Advair HFA and breathing treatments

I recently went into an asthma attack that admitted me into the hospital on Sept 3rd. I was given albuterol treatments which I also use at home and have for 3 + years via nebulizer when needed. They also prescribed ADVAIR on Sept 4th or 5th and released me from the hospital. Once home my breathing started to decline despite using my nebulizer on time. By Monday night my breathing was shallow and my Cramps had severe pain onset. I began walking stiffly. I went to bed that night and my breathing continued to decline. In the morning I could hardly walk because of the pain in my calves. I could however sit and they "seemed " fine but turned in a bit. I took my children to school and at 8am dropped them off to the teacher at the curb check in. (Meaning I did not have to get out) I pulled aside to get out and see a friend and as I stepped out of the car my calves seized again. At the advice of my friend I decided to right away drive around the corner to the Medical Center where I go. I had an appt later that morning for follow up from Hospital, but decided I better not wait.
BY 8:10 I was in a red zone with my asthma Chest in FULL SEIZE (225 peak flow from over 375 an hour earlier using the peak flow meter I had in my car)
I got out of the car to go into the medical center and IMMEDIATELY Dropped DOWN a Foot and my Feet FLIPPED over my Knees Bowed out and I was walking like a Monkey. I scrambled to get into the medical center where I yelled for assistance and was given breathing treatment with no relief and sent to the Hospital via Ambulance. Breathing 3 breathing treatments in 3 hours no relief of Seizing in Chest. Xrays Clear. .I stayed there until Sept 16th where I have now been released, I am still walking monkey like , I have numbness in my face, a severe headache and I have not slept since Sept 14th at 5 am . I am not tossing and turning, I am wide awake.Today is Thursday Sept 18th. It took at least 3 days of before I was taken off ADVAIR. I had been on ADVAIR for at least 7-8 days 150/50 twice a day. I noticed a difference in my Chest muscle within 12 hours. My legs started to soften and not be so stiff within 1 or 2 days, however my feet drag sideways as I take a step. I have to swing my legs forward for each step. I directly link this to the ADVAIR.

I've had asthma since I was a teenager, and about 9 years ago I went to an allergy and asthma specialist and had the whole gamet of tests run to find out why my allergies and asthma were worsening. I was prescribed Advair, Albuterol, Prednisone, & Servient. At the time, these were the only medications I was taking and never experienced any severe side effects. My asthma was much better and by my one year check up, I had almost completely stopped using the Albuterol for sudden attacks. Due to my graduation from college, I was no longer covered under my parents insurance and due to the cost of the medications, discontinued my treatments. I felt fine, hadn't had any attacks or breathing episodes, so I felt I could do this without any problems.

Fast forward to this summer. My asthma symptoms had returned and my PCP put me back on the Albuterol. It helped the sudden attacks, but I was blowing through an inhaler in a month. Last week I found myself in my local urgent care center, barely able to breathe, gasping for breath. I'm 31 years old with an almost one year old. They gave my 3 breathing treatments and prescribed Prednisone (only 5 days worth), Albuterol, and the Advair. After a week on the Advair, I feel so strange. I haven't had to use my fast acting inhaler since last week, but I feel like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. I have a constant headache, a weird ache in my right arm, can't sleep even though I am exhausted, and my mind is constantly racing. It's like I can't slow down. After reading all these crazy side effects and comparing them with my own, I'm stopping the Advair. I have an apt. with my asthma specialist in 2 weeks and I will be sure that he doesn't put me back on this med. It's awful...can't imagine taking any drug with a side effect of death.

I'm not sure what to think about Advair. My 16 yr old son has asthma & has been on Advair for a few years & did well for the most part. While on vacation last summer he came down w/2 ear infections & quickly went downhill. He had an attack & was nearly closed up completely; went to the ER & received several breathing treatments, a steroid shot & was released w/oral steroid prescription/antibiotics. The next afternoon he had another attck & went back to the ER. He was given breathing treatments & then an IV steroid treatment. He immediately got a raging headache & got morphine for the pain, started severely hallucinating & violently flipped for hours. He eventually was well enough to leave & woke up the next morn as a vegetable. Didn't know where he was...was hallucinating, couldn't walk etc. We went back home to his family doctor. It turned out the steroids was the culprit. I didn't know Advair was a form of steroid, & the IV steroids caused his psychosis, & he just had too much steroids in his system overall. A few days later he came out of it. My mother had said she heard Advair can cause severe infections & actually worsen asthma. I asked his DR & he said there were other reasons for those problems which didn't pertain to my son, so he's still taking Advair.

Ever since that episode, he is much more susceptible to EVERYTHING. First semester of school he missed a total of 10 days. He'd also been having horrible mood swings, could not sleep at night & then went into a depression. So he was precribed a low dosage of Elavil. This was about 10 weeks ago. 12 days ago he started wheezing & coughing, so we did his at home nebulizer treatments. He went to the DR & was diagnosed w/bronchitus & was given a Z-pak. Last weekend he worsened, took him back to the DR Monday & was diagnosed w/walking pnemonia. He was given another Z-pak & oral steroids. He's slowly getting better, but has missed 9 days of school & I don't know when he'll be well enough to return.

My mom researched Advair again & found that you shouldn't take it w/Elavil, which he is still taking. She also found that side effects from Advair are eveything my son is dealing with. My husband thinks she's nuts, but I have to wonder can Advair actually be making my son worse?

I have been on Advair since 2001 and it has been the miracle drug. I used to have to do nebs twice a day and was using my rescue inhaler constantly. When I would get a cold for flu I would end up in the hospital and would have to take steriods for a couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, I began having heart palpatations. I went to my internal medicine doctor and she ran many tests to exclude any underlying heart problem. All tests came back normal except for the fact that I was running PVCs. At first, the doctor didn't want me to go off the Advair. I mentioned getting off of it and taking Singulair and she was fine with it, but wanted me to consult with my pulmonoloigst. After speaking with him, he decided that we could try taking me off the Advair.

It has been a week and I feel pretty good. I have used my rescue inhaler, but not excessively and I have not had to do any breathing treatments.

There are a couple things that I have noticed the most since I have stopped Advair - my knees are not hurting going up and down stairs and I am starting to feel as if I am not so swollen. I have also gained about 20 pounds since I started taking Advair.

Hopefully everything will work out.

I would be interested to know if anyone that has gone off Advair has actually lost weight?