts. The reconstruction process (if it works) will take more than a year and over $25,000 (not covered by insurance). And my Doctors still don't know if my other teeth now showing problems will also eventually fail as well.

And I didn't associate the Advair with the problem until I started to take Advair again (2 months after last jaw surgery) and almost immediately my mouth start gushing blood from where the bone grafts were healing. I stopped Advair again -- waited 2 weeks and took it again (just to make sure) and again severe bleeding occurred. I wrote the scientists that were testifying before the FDA's Advair Black Box hearing that this drug should be illegal. At 44 years old I am looking at the prospect of being disfigured for life, no less and issue is the enormous cost that it presents -- and who is going to hire someone with missing front teeth (it has destroyed my career as well).

Before I took Advair I never had joint pain, GI issues, much less teeth/jaw issues and now this is my reality everyday. I feel like I aged 20 years by taking Advair for 1 year. I also know that this damage is permanent and likely to continue to get worse despite having stopped the drug. I think GSK knows how dangerous this really is. I also think it stays in your body a lot longer than they say it does. We know it kills people and they admit it does. STAY AWAY FROM IT!

All Steroids are equally terrible -- stay away from Prednisone, Pulmicort, Nasonex -- they are all killers.

I started on Advair on January 14, 2008. Soon after that I developed
dermatitis on my legs which I was treated for and it went away.
Shortly thereafter, on occasion, my legs would itch so badly at times that I though I would have to SCRATCH!!!!!! FOREVER!!!!!!! Not a good situation. It is now a year later. I resorted to using a Psoriasis cream and with Benadryl , knock on wood, I have been two days without itching. Keeping my fingers crossed. The Advair has really helped with my asthma, but I'm wondering if
anyone has had this side effect?

I have been taking advair for years on and off. I was upped my dose to 250/50 and for the last year have struggled with feeling terrible. I didn't really think it was the advair for a long time. Thought it was something else and the doctors didn't find anything wrong, they were looking at hepatitis, thyroid, adrenal etc. But I feel sickly all the time, like I have the flu... those body aches all in my back and chest and I feel tired all of the time. My lungs sometimes hurt. I get dizzy spells as well and am struggling through my day. Has anyone experienced this on Advair? I have just decided to go off and use my inhaler... which I am trying not to use unless I am really wheezing. Trying to get all the steroid out of my body to see if that makes a difference. How long will it take before the advair is totally out of my system? I am so tired of feeling so tired and sick. Please if anyone has experienced I'd like to know I am not alone.

I just started taking Advair 100/50 on Friday night. I've had 2 doses and after both doses I've gotten a headache and a burning sensation on my tongue. I've rinsed well both times and drank a lot of water after the fact. The burning sensation lasts for several hours. My asthma seems better but I know I can't work with the headache. I was on Singular but wasn't taking it regularly...took it regularly for a couple of weeks and my asthma was acting up..mostly in the morning and the night was having to use my rescue inhaler more than I want. I'm trying to decide what other medicine I want to ask my doctor to put me on when I call Monday. Any suggestions?

I would like to say something about advair that is POSITIVE. I have taken this drug, with NO SIDE EFFECTS for 5 years now and it has made a huge difference in my life.
I have had no isues with thrush (i rinse and spit) or weight gain or hair loss or coughs-

please don't condem a drug just based on your experience. reading through these comments I see a lot of times this has been prescribed fr folks who were not ashthmatic or with COPD. This drug is not for folks who don't have hyper reactive airways-but for those of us who do, it has been a lifesaver.

BTW I changed careers 2 years ago and entered the health field as a Respiratory therapist and adair has helped many many people. But its not a miracle drug-it has a specific purpose and if hat is not your problem, its not likely to be a good solution.

I'm a 56 year old male who has been taking 500/50 Advair since it came out - about 9 years ago or so. Having severe asthma since my mid-twenties, this medication has been the best for me than anything else, and has greatly limited my dependency on prednisone and has kept my general well-being fairly stable. I always try to cut back when I'm breathing better, but have never been able to skip more than one day before asthma symptoms begin to come back. So far, I have notice no side effects! Anyone know what's up with that?
Also, I've tried everything under the sun to naturally get away from all medications, but have never been even close to successful....but I'm still looking.

