Advair HFA and asthma medication

I just wanted to comment to all of you asthma sufferers. I grew up with bronchitis and my brother with asthma. We were always getting sick while young, about every 6 weeks. My nephew inherited asthma from my brother, and he had it very bad, was always getting sick, needing oxygen, etc. While in his teens, someone told him to start playing an instrument like the trumpet or trombone which really exercises your lungs. He started taking lessons in school and it didn't take very long at all to notice a remarkable difference. His other siblings would even get sick and he wouldn't! The exercise, being natural, is a far better and healthy prevention, and makes your lungs stronger. I can't believe doctors don't spread this amazingly helpful advice around. I'm VERY sure they must have heard this before. Wouldn't news like that spread like wildfire through the medical community? But they would probably lose some business!!! So I wanted to help pass it around. I hope it helps some of you!

My 5 year old daughter's pediatrician prescribed her advair to help with inflammation due to her seasonal allergies. (She had never taken an asthma medication or been diagnosed with asthma) I was very hesitant to give it to her, but she was really miserable. I gave it to her. 30 min later she was acting like she was bi-polar, manic and jumping up and down one min and crying for no reason the next. This went on for about 30 min before she crashed. She was very suddenly lethargic, couldn't hold her head up. Her face was pale, it started getting puffy and splotchy and her skin around her eyes got very red and she complained that her eye hurt so bad, she actually held an ice-pack to it. (A 5 year old) She also was acting very rough, aggressive, banging her toys into things and grabbing things from her friend, which is very unlike her. It was like she was full of intense energy and had to get it out. It was very scary.

My daughter was on Advair, Singulair, and Zyrtec to control her severe asthma and allergies. We were so thankful that these medications kept her from having to be hospitalized 2-3 times a year for uncontrollable asthma attacks. About six months after she began taking these medications she began to have headaches, she had difficulty sleeping, she was irritable, she had stomach pains, leg cramps,and eventually depression and social withdrawal. She went from an outgoing and happy teenager to a bitter and angry person. In 2003 she committed suicide. Six months after her death reports started to surface about the link between singulair and depression and suicide. Perhaps for my daughter it was a combination of the three drugs. Whatever you do be cautious and do your research before taking any allergy or asthma medication. Go to the Singulair website and you will be astounded by what you read. Please try to get the word out about these medications.

I have been taking Advair 500/50 for about two years ( I am now 60 years old,) to help control my allergy related asthma (that only presented itself when I had to take steroid eye drops for glaucoma.) While I had the hoarseness, dry mouth and occasional mouth sores, they seemed livable compared to uncontrolled asthma.

One morning about a month ago, when I was taking my normal AM puff, I suddenly felt as though a giant sledge hammer banged down on my head - pounding me into the floor - almost losing consciousness. Then, I experienced pounding, racing heart that felt as though it might jump out of my chest. I turned white and gray - my family and I thought I was having a heart attack.

I was terrified to take another puff - thinking it might be my last. Two days went by, when, I decided to experiment by taking a very light puff, barely taking any into my lungs. (I had been further scared by warning about suddenly going off steroids.) My doctor was out of the country and no one wanted the liability of advising me.

One hesitant puff of Advair caused the exact same pounding - heart jumping and racing reaction. I decided right then that I did not need further evidence to "pound into my head" that Advair was now toxic for me.

The odd thing is that my doctor seems to discount my experience by saying I am the only person this has ever happened to (implying there must be something wrong with me!) When I asked about the dangers and appropriate process for suddenly stopping steroids, she pooh-poohed my concern saying there are no side effects from inhalers with steroids. (Several nurses recently told me that was not necessarily true. Who knows what to believe!)

I have stopped Spiriva and Advair and have scheduled an appointment with a doctor and nurse practitioner who use diet, exercise and nutritional supplements to help treat asthma. A friend has gone to them for several years and is now off all asthma medication, has lost about 50 pounds, has improved health and looks 10 years younger! I can only hope this works for me!

I am also writing Advair manufacturer with my experience;copies to FDA. I can only wonder if there are others as 'rare' as me? If so, let it be known. thanks

I

My GP put me on Advair in the summer of 2006 because I was having trouble with so much phlegm in my throat and losing my voice by using Combivent. I also have a weakened voice as a result of asthma medication. For the first three weeks the Advair was great. Then one weekend at our cabin, I had a severe asthma attack -- to the point that my husband wanted to pack up and drive an hour to an hospital emergency ward. I thought it was from something in the cabin or in the air. As a result of some research on Advair, I truly believe that it was from taking this medication. Not realizing this, I have continued to take Advair at the advice of my GP. I then noticed that my skin was very itchy, mostly on my legs at that time. My GP said it was excema. It started spreading to my hands, wrists, elbows. I started reading about the side effects of Advair -- from the insert that comes with the discus -- itchy skin is one of the side effects listed. In December 2006, I went to the lung specialist that has been treating me for asthma for several years. I asked him about the itching and mess on my wrists, etc. He indicated that it was excema and not a reaction to the Advair -- and proceeded to write me a presription for more Advair. In January 2007, I went back to my GP because I couldn't stand the itching and red blotches anymore. She wouldn't give me anything to relieve it, but sent me to an allergist. I asked him about the mess my skin was in and he told me that it was very rare that someone would react to Advair in this manner and he didn't think that was the cause. He decided that I was allergic to dog and cat dander. Just the other day I was finally sent to a dermatologist. She was appalled at the condition of my skin, as the ithing and redness had now started to spread to my upper arms, under arms, breasts and stomach area. I took some research about Advair with me to this appointment. She has now taken me off the Advair for a two week trial and given me an ointment help with the healing. Finally, a specialist that really might think the Advair is the cause of this itching all over my body. I sure hope that these doctors will realize that I really have an adverse reaction to Advair and will find another medicaiton that will be suitable, but not cause the problems I am having now. my voice is still strained, but I am sure as the Advair leaves my system, this will improve too.

