Advair HFA and hoarseness

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 am a 26 year old female and was prescribed Advair some years ago by my Asthma & Allergy doctor. I took it off and on for several years. Honestly I was scared to take it because of the side effects I thought it might have. About 16 months ago I went off birth control because my husband and I wanted to have a baby. I continued to take Advair 150/50 twice a day. I got pregnant in July and had a miscarriage Sep 1. Then while still taking Advair I got pregnant again shortly after that. After my first OB appointment it was established that the fetus/egg sack had no heartbeat. I had a D & C done in December to clear out the unsuccessful pregnancy. I decided after reading all these comments and thinking about my own side effects of taking Advair that my miscarriage were the cause of taking Advair. I believe Advair may have decreased my body's ability to clot blood properly and that is what has caused my babies not to thrive. I decided in January of 08 to stop taking Advair. I asked my doctor about the Advair and being put on another medicine in Jan and he seemed to think that there was nothing wrong with me taking Advair. I stopped taking it anyways. I decided since mostly all of my mild Asthma symptoms were caused by exercising that I would just use Proventil/Albuterol inhaler before exercise. It worked great and in Jan, Feb, March of 08 I trained for a 5k, and ran it in March under 26 minutes. I have been off Advair ever since Jan and have been fine. I used a peak flow meter to be sure my breathing was normal. I only use the Albuterol occasionally now. Furthermore I am now almost 20 weeks pregnant and doing fine. Besides the miscarriages I also blame Advair on other side effects I experienced when taking it including leg cramps, increase in heart rate, restlessness after taking in evening, night sweat, hoarseness, dry throat, headaches, and whenever I would get a cut or something it would take forever for me to stop bleeding.
now my blood clots quickly no problem. I was taking no other meds besides Advair when I experienced all this. DON'T TAKE ADVAIR...unless you feel the benefits of the drug outweigh all of the horrible side effects. Demand another med. with fewer side effects.

I have been on Advair 250/50 for 5 years for asthma. I'm a 48 year old female. I have experienced severe hoarsness and my voice is rough sounding. Some days I am so hoarse that others have a hard time understanding me. I have had 5 kidney stones in the last 5 years, never had one before taking Advair. I had the last one a month ago and it was so large I had to have surgery. I experience nausea about once a day. I seem to always have a headache. I feel tired all of the time. Over the last year I have developed high blood pressure. I have gained 20 pounds. I have rashes on my upper arms that comes and goes. I experience mood swings. The Advair does control my asthma, but these side effects are too much anymore, especially the hoarseness. I am going to ask my doctor for other solutions.

I've been on Advair for probably 5 years. It has kept my asthma under control very well. Right now I take 250/50 and I'm down to one puff a day. I notice some of the side effects mentioned here, especially leg cramps. My weight has always fluctuated, so I can't blame that on Advair, in fact, I lost 60 pounds a couple of years ago while on Advair. I do have hoarseness that I'm sure is attributed to Advair. I take allergy shots and I'm almost to a maintenance level now. I'm hoping that between the shots, acupuncture, and a low dose of Advair, I will maintain my asthma control without the side effects. By the way, I also take Singulair which I think helps.

I am so glad I found this site as it has confirmed many of the suspicions I've had about advair for quite some time. I've had the hoarseness, dizziness, memory loss, major weight gain, and major cramps and leg pains. I was even diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because of the non-stop joint pains etc... The doctors too insisted that non of my troubles were due to the advair and I find this completely maddening that they lead patitents to believe that something is safe when it is not! About 9 months ago, totally fed up with the state my health has fallen to, I began alternative medicine-- acupuncture and am starting homeopathy soon-- and the results have been very promising. I am not using rescue inhaler at all and am weaning myself off the advair. I am starting to feel best I have since I was diagnosed with adult on-set asthma. I would encourage anyone to explore these safe alternatives and would also like to know if anyone has found any "safe" replacement for advair which does help control asthma symptoms w/out the HORRIBLE side effects?

I have been on Advair for approximately 8 years and have recently gone off of it. I posted a message earlier detailing the side effects that I experienced from going off of it, as I must have gotten used to living with the side effect so much that I didn't notice.