I've had all these same symptoms at one point during the two years I've been taking Advair. I've had exercise induced asthma since I was 18 but I can still work out at age 38 regularly with the help of Albuterol/Proventil. I stopped taking Advair after I completed my last disk in Sept, 08. It all makes sense now after the fact from reading here. Firstly, I cant tell you how severe the muscle cramps were. No words can describe upper body cramping in every muscle that I endured for weeks (it felt like knives all over)!!! The same happened with my legs...the muscles became so tight they contorted! My Dr. gave me an m.r.i. took x-rays and several blood tests...even gave me an h.i.v. test because he had no idea what would cause all these symptoms. He said it was "complicated". The test results found nothing. All lof my symptoms are gone now that I've stopped taking it (mouth sores, bleeding gums, strange skin lumps, hair loss, dry eyes, swollen tongue feeling, lump in throat feeling, severe cramping all over my body for 3 weeks). The Dr. noted that I had gained 10lbs since my last visit. I told him, "I've barely been able to MOVE with this cramping much less exercise with my regular weekly routine!" "It even hurts to breath deeply!" I still have a dry cough that hasn't gone away and normally I clear up after the seasonal rag weed season is over. We have had two hard frosts already...that usually clears my allergies.

Well it is 5:02 am and thanks to Advair I am still wide awake.
So here goes my experience of taking only two (2) doses of advair.
In my part of the world there is this cold virus that everyone wants to pass on. Seems this monster will stay with you for 3-6 weeks and no meds seem to help. I now am going into my third week dealing with this leach. So today I went to see my doc. He took a listen to my lungs and said wow you really are sick.....dah I was thinking. So he gave me advair and suggested I take a dose right then. I did thinking boy I hope this helps. He then told me to take my second dose in the evening. After I returned home I go the shakes. I just chalked it up to not eating breakfast and went on about my day. I did eat, but I still wasn't feeling right and of course thinking it was the cold virus taking it tole on me. I was nearing 6:00 and I knew I had to be out the door by 6 to go coach my girls basketball team. So before I headed out the door I took my second dose of advair. When I arrived at the gym I was really shaking and my vision was a bit off. I had my son get me a candy bar thinking I just might need some sugar. Now I haven't had a candy bar in years, it is just not my thing, but I was desperate at this time. I told my son as he helps me coach that I wasn't feeling right and if you see me start to go down, you better catch me before I hit the floor..Finally I made it through the ballgame and got home. It wasn't long until I started getting these super sharp chest pains, a pounding headache, and then my arms started feeling numb....I am thinking oh no....I told my hubbie you better call 911, but before he made the call we started discussing the meds the doc gave me today. I had no information on advair, because it was a sample and the doc threw the information in the trash. I never though one thing about it he has been my doc for years. I go to my computer and look for information and side effects for this drug and bingo it described all my symptoms right on the nose. In my reading also I found the FDA voted down the recall on this drug 12-0.
Anyway I voted to stay home, stay awake, sit by the phone, and let the family sleep. After reading the side effects I knew what was going on and in reading also the doctors do not have a magic pill to help, but they can give you a handful of pills to help each of your symptoms and oh boy just what I need more drugs with more side effects.
As I await for all the alarms to go off I still have a slight headache, still a little shaking, the muscles in my arms and legs are still a bit numb, and I still have some chest pain. I will go see another doctor today just for piece of mind or the kids will drag me there anyway.
Now, you have my story of what advair did to me in just one day. I wonder how many others it has effected and how many had to spend hundreds of dollars to find the answer...

I must go now and thanks for reading my story and also I hope everyone is doing well after your experience with advair.....

i've been taking the 100/50 advair for years now. i have only ever taken one dose a day, frankly out of cheapness. i was unwilling to take anything that expensive twice a day! in the beginning of my asthma experience, i was also put on singulair but again, when i filled the prescription and saw how much it cost, i never refilled it (boy, am i grateful for that after reading what people have posted about it!)
i cough up lots of yellow glom from my lungs and i blow similar stuff from my nose. a CT scan showed my sinuses to be completely blocked with polyps and the doctors said that if i had the surgery, i could get off advair.
in dec of 2006, i had the surgery but within weeks of going without advair, my lungs were tight again and i couldn't breathe and had to do a week of prednisone to open things up. back to advair for maintenance, but this time the surgeon added 2 nasal sprays (veramyst & astelin) and other inhalers (ventolin & maxair), plus wanted me to go to an allergy doctor for immunology injections.
the surgeon also told me that polyps could grow back in a month after surgery! wish he had told me this before the surgery. i certainly knew that they could grow back but i figured i'd have a good 20 years! now i'm told that i need these 4 other medications, plus advair, plus allergy shots to keep my polyps from growing back!
i still have no sense of smell, i still sniff, cough up glom and have constant sinus infection, just like i did before having a $25,000 operation!
however, i don't take the other medication- just the advair once a day or once every other day.
i never thought i had any side effects until i started reading here. happily i have not gained weight. but a few years ago, i did notice a lot more hair in the shower drain. and my voice is often hoarse. i didn't connect this to advair use until i read people's complaints here.
i am determined to get off this crap!
i have a resistance pump to exercise my lungs and strengthen their capacity.
also trying a dry salt inhaler and various supplements.
this is a great site. we need to get all our complaints to the FDA- they have to stop allowing drug companies to profit while using us as unsuspecting guinea pigs

I have been having problems that I just realized may be related to using
Advair. I take 250/50 two times a day. I have not felt good for several months. I feel fuzzy headed, feel like my left lung is constantly congested, and have recently started having muscle stiffness in my calves and feet in the morning. I had blood drawn this morning but I think I may talk to my doctor about my concerns.