I am 35 yrs. old and have been using inhaled steroids(albuterol,asmacort,vanceril, and Avair) for the past 16 years. I had noticed my eye vision deteriorating over the last 11 years. I was diagnost with and eye disease called kerataconis. i suspect a connection to my asthma medication use. I can only see effectivly with aid of special lense glasses, or hard contacts. I have since ceased use of Advair, and all inhalers , hoping to halt further progression, and the need for corneal trans plants. Too bad for me that Advair and the drug companies didnt fully do a better job warning the public 11 years ago when it could have made a difference.

I am 32 years old. I have had asthma since age 8.
I was prescribed Advair by my obgyn 1 1/2 yrs ago when pregnant. It helped my asthma tremendously. I had been using my albuterol inhaler up to 5 times a day prior to starting the Advair. However, my side effects have been consistent weight gain since having the baby - I weigh almost as much as when I was 9 months pregnant. And it's all in my mid section like many other people. I have always had a slim waist. My hair is also thinning on the top.
I have tried unsuccessfully to quit the Advair. I currently take the 100/50 and have cut back to once a day.
Is there any other long term asthma medication out there without the steroids?

I have horrific side effects from Advair but HAVE to take it or I am on my rescue inhaler 24/7. The worst being the side cramps/muscle cramps in my stomach side back etc. Then of course there is the fact that nothing tastes good. But again the cramps are the worst. Reminds me of my first asthma medication, brethine that also gave me muscle cramps. Complete nightmare.

I have been using Seritide 250/50 everyday for 3 years now. I startet gettinng these throat infections that left me with a hoarse voice for a week at a time. ENT said it was nothing. But recently, I have had a shoulder operation and have been taking some pain killers, and a much needed shot of cortisone due to swelling at the operation site, and noticed that my heart seems to be skipping a beat. I thought it was the pain killers but after researching their side effects, I came up empty handed. I have been an asthma sufferer for 5 years now and it does seem to help, but I am not sure I like this side effect. Can it be deadly??

I was given advair for asthma and it helped my breathing. I was experiencing alot of joint and hip pain, which I did not know at the time was caused by the advair.the pain was so bad I droped out of college and saw a orthopedic surgeon. I was convinced I would need surgery on my knee. I was diagnosed with chrondomylagia( spelling?) and was told to begin physical therapy. I never did the physical therapy, I did not really have the time and to be honest I was in so much pain I just did not want to go.I was also very irritable which I chalked up to be from being in so much pain and frequent headaches. My husband switched jobs so we had no health insurance for a couple of months. I ran out of the Advair during this time. all of my symptoms went away within that time period, still not realizing it was the advair. When we got our new insurance I began the Advair again within three days of taking 250/50 my knees were really hurting that same feeling of such pressure behind the knee cap and such pain bending and walking up stairs, etc. My hip started aching it was as though I had severe arthritis over night. my moodiness and headaches were back. Thats when it hit me its the Advair and I started to research it and found this site. I have not taken it today. I will call my DR. to see if there is something else I can take and hope for less side effects. well good luck to all of you. I hope this was helpful. Also, if anyone has a recommendation on a asthma medication that has been a success Please let me know so I can discuss that option with my physician. thank you.
Lois

Out of desparation I went on the internet today to see if anyone else besides myself was having adverse reactions. I went to the Dr. yesterday and neither one of us could figure out why I was hoarse,throat full of phlem, felt like I had a lump in my throat and it felt tight. Kept feeling like I had to swallow. The roof of my mouth is sore and my toungue is sore. Funny taste in my mouth. Acid reflux. Prilosec no longer working. Running a fever last week of 102 degrees. Yesterday when I took my morning dose of advair it fellt like my mouth was on fire. Constant non stop post nasal drip, which made me feel like I constantly had to swallow. Felt paniky. Desided to take myself off Advair today. I'm already feeling better. My voice is coming back to normal. The thick phlem is subsiding and the swelling and tightness in my neck is almost gone. Weight gain of 20 lbs in the last year. The advair was actually triggering bronchitis and was also causing acid reflux. The medication prilosec, nexium,protonix etc. can increase your chance of getting pneumonia and upper respritory problems. I was not diagnosed with asthma, yet the Nurse Practioner was treating me with aggressive asthma medication, which over time was worse than the original symptoms. By the way Flovent and advair are the same thing so I also took myself off flovent. I went to the health food store and bought allergy 10 and echinacea. Echinacea boosts the immune system and acts like an antibiotic, but should not be taken for more than 6 to 8 weeks at a time. Allergy 10 can be take indefinately.

I have been on advair 250/50 about 6 months. The first couple weeks I had sore throat and slight cough, the symtoms went away. My asthma is under great control, breathing has never been better. The last 2 months I have had periodic bouts with diarrhea, stomach cramping and nausea. I have neck and shoulder pain. As well severe pain in my left leg and hip. I have sinus pressure, earaches, sore throat, occassional horseness and have been treated for cronic sinus and upper respitory infections. I am starting to feel depressed because I feel sick all the time. My husband said I was fine until they changed my asthma medication so I asked the doctor and pharmicist and was told the symptoms are from an infection not all like the symtoms I would get from taking advair. After veiwing this web site I am now convinced more then ever it is the medication.