Anyway, one of the major reasons for going off of Advair was a constant problem with oral thrush. I took liquid medication for it for about two months, however, soon realized that I had a slight allergy to the medication I was prescribed. I found that by rinsing my mouth and gargalling (sp?) thoroughly I was able to finally get rid of the thrush, which also cleared up the hoarseness in my voice. My family doctor told me that sometimes the thrush is so deep in your throat that it will begin to grow on your vocal chords. Other specialists told me that the hoarseness wouldn't go away until I stopped taking Advair, however I found otherwise.

I have been on Advair for the past three years after a severe asthma attack on Oct 2005....what a mistake..I got all the side effects possible...really! Rash, arrhythmia, tachycardia, eye problems, runny nose, shakines, depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, nausea, muscle cramps or muscle spasms, hoarseness or voice changes, sinus infections, abdominal pain, dizziness, etc, etc and it is gatting worse! I am on 100/50 once...every two days! I could not stand all of this anymore- Does anyone know about some other less dangerous medication (Albuterol gives me the worse arrhythmia) Is it sensible to note that Advair and another dangerous medication; Paxil are from the same maker: glaxosmithkline pharmaceuticals? No wonder! Any input/help will be most welcome-A very worry French guy in San Francisco-

I am a 61 year old male and I have COPD with 40% loss in lung function. My allergist started me on Advair 250/50 a couple of years ago. As I was still having trouble with shortness of breath, my internist put me on Spiriva, also. Breathing got easier, but I was experiencing a number of symptoms.

The one that clued me into knowing something in the medicine was bothering me was bright red eyes. Also focus problems and blurry vision. My ophthalmologist found no reason for the eye condition. So I also looked at some other symptoms I had: Severe muscle cramping if any muscle was contracted; severe lower back pain after walking only 5 minutes; hoarseness; loss of voice; Extreme weight gain (55 pound in 1-1/2 years), all in my middle; bloating and tooth/gum problems that were nonexistent 2 years ago; BPH symptoms (poor urine stream, difficulty emptying and many nighttime bathroom visits with normal prostate & PSA tests). E.D.

Whoa! What’s going on here? So I began stopping all my drugs one at a time for one week. Just got to the Advair yesterday and my eyes have already almost returned to white. My hoarseness is almost gone. Was it the power of autosuggestion? Somehow, I don’t think so. This drug works, but one has to balance the side effects with the help it provides. I’m going to try just using my albuterol inhaler and stay off these steroids.

Good luck to you all!

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 inhaler 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 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

I have been using Advair 250/50 for about 4 or 5 months to control my exercise induced asthma primarily when cycling on my 50-60 mile rides. So far I am pretty happy with how it is working, although I have noted that others have had initial success only to have some serious problems later on. My only complaint is the hoarseness, coughing and dry throat it gives me. I now have that somewhat under control with some aggressive cleaning of my mouth with water after I take a dose. I swallow some water and swish it around my mouth very aggressively, spit it out and then make sure I drink 4 or 5 gulps of water to clean my throat with the emphasis on gulp. Now the hoarseness and coughing is relatively minor. I also take two puffs of Albuterol about 20 minutes before riding. This is pretty standard for those that do vigorous prolonged exercise.

I've had a case of Asthmatic Bronchitis for the last two months. Doctor prescribed the Z-pack (2 Rounds) and a ProAir inhaler (Albuterol). After 1 month of this I felt better...but still not 100%.

Then he gave me the wretched Advair. I took one puff...and 15 minutes later was in the emergency room. I completely couldn't breathe...lost all color in my face...heart was racing...nervousness...tremors...chills...etc. I took a couple puffs off the Albuterol and that helped open the airways so the ambulance ride wasn't necessary. But the ER visit was still necessary.

They gave me a nebulizer treatment and 60mg of Prednisone and after an about 2 hours I was released. Now today...exactly 12 hours later I have the dry mouth, hoarseness, and leg cramps others have mentioned. Hoping this will clear up soon...I mean common I only took 1 puff!

Long and short...stay away from this medication at all costs! Something must be wrong if so many people are having these types of effects.

