Advair HFA and muscle cramping

Similar to P.O.W. interrogation. Great torture. After two months, my muscles were in a perpetual state of motion. Starting with but not limited to my calves, my muscles would turn into tight knots anywhere, anytime, for no apparent reason. Constant pain and muscle cramping, exhausted, vomiting, losing weight. Sent to multiple specialists before my 6 month asthma recheck. Diagnoses ranged from viral syndrome to fibromyalgia. One quack actually told me that my job(E.M.T.) was too stressfull for my age(34) and that I should change careers. Symptoms started to resolve about 2 weeks after stopping the Advair, completely resolved after 2 months, One year for the muscle/tendon damage to heal, psychological damage still uncertain.

I also am having trouble sleeping. It takes xanax or melatonin or both, to help me to unwind. Yikes.

I will be taking Advair for 4 years this March. The Dr. warned me that thrush and suppressed immune system were side effects. Are others not being told this? I rinse or brush my teeth after each dose. This is very important. I do have muscle cramping from time to time, so I eat potassium rich foods. Lately I have been having chest pain so I am concerned. Checking this out. This may be due to adding Singulair recently. Prior to Advair I could not get my asthma under control. Recently I went off of the Advair and the asthma was much worse. So..the side effects are not good but the asthma w/no Advair is bad also. Not sure what the answer is.

I used Advair at a beginning dosage of 250 twice a day for a few weeks and then reduced it, on the advice of the allergist, to once a day. I continued this for about 3 months and then quit when the asthma was well under control. The only adverse side effects I had were muscle cramping and it was not serious. My asthma is allergy induced and was alleviated almost immediately.

I've been using Advair non-stop for about three years. At first, with the exception of a slight sore throat and raspy voice by mid-afternoon, I felt great, to the point where I forgot I was asthmatic. I developed several other symptoms very gradually, so gradually that I didn't associate them with the medicine. I've experienced the following symptoms, some worse than others:

Sore throat, loss of voice, fungal infections of the mouth (this is really getting out of hand!) and vagina, slight headaches, painful joints and feet (soles), muscle stiffness; muscle cramping(neck, abdominal, leg and feet), dental discomfort, red eyes, blurry vision and "floaters", dark circles; difficulty sleeping; weight gain, especially around the middle. Slight facial hair; sallow, dry skin, and poor healing (slow healing of wounds and scars). The latest :sudden bouts of weakness and sleepiness.

I think it's time to take a break and cleanse the system.

I started Advair 250/50 approx 6 months ago. I had immediate relief from the asthma and also immediately had the following symptoms:
-Frequent urination, up at night every two hours
-Yeast infection
-Bladder infection
-Sore bones/joints and muscles
-Blurry vision with occasional dancing silver spots in peripheral vision and dizziness
-Slight weight gain
-Dark circles around eyes
-Overall dry skin with cracking skin on fingertips
-Excessive sleepiness
-headaches
-Gravelly voice (I do a great Elmer Fudd and Marge Simpson)
-Sinus infection/itchy ears
-Severe muscle cramping in calves and feet

I was waiting for it to get better, ha ha, and then in the second month of usage, the biggy -- severe depression. That is something I've never had a problem with and for one week I was total doom and gloom, could not shake it. I did not ask my doctor about it. I called and told the nurse to tell her that I was having severe side-effects and wanted the lower dose, prepared to tell them goodbye at the slightest disagreement but no problem. Like everyone else's doctors, mine refuses to listen to what is actually going on with my body. Amazing, isn't it? They just can't be bothered. Must rush on to the next patient and ignore their reality also. The first time I was given prednisone several years ago, I called the doctor's office about the fact that I was in severe pain and could barely walk. As I stood there reading the pharmaceutical insert that included bone/muscle problems, the doctor denied any such side-effect. But I digress.

While waiting for the new Advair diskus ordered from Canada at half price since I have no insurance, I got on top of the depression by taking supplements of B-complex (the B's keep us sane), Adrenal Support tabs, Vit C to help fight infections, and plenty of water. DON'T FORGET TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER, FRIENDS! Always and especially when on any medications. The poisons must be flushed!

I'm still on the 100/50, the worst of the symptoms lessened, still having some irritation of urinary tract, headaches, sinus mess, and the Advair Voice. If I forget to take the supplements, I can feel the depression trying to creep back in, like the devil knocking at my door -- which reminds me of a line from a musical ... "You knew darn well I was a snake before you let me in!" Well, yeah, *now* I know! I've just decided today to take Advair once a day and recalled finding this site while searching in the grips of doom and gloom. Now I have a very good idea what people are dealing with when suffering from clinical depression. Awful, just awful! And not something you can think your way out of. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with depression ... or Advair.

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE! DON'T LET THE DOCTORS BULLY YOU -- REMIND THEM THEY WORK FOR YOU! TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS! DRINK WATER! GET THOSE PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED!
******

i ALSO HAVE MUSCLE CRAMPING ALONG WITH HEADACHES AND FORGETFULLNESS. NOTICING AS OF THIS YEAR, GROWTHS IN THE BACK OF MY HANDS AND WRIST.. VERY PAINFUL TO TOUCH. INSOMNIA, DEPRESSION.

Serious muscle cramping in legs, feet and jaw.
Frequent bouts of bronchitis.