Advair HFA and fatigue

Advair made me tired, so tired, I felt like the simplest chore was exhausting. I was told by the pulmonologist that of course the fatigue was unrelated to the medication. Personally, I think the doctors push the meds that they get perks from the pharmacy companies. They may get good results from 75% of their patients but be darned the 25% that may be sensitive to the meds, Modern medicine?

I have been on Advair Diskus and Singular for about 2 months now for Athsma. As time went on I wondered what was wrong with me.

Singular gave me a horrible stomach ache after 2-3 days which I stopped.
Symbicort made me very itchy and gave me hives.

W/Advair my personality changed as I fell deeper and deeper into a pit of despair. It all began w/serious mood swings, fatigue, leg cramps, anxiety and depression. I wondered why I was so out of sort and I noticed my emotions were not what I considered normal for my self. I became anti-social and have been unable to sleep for more than 3-4 hours at a time as well as now I also have itchy skin and hives.

I thought, what am I doing now that I have not been on or doing before and began to Google my symptoms. I ran into this site to find my aggravations w/anexity, depression and lack of focus is now not my imagination and that I am not the only one and now understand the reasons why I have been feeling so down.

I am now on the path to detoxing from this stuff and am going to stop taking this medication and just use Proventil as needed for my Athsma.

Thanks to all of you who posted here and best of luck to everyone in recovery from the terrible side effects of these medications.

I'm officially blown away. My 10 yr old son has been on Advair for a couple of months and strange things have started happening, so I thought I would surf the internet. HOLY $#!^!!!! I am now convinced that Advair is the cause for his headaches, fatigue, sleeplessness, and now the strange sores on his mouth and nose that NO 10 year old should have to be dealing with!!!!! How can the medical community continue to advocate the use of a medication that causes such significant side effects???? Oh wait, don't answer that...I really don't want to know the real answer do I?? Right now I'm just angry....

August 5, 2008

Thank you for this website. These testimonies has confirmed by suspicions of Advair's side effects.

I am 52 years old and was diagnosed with adult onset asthma 10 months ago. My physician prescribed Advair (500) and Albuterol inhaler. I was instructed to take the Advair 2 times/day and Albuterol 3 times/day. During the last few months, I have noticed a slight weight gain, fatigue, hoarseness, dry mouth and occasional insomnia. The hoarseness has resulted in 2.5 weeks of losing my voice. Also, I have noticed that my recovery from a prior illness, such as cold, was very slow.

As a result, I discontinued the Advair and use the albuterol as needed. My voice began to returned to normal in two days and I am feeling much better.

Now I am wondering if I am experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms due to discontinuing Advair five day ago. The following symptoms are: dizziness, and needle-like tingling in hands, feet and side.

Again, thank you gals for sharing you'll experience with Advair.

I have had asthma for about 12 years. It has progressed fast but don't believe it is emphysema yet. Stupidly I still smoke...or try to. I have used mostly salbutamol regularily and every now and again my doctor will try other types. I too have gained weight, lots of it, have leg pains and restless leg syndrome, blurred vision and fatigue. Many days I barely make to and from work. And all of these in just since taking Advair. I trust the doctors too much. Reading all of these are scary. It seems many doctors don't really have our best interest at heart. It begins and ends with money doesn't it? Another problem I have is because I am so sensitive to different thing, how can I know what is causing what??? I went for allergy tests last month and I could have told them more than what their tests showed and then some. I have since tried not to smoke and seriously looking into alternative treatments...stop the smoking for sure withpatches if I have to.

My son (9) was on advair off and on for a while for severe asthma. I noticed depression, anxiety, fatigue and fibromyalgia type pains all over his body. I had him checked for lupus and other diseases and all negative. He also developed a severe rash between his legs causing much pain and discomfort as he had to walk like a bull-legged horse-riding cowboy. Showering often never helped. I assume he has candidis yeast infection(systemic). He was finally put on Prozac and I took him off Advair against my doctors advice. i took him off slowly and your body may need to make it's own steriods and not go into shock. He takes as much albuterol as needed to get him better and then i give him prednisone for 3 days when things become an emergency. tTe prednisone leads my son to anger and suicide but it goes away after he finishes his course, but it saves his life. He is now 13 and much happier and his face and body has thinned out by half. I will never give my son Advair again.

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!

my brother is taking advair for COPD. he is also on blood pressure medicine
and a medicine to stop smoking. he has been having terrible insomnia for many months now. also. several times when he's driving, he's suddenly become so tired, he has to pull over. it happened again recently in the middle of the afternoon and he had an accident. he says just before the wave of fatigue comes over him, he seems to have some severe allergic reaction with sinus drainage. has anyone else ever had any of these experiences? this seems incredibly scary.