I started with a new allergist 3 years ago (other had retired). She said my asthma, moderate to severe, was out of control. Put me on allergy shots AND Advair Discus to begin with. I had too many problems with hoarseness, and being I'm a teacher, that interfered with my teaching! Then she put me on Advair HFA two years ago. It seemed to be better for awhile. Then I noticed hoarseness, dry mouth, and so I went down to 1/2 dose. I told her about it, and she got very angry that I would not follow her directions. She probably does not like me as a patient since I do speak up to her.
I decided to go off the HFA yesterday. Today I have no dry mouth, and my voice is normal, also no palpitations. I started Spring Forest Qigong which is a Chinese healing discipline, part of which there are certain breathing exercises and self healing techniques I can use, some directed toward asthma specifically. I will watch my diet more carefully for the worst trigger foods; I usually get a delayed sensitive reaction of some kind so I rotate those known foods. In addition red wine, I know, has a lot of histamines. I can get an immediate reaction from that, mostly palpitations.
I am thinking strongly of changing allergists or seeking a pulmonary specialist' opinion.

I suspect Advair is responsible for my having come down with pneumonia,stabbing chest pains( which the Dr. at the ER suggested was Pleurisy) and severe back pain in my lower back. I haven't been able to sleep in bed for at least 6 weeks and must sleep in a chair with my feet propped up on an ottoman.I have used Advair since July 2007, first 250/50 then 500/50 and now back to 250/50 in order to reduce hoarseness. The pneumonia is gone after 5 days hospitalization; the pleurisy pain has just subsided with pain killers and anti inflammatory meds . But the severe lower back pain is still there; my orthopedic Dr. has recommended physical therapy which I plan to initiate. However, stopping the use of Advair may be exactly what I need to end the back pain. I would like to mention that I did experience Thrush upon using Advair and I found that it completely went away when I started drinking pure Pomegranate juice.It doesn't taste great but it was recommended by friends during the time I had pneumonia, and lo and behold, it seems to have done away with Thrush. The Advair along with Siriva does seem to help my asma but these suspected side effects are very debilitating.

I started advair a year ago for COPD and the side effects have become intolerable, but I'm between a rock and a hard spot, because it has made it possible for me to get off of the rescue inhaler which I was previously using every two hours. My hair periodically falls out by the handful, my legs swell every night and a deep bruise to my right leg has created a four week odyssy of the ankle swelling to twice the size of the other by dinnertime and the bruise is only just starting to appear - I suspect the steroids have slowed healing. I also have most of the same side effects as listed by others here - belly-bloating, diarrhea, severe stomach cramping, charlie horses, quicker temper, hoarseness, sore throat, heart palpatations, and chest pressure, trouble swallowing, bruising, blurred vision, most disconcerting is the way this stuff is affecting my short term memory. I just started back to school and I can't absorb anything into my memory and my ability to conceptualize (one of my best skills, previously) is now frightenly limited. For the first time in my life, I know what it is like to be the one in class scratching my head with a dumb expression on my face. I realized that it was the Advair, because I tried studying in the early morning (after the last dose of Advair had worn off) and Voila - my memory and conceptualizing abilities had partially, but dramatically, returned. But I need the Advair to GET TO class and by the time I reach the test (after my morning dose of Advair), I can't recall anything in a timely enough manner (test taking had always been my strength). I hate to think what this drug is doing to the minds of children in this country. I now know for the first time in my life, what a horrible feeling it is to not "get it" after trying with all your might. I flunked a math test last week after studying days and nights for it - first test I've ever flunked in my life and I used to get Bs in college while not opening a book until the night before a test. Does anyone know of anything else that is anywhere nearly as effective without all the side effects? I suspect it is the fluoride in Advair that makes it so dangerous - a good percentage of the dangerous drugs taken off the market or still on the market, but with blackbox warnings contain Fluoride - it is highly reactive and unpredictable. Flonase (nasal spray made with steroids and fluoride) makes my father and sister nearly psychotic!

In June, 2007 I was given a sample of ADVAIR by my primary physician for treatment of acute bronchitis. After 6 days of taking 250/50, I suffered hoarseness, voice changing up/down due to mucus in the throat, pain in chest, severe anxiety attacks, bloating in both legs of up to 7 lbs. of fluid per leg, blurred vision, sleep apnea, tiredness, etc. After being off ADVAIR for 6 weeks and after umpteen tests by both my primary physician and my heart doctor, symptons lessened a little. In the meantime, for the months of July and August, I was tested by both doctors, had to have blood drawn with each change in medication, countless doctor office visits, countless lab work done, etc. This ordeal has been extremely time-consuming and very espensive.

