Advair Diskus and asthma symptoms

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'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'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.

26/f on Advair for 1 year, 3 mos. Diagnosed with asthma when I was 17. Was overusing my albuterol and my symptoms got worse so pulmonologist prescribed Advair 250/50. After the first week of taking 2 puffs a day, I didn't need albuterol inhalor and was able to exercise for the first time in YEARS without needing emergency inhaler. Advair was my life saver. Also prescribed to me was Protonix- the doctor thought I had acid reflux which contributed to my asthma symptoms. I take that seasonally now, when I notice a hoarseness in speech. I do get headaches every so often, they have been occurring more frequently as with mood swings so I am researching medications. I have no idea if this is tied into my Advair use since I've been on it over a year now. I might try going off Advair to see if it is related. I've also had a weird muscle cramp in my left armpit area which I NEVER would have thought was related to Advair but several people here have reported it. In short, the headaches, mood swings, etc. do NOT outweigh my ability to exercise and breathe normal. I will most likely try to lower my dose of Advair or ween myself off to see how I do, but if my asthma worsens, I'd rather stay on Advair.

I am a 35 year old women, with severe asthma. I have had asthma since I was four years old. I have been through numerous meds. Currently I am taking Singulair, Combivent, Advair diskus and thte 7 day Predinsone. In July 2007 i had a severe asthma attach where i almost lost my life. In the past I'd rarely take the Advair, but since that last time in the hospital i have been religiously taking it. Right now i have a severe chest cold and i am taking theraflu and vicks cold meds and i am noticing strange things. Irregular heartbeat, feeling bloated, some anxiety and my weight gain. By reading the other posts and this whole site, i know believe i should ween myself of this Advair again. It is too much to worry about ...

I am very happy I found this website. I used Advair since August 2007. About a month in I was a bit moody and would loose my temper, but at Thanksgiving I went to Bali for a holiday and fell into an awful depression. I had no idea what was wrong but cried and was very irritable. Also thought everyone didn't like me and they were all mad at me. Paranoia I guess. I saw my GP when I came home and she gave me Lexapro, then Wellbutrin. I couldnt sleep, eat, sobbed all the time and never wanted to leave the house. I looked up Advair and saw a lot of others who had went into a depression on it. I have been off a week and I can only say that it has gotten so much better. I came off all the meds and I am eating normally, sleeping a lot better and the sobbing has stopped. I really think that the Advair was the factor. Hope this helps anyone who feels/felt like that.

I have mixed feelings about Advair. Quick history-at 30 I was dx with Asthma, at 32-COPD. I went on Advair after the COPD dx. Primarily-it certainly helped my breathing-gloriously. I have since gone on and off Advair periodically. Before last year (Pneumonia)-I had not been on the Advair for more than four months. BUT the Pneumonia combined with the COPD reduced my lung capacity by 25%. I allowed my Dr. to prescribe it indefinitely. However within a year I had gained thirty pounds. I started reading more, and found out that the AMA recommends only a six month duration of Advair therapy. My asthma symptoms had worsened over the last three months of that therapy. My untrained hypothesis is that if you exceed the recommended six month treatment-you will suffer the above outlined side affects. I simply quit it. Granted, my asthma symptoms increased for about three weeks-so I kept my handy little inhaler nearby, and gave myself one month to see if the asthma symptoms would decrease. They did. The long term-I have now been off of the Advair for nine months, and I rarely use my inhaler (knock on wood). The long term benefits of the extended Advair use has been a decreased problem with SOB- yes upon exertion(that is one of the symptoms of COPD), it is still present, but I can usually ride that out with patience, and rest. In conclusion-I would not hesitate to go back on the Advair upon my next COPD exacerbation, but I will absolutely stay within the six month suggested period. And, this time I will eat a lot of lo cal foods. Smile. It is always nice when people with chronic illness can smile over their disease. This has been my experience over the last five years that I have been introduced to Advair. One more suggestion-see if you can get your doctor to try you on the 250/50 before jumping right on the 500. The 500 is noted to have the side affect of increased SOB, and Asthma attacks-more often than the 250. One more note-although your doctor might forget to mention this-Advair is a steroid- and, steroids are known to cause weight gain. What can be done to reduce this affect-I do not know-Prednisone will do it too,now a combination of the two-which I have, of course, utilized a half dozen times or so in the last five years of my dx- is almost a guaranteed weight gain. If you manage to find out how to avoid that particular side affect-please let me know, and suggesting a vigorous work out to a patient with COPD in a bit insensitive, but if you have any other plausible ideas-I am anxious to hear them.