Severe leg pain, constant rattling, wheezy chest, severe anxiety attacks, fuzzy thinking, hypomanic symptoms, bloating, fatigue, increased blurry vision, after 6 months at incrased 250 doseage, wild dreams disturbing sleep. Stopped taking Advair a month ago. Within two days, fuzzy thinking cleared up rapidly and back to normal within 7 days. Within 10 days, energy level returned. Sleeping very well. Wheezy chest mostly gone. Bloating gone. Anxiety attacks...one very mild one four weeks after I stopped the Advair, but was able to control it by regulating my breathing and distracting myself...went away quickly...but when I was on Advair, ended up in ER with panic attack. When I began the Advair, I was living in an apartment with a flooding problem that created mold and mildew, and I am allergic to mold and mildew. I was having difficulty sleeping at night from the coughing, and was given Advair, and the doseage was upped after one year. Initially it helped me, but with the increased doseage came all the symptoms above. I moved, stopped the Advair, and now I am fine (just still have the allergies, of course.)

I just started Advair 250/50 a few days ago - the dose is 2x per day. My asthma is better, but I've noticed tingling and numbness in my arms and lower legs. I was on Flovent previously and this never happened before. I'm going to try dropping to 1x per day on the Advair to see if this helps. Has anyone else experienced this? TA

I am 31 years old and have been on Advair for atleast 5 years and have experienced a 25 lb weight gain despite all attempts at losing it, bruising, joint aches and pains, fatigue, and "lung pain." I have made the decision to wean myself off of it at this time especially because I plan on becoming pregnant in the near future. I need to search for alternative medications, preferrably not a steroid. Any ideas?? Thanks, Staci

This is pathetic. Yes advair has helped with my life-long asthma but since I started on Advair two years ago I have suffered high Blood Pressure, 20lb weight gain, muscle join pain in my legs, fatigue from hell, and terrible anxiety. I'm getting off this nighmare drug.

Hi Everyone,

I must say this site has really helped. I thought I was going crazy, or that everything was in my head.
I was prescribed Advair 100/50 for a lingering bronchitis that followed a bad flu.
Chest x-rays revealed minor hyper-ventilation and minor bronchitis, so my Dr. gave me Advair.
I have no history or family history of asthma. I am very healthy, and my lungs are strong - I used to do apnee diving, I don't smoke, run a lot.
I took advair for one week, twice daily. I stopped yesterday, because firstly, I couldn't see any change at all, and secondly, I noticed the following:
- lots of phelgm in throat (feels like I'm constantly swallowing mucus)
- bad taste in mouth, and itchy throat (sometimes a burning sensation)
- general fatigue and lack of energy
- feeling depressed and anxious, almost paranoid

I just took it for one week, so hopefully this will be out of my system soon.
I was somdering if anyone w/ side effects can update their situation since they stopped using advair (have the side effects gone away? how long after?)

thank you
mat

my doctor dismissed my coughing, sore throat and larygitis, and stated Advair did not cause these symptoms. it interferes with my work. also, when I got asthma, i got fatigue and weakness and now I have back, and joint pains. I too have gained weight and it is difficult to do exercise. The asthma is under control, so my pulmonary function tests are fine, but I can't work. thanks to you all for helping me feel sane again.

Are these advair side effects temporary or permanent? I have taken advair for 4-6 months usually taking it only once a day. I never felt like it helped me out. I started having chest discomfort, rapid heart rate, pounding chest (as if my heart woud explode), tingling and numness, tremors in my arms , legs and chest, restlesness at night, my blood pressure increased, fatigue and weakness. I have not taken it for 8 months but still have re occuring symptoms. Will this ever go away. I have lost my confidence in our doctors. I have read not to just stop taking advair, why is this?

My 11 yr. old daughter does not have asthma yet was put on advair 250/50 because she wheezes everytime she gets a respiratory infection. She is now recovering from the sinus infection that put her on this medicine. She has been on this medicine for 1 week and a day, her last day. Her side effects include...

1. fatigue
2. heartburn
3. mood swings
4. depression
5. acne and red splotches on her face
6. headaches
7. bloody noses (both nostrils at same time)

All this after only one week. She has taken her last dose.
By the way, 2 days after her doc put her on an antibiotic for the sinus infection, no wheezing. She only wheezes when she is sick.... How does advair prevent that? Does it stop her from contracting viruses, I don't think so. New doctor? I think so!

Wow! I've spent so much time and money at Dr's, specialists for tests to end up with absolutely no idea what is going on with me.
On my own, I decided to look into the medication I was taking ... and ta da!!! Here it is in big bold print! Thank you everyone ... and for this site!
I'd like to go back and just say a few words to all those Dr's that just laughed me out of their office and back in to my own world of frustration.
AND IF ANYONE KNOWS WHEN YOU STOP TAKING ADVAIR (WHICH I DID) ... DO THE SYMPTOMS GO AWAY, DO YOU GAIN YOUR NICE FIGURE BACK AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE???

Advair 500 DID relieve my asthma symptoms, excellent!
But with that....
Huge bloated stomach almost painful sometimes
Aching joints/stiffness
Severe Fatigue
Heartburn and reflux (on meds for that now!)
Significant weight gain, especially across the abdomen
Pain/ache across my upper chest area
Puffy face
Slow healing for something as simple as a scratch.

My daughter was taking a puff of advair every morning and evening. She has been experiencing fatigue, headache, constipation and urine retention. I've cut her back to one puff a day and will talk to her allergist in the morning.
Thanks, website, for helping me to realize that what is supposed to be helping her may actually be poisening her.

Pain in feet and hands.
Heartburn
Fatigue