Dated September 13, 2007.

Scary drug. After only 11 doses i suffered hoarseness, thrush (very unpleasant) extreme pain in chest, neck and shoulders in particular. Though i was having a heart attack!! My digestion seems totally screwed up as does my sense of taste. Also, it seemed that when dosage wore off breathing was much worse than before; forcing you to take it again. Bad side effects lasted long after i stopped taking 50/250, and stilll continue. How did this make it thru FDA?

I am a 71 year old man with COPD (emphysema) My pulmonologist has prescribed Spiriva and Advair. I have taken Advair for over three years and Spiriva for about 18 months. Lately, I have experience a rapid heart beat (sometimes 138 bpm), problems with hoarseness, thick mucus in the throat, weight gain including an unpleasant, distended belly after eating, leg cramps at night, heartburn, dizziness and slow stream urination. I've been checked for prostate problems, the results of which were normal. My heart has always been healthy but lately with the rapid heartbeat, I've become very concerned. I am going to stop taking the Advair and see what the results are. The Spiriva seems to be doing a good job for me and I will continue with it since it is not a steroid.

I have been on Advair for YEARS.. and yes, it has been good to me as far as controlling my asthma.. but have had seriouse hoarsness isssues and hip and leg pain, as well as weight gain. I am starting a new medication today and hope to find some improvement upcoming.

I have been taking advair for over a year now. I would have not minded a bit the hoarseness, but the trembling, constant irratation, the worsening of my asthma ( yes, due to Advair), the weird palpitations, etc, are not what I expected from Advair. I am not surprised now when I just read it is a product of GlaxoSmithKline, famous for its disastrous Paxil and its subsequent scandals.
Fight GlaxoSmithKline.... The Secrets of Seroxat, BBC Panorama investigation, including....ADVAIR!!

I have been taking Advair for 6 months and also received a set of precautions from my doctor as well. The most important thing he said was to rinse your mouth and gargle with WARM water NOT cold water several times after your dose. That will prevent the hoarseness many people experience.The medication has a steroid component and is very effective treating your lung inflamation. Mouth rinsing keeps this from entering other areas of your body. When you take a drug, there is always some tradeoff. I believe for me that whatever side effects I have are minor compared to the benefit of being able to breathe freely again. I have absolutely no hoarseness , but have some itchiness but I had that before I took this drug. If you follow the directions I believe this drug can work for you.

Several months ago, my doctor switched me off of Pulmicort and onto Advair 250/50, in addition to the Singulair and Zyrtec that I take. Yep, an asthmatic with allergies...ain't life great?

At first, Advair did control my symptoms better, as I was able to excercise without feeling chest tightness. However, other side effects, such as an extremely dry throat, and hoarsness to the point of pain while talking--let alone singing--has occured. I've also noticed increased tightness in my throat, and weight gain. Now, I had a fairly sedentary lifestyle before, but always maintained the same steady weight.

These side effects are extremely troublsome for me, because I am a professional singer! Since taking it, I have lost the upper part of my register, and have pain while singing anything more than a few bars. My doctor has decided to lower my dose and send me to an EMT, however, my pharmacist thinks I should switch back to Pulmicort. My sypmtoms were not as well controlled, but at least I could function.

After living with asthma and relying on a rescue inhaler for 28 years, I was prescribed advair 500/50 and it has changed my life. I have not used my rescue inhaler since. It is like a miracle cure. I know its not a cure but it really works great. Do you know what it feels like to leave the house without panicking because I couldn't find my rescue inhaler?

45 yr old
advair for 10 years
cataracts, both eyes
episcleritis
corneal abrasions
increased phlegm and hoarseness
joint pain and swelling (constant)
difficulty sleeping
itchy skin
bruising

I have been on Advair for a couple of years now with resulting excellent control of my asthma. I have struggled with this control since childhood using my rescue inhalers frequently. I don't need them at all anymore. However, I have severe hoarseness of the voice, now need to see a special voice doctor, and it has even affected my job. The hoarsness is so severe at times that it is complete laryngitis with no voice at all. What do you chose, control over your asthma, or being able to communicate with others using your voice? It's a tough choice.