After reading all the side effects from Advair. I am glad I decided to wean myself off this horrible drug. My pulmonologist gave me a sample after I was diagnosed with asthma in March. Before I was diagnosed with asthma I had a severe bout of bronchitis followed by pneumonia. At first I felt much better using Advair, but then the horror kicked in. I experienced hoarseness and felt like I had an obstruction in my throat. I am not going into all of the side effects I experienced with this drug because it is a repeat of what people are saying on this website.

I stopped taking it two weeks ago. I am already noticing how much better I feel. The withdrawal has been difficult. I have no intention of taking this drug again. I plan on using alternative medicine in the future.

This drug must be taken off the market!!!!

I am a 58 year old women.I have been on advair for three years. I have gained a few pounds and have bone loss in my left jaw. Resulting from taking advair. Went to see my family doctor about the bone loss. He has taken me off of advair. A lot of pain due to taking advair. Possible surgery in future. I think advair should be taken off the market due to so many side affects.

My daughter is 15 and has been experiencing swollen knee joints, hip and back pain. Has anyone else seen this with their Advair use>

I took Advair for almost 4 years. I did not take it regularly (as regularly as they prescribed), but took it reasonably regularly.

I think Advair is the worst drug! It wrecked my teeth! I had perfect (no cavities) until I started taking Advair, which is when I started getting cavities. My teeth will never be the same.

The worst part though, was that after about 2 years of use, I got a horrible case of pleurisy. I had it for 8 months. I went to dr. after dr. No one would listen. I finally got one to do a lung x-ray--within which I had scaring throughout my chest/bronchial tubes. My asthma was getting horrible, and I was literally at 75% oxygen intake (yah--my asthma dr. later told me I should have been in the hospital). I finally looked up and researched Advair--and found out that one of it's side effects was lung infections. By the time I found this out, I basically had a lung infection for 2 years. I fought with my asthma dr.--to get off of Advair. Put me on Flovent instead, which has been fine. I was off and on Prednisone for more than a year throughout all this time. Once off of Advair, the dr. put me on a regular dose of Prednisone (probably gained 15-25 pounds during that time), and an anti-biotic, once I finally won that battle. I FINALLY got better after about a month of treatment! But, ever since then I cannot get a cold/upper respiratory infection without having to go on prednisone in order to stop the cough. Plus, I then got my gall bladder out, and I now get major pain in that area when I get a cough.

I flat out refuse to EVER take Advair again. Nothing is worth going through anything like that again! It was miserable! I'm sure I had some other symptoms, such as stomach pains, headaches, depression, anxiety, etc., but seriously, I was just trying to breathe for so long, that none of the other stuff caused me as much worry!

I have been on advair for 1 year and it has helped get me off the rescue inhaler but around 3 weeks ago my hair started falling out in clumps. After every shower i have to clean the drain. Advair is the only medication that i take. Will it grow back when i quit taking it? Has anyone had success with other asthma medications with less side effects?

I was diagnosed with adult allergic asthma one year ago at 38 years old. I started having problems breathing ONLY AT NIGHT on occasion and palpitations. Had a physical and ekg, totally normal. Went to allergist and they said I have alot of allergies and diagnosed me with the asthma. Funny thing, weeks before I biked 20 miles, hiked 12 miles, canoed 3 miles, played golf in a 3 day span and no problems. Since they told me this and started me on advair 250/50 I haven't been able to jog more than 2 miles or bike more than 8 to 10. Its very strange indeed, I have gotten more paranoid feelings when just get a little out of breath, and sometimes cant keep still in a car or sitting down. I cut back on sugar, sodium and started exercising a little every day, only 15 minutes and felt better. But came down with a cold recently and back to square one. I am trying to take the advair only ONCE a day instead of twice and almost feel withdrawal symptoms like shakiness, paranoia, irritability. I do have higher blood pressure than I should. Does anyone have any idea about this? I am really confused! Thanks... J

I promised to write on this board & get the message out in the event that they figured out what was wrong with me after

approximately 4 months of progressive shortness of breath. In April/May 2008, I felt a very slight pain in my chest/lung

area. At first I thought I may have stretched a muscle during basketball, working out or painting a house. I went to my

primary care physician who ordered an X-Ray & a CT Scan. The CT scan showed some consolidation. At this time I had no

shortness of breath and played basketball for hours a day. I merely had a very slight feeling of pain in my chest area when

breathing deep. My primary care physician based on the xray/ct scan results and my concerns, sent me to a lung specialist.

