Advair HFA and asthma problems

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!

I have had major asthma problems for years - usually needing prednisone 3 or 4 times a year, using albuterol inhaler around the clock. I have been using Advair for about 2 months now and I have had absolutely no asthma attacks at all. I can exercise and feel like a normal person for the first time in years. I have had several side effects that are problematic - one of them being dizziness, scratchy thoat and chronic sinus congestion. What is worse, debilitating asthma or a chronic sinus infection? I have decided breathing is better than anything so I will stay on it.

hello
i am 37 and have had severe chronic asthma all my life. as a child,teen, and young adult i was in the emrgency room at least twice a year for cold related asthma problems. i started taking theophylline at the age of 16, used over the counter inhalers til my mid-twenties when was given albuterol, and have gone on prednisone treatments numerous times. about 2 years ago my condition started deterioating, none of my previous medications were working well. by this time last year i was so bad that i went through an albuterol inhaler every two weeks, and i was constantly sick with lung infections. thats when my pulmonary dr (same one for almost 20 yrs) put me on advair and singulair. i noticed a MAJOR, near miraculous change for the positive almost right away, i could breathe again! i haven't been this clear for years. a few months after i started treatment i gained 10 lbs in less than a month. i thought it was because i changed birth control pills but changing back didn;t seem to help. i have started having attacks of diarrhea at least once a week, gas, bloating, swelling (of feet, hands, middle). lately i've been feeling nauseous, my lifleong insomnia has gotten MUCH worse, i've had blurry vision and the feeling like my head is going to explode. not to mention dizzines, lightheadedness, pressure in my head, dry mouth, hoarseness, back & feet pain, severe anxiety, tremors, rapid heartbeat- what seem to be all the classic symptoms! i had no idea it was the medication. i was so ill the other day i almost had my boyfriend take me to the emrgency room. i had been hearing on the news about serevent being unsafe so i started looking up the side effects and realized that's what it was (i now also see singulair can have similar effects) i stopped taking the advair for 2 days but my severe asthma started returning almost imeediately so i had to use it this morning- and i feel like CRAP right now. i know i need to see my dr ASAP but i am worried about controlling my asthma- i can't deal with these side effects but i also can't return to the state i was in last year- i could NOT BREATHE and was using my albuterol so much it was causing it's own problems (jittery, rapid heartbeat). PLEASE email me (******)if anyone has had any luck with alternatives! (does flovent cause the same long term problems?)

I am a 28 y.o. that began on 250/50 in february. Hadn't had asthma problems since I was 17-then had an an upper respiratory infection in january-went to the doctor because chest tightness wouldn't go away& was immediately placed on
Advair. Went to an allergist who sent me to a cardiologist because my heart rate in the office was 176! I always had a fast heart rate, but worried I had some congenital defect. After multiple tests, an electrophysiologist told me I should limit my albuterol use but said nothing about the advair. I went back to the allergist last month and my breathing was worse so they increased me to 350/50 twice a day. I had horrible palpitations and was very jittery the first few days, but I figured it might get better-and it did. But I have nausea now about every other day, only gained about 5 pounds, but the bloating has made me go up a dress size on bottom. Then for the last two weeks I have been geeting horrible cramps in my calves and feet & I started to wonder if it could be my advair because I have never experienced anything like this before. Also, I have been very moody, depressed and irrational, which I blamed on my "health problems" (my asthma is still not really under control) but now I wonder if this is a side effect as well. I'm so glad I discovered this site, because I was going to "tough it out"---not any more! I am talking to my doctor right away !!