I started taking Advair when my Dr. prescribed it for a bout with bronchitis and it worked very well. Then another bout of coughing and it went well again. Finally, as part of an asthma maintenance plan Advair was prescribed twice a day (250/50.) Every time its used I gargle until the Listerine burns. And about two months into use my voice started getting hoarse. Now (with about 9 months into regular use) my voice rarely lasts longer than a five minute conversation, there's lots of hacking phlegm, and my throat is continuously sore from the coughing.

The ability to breathe without my chest feeling tight and the wheezing is gone on high pollution days, but this hoarseness is causing people to not hear me on the phone, conversations at work are stifled, and its becoming a life-style to learn to avoid talking. I'm going to begin trying to get off of Advair permanently and find another asthma maintenance medication.

I have been using advair for many years when I developed a fungus or whats called adult Thrush. also have had many bouts of hoarseness. I have a neice who also suffered from the same thing.

I am 58 year old female. I developed asthma last summer and the Dr put me on Advair. Recently, I have developed acne and my voice is very hoarse. I have a lot of trouble speaking and being understood. I had no idea Adviar caused this reaction in people. Co-incidentally, I went on the Nutrisystem Diet in July and have not experienced any weight gain.

I am concerned about the hoarsness and am considering not taking the Advair. I also have a strength problem and shortness of breath several times a day. I don't know if it's related to the Advair or just the asthma symptoms.

I have been taking advair 2x per day for about 2 1/2 weeks. I have experienced the hoarseness and difficulty singing. I have also been caughing up a LOT of phlem. I was put on advair because of a severe bronchial episode, caughing so hard I was bursting blood vessels in my lungs (just little spots of blood). In the past 2 days I have been caughing up solid masses of blood. I don't know if this is related to the advair, but I am worried. I am also on singulair, prednezone, and the albuterol rescue inhaler, and I have been taking claritin, so I don't know if that particular simptom was caused by the advair or one of my other meds.

hoarsness and cough

I've been taking the Advair 500/50 for a couple weeks now, and the side-effects i'm experiencing are hoarsness when speaking, insomnia, and chestpain. I do rinse my mouth and brush my teeth afterwards but still sometimes have the hoarsness voice. This medication is not suppose to cause weight gain even though it's a steriod because it only goes to the lungs not the bloodstream, i asked my pulmonary specialist. Not sure what's going on w/ people's expanding mid-sections on this website????

ANYONE WITH REMEDIES FOR VOICE / HOARSENESS?
I get a hoarse/high pitched voice when using Advair. When I drink milk immediately before taking Advair the hoarseness is a bit less, because it seems to coat the throat. I've also tried honey, but it doesn't work that well. Does anyone have any other tricks to mediate the voice loss that can come from Advair? Thanks.

i'm male 30, had asthma since i was 2, tried about every inhaler and pill you can think of. anyway march 2006, started taking advair, it helped alot,i was able to play sports again and even outlast alot of people, the only thing was it made weak in the strength department and my balance was off.

i also expreienced what alot of people here are saying, about weight gain, moon face, acid reflux, not wanting meat, acne, hoarsness, sinus infection, belly getting bigger.

i got off it about 2 months ago in june due to a back injury, i believe the advair caused me to get the back injury.

the back is better now, but since being off advair i can't walk up stairs without taking a break. but my skin is alot better and i lost 10-15 pounds just being off of advair.

right now i'm trying to find an alternative, so far vitamins are helping a little bit.

I have been on Advair since March. I have had quite a bit of hoarsness with this on and off. I now practically have lost my voice. I stopped using it for 48 hours and it seems to be a bit better.

I began taking Advair 250/50 in 1999. I was convinced Advair was a miracle because it worked so well and eliminated the need for a fast acting inhaler within the first few days. However, now 7 years later, I am beginning to have side effects. When they first started, my doctors told me it couldn't be the Advair. According to the doctors, I should have had symptoms initially, not after years of taking it. So, I dealt with the side effects for a year until asking to be taken off of it.

I gained 20 pounds in 5 months (very rare for me to gain weight at all), mostly in the mid section. I feel dizzy all the time, throat hoarseness and voice feels strained when I talk. My eyes are constantly uncomfortable and sensitive to light, and I have frequent headaches. I feel more irritable and shakey when I get hungry than ever before. Often nauseous. I recently developed PVC's and a heart murmur and almost daily have a racing heart and PVC's. The final straw was when I found the correlation between taking my nightly dose and immediately feeling anxious with racing thoughts, tense muscles (especially in legs), and complete inability to sleep for hours until the medicine wears off.