The lung specialist gave me a pulmonary function test, one with and without a bronchiodilater. The specialist indicated that

I have Asthma. I refuted & said that I have never been diagnosed with Asthma and how would that be possible? I ran the 2 mile

in JR High school, played basketball all the time & am extremely athletic. At the age of 32 I've been working out on the

bench with 225 lbs and been playing basketball in leagues forever. In any case, the doctor said that I had exercise induced

asthma and stated that I likely had asthma but never caught it. ----- I did not believe it or agree. I was put on Proventil.

For whatever reason, I got very sick the next day after visiting with the lung specialist for several days & recovered about

10 days after my visit. I believed it was from taking the bronchiodilater or being on their machine or around all the sick

people - who knows to this day.

I failed to mention that my specialist did not view my CT Scan or XRay while diagnosing my problem, he relied solely on my

Pulmonary test. He said he'd get the CT Scan/XRays, review & give me a follow up call. He never called. I started calling a

couple weeks after my visit to see if he had seen my reports, but no response and my condition was not getting better. I

tried taking proventil twice a day, then just 20 minutes prior to my basketball game and even during my basketball game. I

tried everything, but nothing improved.

I dropped off the CT Scan cd for the lung specialist to review, since they stated they never received it from the hospital.

--- I had no problem getting it, why would a doctors office have problems getting it & if they couldn't get it, then why

weren't they calling me?????

Finally in late July, I was able to schedule an appointment with the lung specialist again. The lung specialist did another

CT Scan & Pulmonary Test. The verdict after reviewing these tests - the specialist states that I don't have Asthma. I refuted

again & pleaded with the doctor that I had a serious problem & could not play basketball like I use to. I could no longer jog

50 yards before short of breath. He then suggested I try their bike test with EKGs and measurements of my breathing. I got on

the bike & in approximately 4 minutes I was short of breath and my oxygen levels went from 95 to below 90!!!! I could barely

bike anymore.

The verdict after the bike test, my lung specialist indicated that the results looked odd, but more than likely it's

exercise induced asthma yet again. He prescribed me ADVAIR.

I took ADVAIR as prescribed 2x a day. My condition got progressively worse....shortness of breath even worse... it got to a

point that I could not walk 100 feet with my briefcase without being short of breath. I was starting to get very irritable &

stressed as a result. I read all the online side effects about ADVAIR leading me to this website & was disturbed by the

readings like all the others. I scheduled another appointment with the lung specialist to tell him my feelings & that Advair

was not helping after a month.

He indicated that the report received from my CT SCAN A MONTH AGO showed some calcification in one of my lower left arteries

& that I should visit a cardiologist to take a look. He prescribed 2 months more of ADVAIR to see if I'd improve, because it

takes time apparently.

I met with the cardiologist the next day, they did a Stress Test & Echo cardiogram. The stress test showed up normal & the

echo came back ABNORMAL. It indicated that I had pressure on one side of my heart due to the lungs not receiving or

exchanging enough oxygen for some unexplained reason!!

The cardiologist stated that we'd have to do a Cardiac Cath to determine the cause & treatment. This seemed very major & can

be a risky procedure although done frequently I was told.

Another CT Scan was performed. AND FORTUNATELY, now listen up..... A VQ SCAN was ordered up to be performed before the

Cardiac Cath. During a VQ Scan they inject radio iodine and have you breath-in a radio active substance. THE VQ SCAN SHOWED

BLOOD CLOTTING ON BOTH SIDES OF MY LUNGS!!!!

I am literally now in the Hospital being treated CORRECTLY for blood clotting and on blood thinners. The moral of the story

on this message board for ME is THAT ADVAIR WAS NOT HELPING, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE RIGHT TREATMENT. I was MISDIAGNOSED and

there was not enough follow up from the doctors in my perception, because it took approximately 4 MONTHS to determine.

If I had stayed on ADVAIR, supposedly treating "exercise induced asthma", then I may have DIED due to LUNG FAILURE or HEART

FAILURE!

DISCLAIMER - I am not a doctor & this is only a synopsis of my personal experience. Again, I promised to share this

information, so others could hopefully benefit.

My recommendation - If you never had asthma are athletic over the age of 30 and the doctor prescribes ADVAIR for ASTHMA, then

I would highly recommend you have a VQ(Perfusion) scan performed. I hope this saves someones misery or life.

I'm still in the hospital, they are treating my blood clots and continue to try to determine the cause of my blood clots. If

anyone has any theories as to where my small blood clots may have come from, then please oblige.

I have only been on Advair for a couple of weeks but went online because my gums are bleeding like crazy and my mouth is very sensitive. I stopped a few days ago because my asthmatic symptoms had subsided, but i think that the Advair is responsible for my mouth problems.