Hello, I'm a 42 year old, average weight woman, just starting Advair...already I just feel vaguely uncomfortable: light headedness, general malaize, breast-tenderness...I think since my asthma is only mild, I'm going to try some alternatives. The asthma seems to have started with allergies, so I'm going to make an effort first to keep the allergies in check, to hopefully avoid bringing on the asthma symptoms. Has anyone else experienced the breast tenderness? And I've gotten a few itchy hives . Anyone else get those?
Thanks,
Tina

My then 8 yr old daughter was prescribed ADVAIR when her doc diagnosed her with mild asthma. 2 puffs twice a day.She had developed a wheeze during a 5 day rainy spell in our area. I notice the change in her early on. A gifted student, she began to display symptoms of ADHD. Lack of concentration, unable to focus. She became emotional frequently. Gained wieght in a short period of time. Nosebleeds, some so severe she choked on the clots. My daughter chronicled her levels daily, gradually losing lung capacity..she began at 300 on her flow meter and within 6-8wks she was below 200. She began to complain of leg aches, loss breath during ordinary gym activiites, climbing stairs, walking at the mall.

I began to search online for forums such as this. I found that ADVAIR was intially to be used in chronic asthma..not like my daughter's mild case. Also, that ADVAIR was known to increase asthma symptoms in some cases,so severely that it was actually almost pulled of the shelves but "saved" when the FDA , instead, allowed for a black box to be printed on the label, stating a warning.
I also read that ADVAIR should not be prescribed to children under 12.

Many advair users made claims of exact symptoms my daughter was experiencing. Many said that when they went to their doctors with these claims, they were "blown off" or told " you can't prove it". Why would so many doctors take this stance?
After 80 pages of comments from users who were athletes, vegetarians, parents, nurses, etc stating their negative effects and prolonged symptoms even after getting off ADVAIR, I called my mother.

My mother is 63 and a more severe asthmatic. She had in the last 12 months been to the ER, 5 times. No oxygen, unable to breath, heart palputations, symptoms of heart attack, chronic bronchitis...twice having to stay for 2-3 days. When I told her I was going to wean my daughter off ADVAIR (NEVER QUIT ADVAIR COLD TURKEY. WEAN IT OFF) She told me that she had been on ADVAIR, for the past 16 months....

It has now been almost 2 yrs since my daughter and mother have been off ADVAIR. My daughter regained her lung capacity and actually improved it within 4 weeks of getting off. It took her about a year to lose the wt.Her concentration/focus returned to normal in about 6 months, but I had to meet with teachers to help her adjust. No wheezing, no joint pain, no severe nosebleeds. My daughter has only used her emergency inhaler 2 times last year, once during a field day in high humidity heat and once during flu season.
My mother has not been to the hospital since getting off ADVAIR. She did notify her doc about getting herself off and he just looked at her with eyebrows raised and said "what have you been reading?"...He did put her on SINGULAR bec she has to be on medication....I do not know of any side effects she has form that.

In my research, I did come across a few ADVAIR users who truly benefited from it. Also some who preferred the pros to the cons they experienced so they were content. I say, if you are lucky enough to have ADVAIR do what it's supposed to , good for you. BUT, if you are seeing an increase in severity of your symptoms please notify your doc, or get a new doctor if they won't listen. Asthma deaths related to ADVAIR have ocurred. The term "RARE" occurence of increase severity of symptoms or death is a misnomer. There are too many users citing this. Please be careful. Listen to your body and GOOD LUCK TO ALL.