I have now been off the Advair for 3 days, and have switched back to Flovent only. However, I am still experiencing the muscle tension, racing thoughts, and inability to sleep at night directly after taking the Flovent as well. The symptoms wear off a few hours later and only occur directly after taking the night time dose. I am wondering if the Advair has caused some permanent damage.

I was on Advair for almost three weeks. Within the first few days, I thought it was helping. Then I started having really bad problems with acid reflux, throat irritation/hoarseness, a dry cough, need for nearly constant throat clearing, and tightness in the throat. It also seemed like the Advair was getting less effective in helping my breathing. I ended up going to a asthma specialist. In addition to asthma, I found out I may also have this other condition called Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD). VCD is commonly mistaken for asthma as the symptoms and triggers are very similar. Also, there is a fairly high rate of co-occurance with asthma and some literature even suggests having asthma predisposes one for developing VCD (having GERD and allergic rhinitis also appear to be triggers). In one study, 56% of individuals with "severe" asthma were found to also have this condition. Another 10% were found to not even have asthma. The point in talking about all this is that I think in my case taking Advair significantly exacerbated my symptoms of VCD. M y doctor's response was to put me on prednisone when the Advair didn't work. It seems like lots of people posted concerns about similar side effects to mine and some even noted they were having more trouble breathing. They might want to look into this condition. Here's a link: www.cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

I am a 42 yro who has been using Advair 250/50 for over a year now. The Doc prescribed 2 puffs a day but I prefer to take 1 puff every day (shhhh...don't tell the doc!). Before going to Advair I was taking albuterol inhaler on an as needed basis (allergy/exercise induced asthma). I am not sure if its old age, or me moving from NE to the SE USA (where its hot & humid), or Advair itself but I am noticing that I am getting more and more dependent on Advair to the point where If I don't take my once-a-day-puff, I find myself starting to wheeze. I was never like this with Albuterol. Sometimes I wonder if there is a chemical in Advair that makes you become dependent on it just so the drug company can make more profit on your depenency. The other two minor side effects that I attribute to Advair is the occasional hoarsness in my voice, and a minor tingling sensation in my arm and leg (Restless Leg Syndrome?) at night. Anyone else can make a connection between Advair and RLS?

I don't smoke, drink caffine free drinks, athletic, and work out regularly, and take no other medications or vitamins.

I have been on Advair 250/50 for 2 years now and it has been a MIRACLE drug for me. I have moderate/severe asthma, diagnosed at 11 and now I'm 43. I was constantly taking puffs from my albuterol inhaler and now I rarely use it. I was initially prescribed Advair 2x/day but reduced to once a day because I felt "jittery" on 2x/day. Occasionally, I get some hoarseness but it's the Kathleen Turner sexy kind of hoarseness, so I don't mind. I have never had any adverse side effects from this drug other than the jitters but that was gone once I went to 1 dose a day. I also take Singulair for asthma.

I've been off and on Advair for two years. I'll take myself off of it cause I don't like what it does but then the asthma goes nuts. So far I've been on this for three days - 2 doses per day of the 250/50. Massive joint pain like I have the flu, dizzy, ear-ache, nausea, sore-throat, hoarsness, headache, lethargy. I am also on Zyrtec every day 1 pill to control post-nasal sinus drip which kicks off an asthma attack. One more note. I moved to Massachusetts 6 years ago from Alabama. I had two sinus problems a year in Bama - bronchitis type stuff and that was it. I was diagnosed with Asthma 2 years after moving to Massachusetts.

I posted May 10. Since then, I have continued taking Advair, but am now almost completely SIDE EFFECT FREE!

The trick is to remove what doesn't make it to your lungs. DON'T SWALLOW ANY! Rinse and gargle five times.:

1,2 - Gargle lightly and deeply 2x to get it off your voice box. Spit each time.
3,4 - Gargle strongly 2x to get it off the sides of your throat. Spit each time.
5 - Rinse mouth thoroughly and spit

After 1 week, heartburn and hoarseness were gone. After two weeks now, I have regained some voice control. (It may never be perfect with Advair because he bronchodilator may also be relaxing the muscles around the voice box.)

It's likely that a lot of the long-term symptoms like bruising could be from prolonged swallowing/ingestion of the stuff.

If Advair can control my asthma with no side effects, then I don't care about addiction. Have to take something daily in any case.

Please, anyone who tries the gargling, share whay you have learned!!!

I've been on advair 100/50 (twice a day) for only a week and got the following:

upset stomach, runny nose, muscle and bone pains - arms fingers, hoarsness, red dots on my skin, shakyness/nervousness

Asthma has improved significantly though.

I have been experiencing hoarseness. loss of voice as well as severe low back ache, hip ache anxiety and severe cramps in my calves at night. I have been going to back therapy the past month not making the connection to Advair and thinking it was more of my on going back problems. I stopped taking Advair 5 five days ago and many of the side effects either have gone away or have been subsiding noticeably. I thought this was a coincidence until today I began to read this forum and am really convinced at this point that the Advair has been playing a large role in my physical woes. On the downside, my asthma has become worse but I intend to ask my Dr. for a script for Asmanex when he returns to town....

Hi! I am so happy that I found this website. I was on Advair 500 for over a year and had almost every side effect listed here. After reading the postings, I went to the doctor and demanded that he put me on another asthma medicine. He put me on Asmanex and I've been feeling absolutely wonderful for the past 3 months. Coming off the Advair was scary for me. I had tingling lips, fingers, and skin on my back for almost a week. I also had to use my albuterol every 4 hours during the same week. But other than that my list of symptoms quickly disappeared. Since then, I've only had to use my albuterol a handful of times, mainly on a humid day or when working in my basement or brushing my dogs. I had experienced so many side effects while on Advair that I started to feel depressed. When I asked my doctor's about the side effects, they told me that they weren't from my medications. Advair had caused me to have a constant cough, numerous episodes of bronchitis, hoarseness almost one week every month, severe asthma attacks, constant thrush and other throat infections. I also had my blood pressure up 20-30 points on average, which caused me to constantly feel anxious. I was extremely moody and snapped at my kids and husband very easily. I had trouble sleeping and night sweats. Since I couldn't sleep I was constantly tired. One of the worse effects was joint pain and muscle cramps. My hands and feet would cramp up like I had severe arthritis. Sometimes I cramped so bad that couldn't hold a fork or toothbrush. My legs would cramp so badly it would make me cry. My back ached and I got severe stomach cramps. I had horrible menstrual cycles which lasted for over a week. My elbows hurt so bad that I couldn't carry a bag through the mall. I also lost all interest in sexual relations. I also had jitters. My hands would tremble even when I wasn't holding anything. I also lost my appetite. Food didn't taste or smell the same so it didn't appeal to me. I had to force myself to eat. To say the least, I felt like I was falling apart. Within a few days of going off of the Advair I felt like a new person. I was pleasant to be around and had hope for the future. I am feeling great. My husband and kids are so happy to have the real me back. I strongly encourage everyone to try Asmanex and go off Advair. It's really made a difference in my life.

I was put on Advair and Singular in December 2005. I was on both drugs all of January and almost all of February 2006. My asthma started to get worse, breathing very labored, painful eyes, joints, muscles, heavy chest, hoarseness, and total loss of energy. I also gained more weight. After looking up side effects, I immediately got off both drugs.

My symptoms have improved dramatically, but my energy level remains low and I have developed some type of infection in both eyes. Both are very painful, and the left eyelid feels lumpy. This definitely was a case of the cure being worse than the disease. I actually felt like I was dying a slow death. I'm just hoping the drugs did not cause me permanent damage. I am now on a total vegetarian (raw food) diet, hoping to rid my body of these drugs.

I have taken advair for many years and the advair really helped keep my asthma under control. I stopped having to use my fast acting inhalor.
The bad part was with my throat... over the past year I developed hoarseness in my voice. It feels like something is always caught in my throat.
I stopped taking the advair recently and my throat seems to be doing a little better, but we'll see what happens with that.
I also got headaches quite often, but I'm not sure if that's related to the advair or something else.
It's good for the asthma, not fun for my voice though.

I am sad and angry. I am a singer. Advair was prescribed for me about 7 months ago because of slight emphysems. I had already quite smoking (It's now almost 11 months since I've smoed. I was afraid of Adviar because it is a steroid, and i very early noticed some hoarseness but was eassured by my doctor, so i continued. Actually, I used it only about half of the time because of my fear. After about 7 months, I developed significant hoarseness. Now a ENT and my GP have both expressed the opinion that it is the Advair that casued the problem. I always rinsed my mouth and my throat and also gargled after using the Adviar, but it didn't work. I have not taken the medicine since Jan. 23, and there is some improvement. My GP says it might take 2 months. My breathing went from the 58 th to the 75th percentile after 6 months of not smoking. I also do a lot of cariovascular exercise, so i think i'll be all right without the medicatiion. What I want is HEALING for my VOICE. Do you know of anything i can do?

I have suffered with aAsthma all my life. My brothers we all were premature and have bronchial issues. I have had allergies and shot along with acute asthma attacks that sent me to the hospital. One of my siblings almost died from his bronchial spasms. My mother was a smoker and she continued smoking while she was pregnant. We are living proof that smoking is devastating to your unborn child. Well, moving on foward I have taken Advair for about approxiamately three years. I was reluctant at first but my constant bronchial infections and asthma led my doctor to send me to an asthma specialist. I had taken steroid injections and steriod pills in the past when needed. Now this time it was different I had to follow the "program" according to my physcian.Now every day I would inhale into the purple disk my dosage was 500mg. and so started the drug induced trip of a lifetime ! The side effects for me were small at first but gradually they grew and even gained momentum! There was the hoarseness, weight gain, nervouseness, heart palpitations, depression, extreme bruising, asthma attacks, growths, complex endometrial cysts on my ovaries ( I attribute to the steriods my periods became irregular and light when I was taking the disk) . I also, developed sebacious cysts on my back and face. Three yars and it took a trip to Vegas over the summer to make me realize the connection!! I was leaving through photographs from the trip. I did not recognize my self. My face was round, my legs swollen and bruised. I am a health nut and even with the astma continued a regular routine to this day of runniong and weight training. I was irritable all the time, I had boughts of insomnia and woke up sometimes in a cold sweats. The steriod inhanced the hormonal changes. I am in my forties and expected some degree of flucuations but not to this degree. NONE of the woman in my family had ever experinced this before. I truley beleive the steriods interuppted my monthly cycle which effected the hormonal balance to a far higher degree than what should of happened to me. I stopped taking Advair approxiamtely 3 1/2 months ago. Since then my periods are back to normal ( I have not missed one yet ). Since, I stopped in August by October no more bruising, normal menstural flow, my face has go down, no more nervouseness..ect. I am currently taking Spivera with very few side affects..sometimes I develop a rash on face... big deal ( I will be closely watching side effects from now on) It still beats the harmful side effects of Advair. I will never take the purple disk again !!!

Been on 250/50 for 3 years. Never thought about Advair until I read the comments on this site. I have pain down both legs and foot, seems like it's my bones that hurt, also my foot swells and doctors not sure why. Hoarsness quite often that I thought was post nasal drip. Need Advair for my asthma but would love to go off it for few weeks to see if things are different after reading this comments.

I've only been on Advair for a week, and feel as if my shoulders are permanently welded to my ear lobes. The past two nights I've had the worst charlie horses I can remember ever having, and I don't remember having any for about thirty years. My heart is racing, my bp is up to 143/97 when it was 120/72 last week. I can't sleep more than six hours, and I'm up two or three times a night to eat because I'm constantly hungry. Yesterday I noticed hoarseness setting in. Today I'm calling the doc.

I'm so grateful for this site, and for the Internet. I don't check for side effects before I take meds, but I seem to have alot of them, and this site is the easiest one I've found to find info from other users.

Thank you, thank you.

I started taking Advair about two years ago. The Doctors say I have COPD,and I was given Advair to help me breath. Since I started taking this drug I have developed cronic pain in my legs,arms and sholders, weaknes in my intire body, numbness in hands, cramps in legs,feet,hands and sometimes in upper body .I have a problem sleeping, nervousness,hoarseness. I have no quality of life any more. I loved gardening but cannot do any of that any more. Walking in my home is a chore now. I have told my Doctor but he seems not to believe me. Maybe we need to go to school to learn how to treat our illnesses. I hope some one will investigate this drug and its side effects. There has to be another drug to help open our air passage ways to help us breath. Peggy