Advair HFA and oral steroids

I've been on Advair for 4 or 5 years and can never find a doctor who will even entertain the notion of taking me off of it. Although I have many symptoms that have been documented by GSK they consider it "very unlikely" that Advair is causing my joint pain, bloating, headaches, mouth sores etc. Last year I had pneumonia (also a reported adverse reaction) and THIS year I was diagnose with osteoporosis (yet another risk). I think these doctors are afraid that if they agree to wean me off & I die they'll get sued. Sorry to be so blunt but the problem is that the last doctor who tried to wean me off (now retired) even contacted the manufacturer & was told there is "currently no protocol" recommended for the cessation of Advair. My asthma got so bad when I tapered off, even with oral steroids he eventually just put me back on, hoping to hear of a protocol later. I'm very frustrated to say the least. Doctors seem to think "well it seems to be working since your still alive". Of course I can't to a certainty attribute all my symptoms to Advair it seems very unlikely that NONE of them are. Can't say if the Advair is directly causing depression but the Advair SITUATION is depressing!

I have what's known as cough equivalent asthma--on set as an adult. this is my first attack in about 3 years. I'm very unhappy with the Advair--the heart beating so quickly, the nausea and to top it all off IT'S NOT WORKING and neither is the albuterol. Today is my last day for the Advair. It's not even controlling my cough for minutes let alone hours or days. I'm losing my voice and will lose my part-time job because I don't have a voice. I can't hold a conversation without coughing it's making me dizzy and I'm tired because I can't sleep.

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?

WOW! I can't believe what I'm hearing. I have been on Advair for almost a year. 500/50 dose. I have severe asthma and it was my only hope of getting off oral steroids. YEAH it worked! I even lost 60lbs do to being off steroids. But about 5 months ago I woke up with horrible pain in my muscles. They haven't let up. It has been hard to go about my daily life. I can't walk sometimes and it feels like I have arthritis. I have been to several docs and no one ever mentioned Advair as a possible reason. I now have to wonder after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. That is how bad my pain is. I also have repeated sinus pain. I had sinus surgery but the pain is still awful. I have ear pain, throat pain, mouth/tongue pain. My anxiety has been so bad over all of this. I will talk with my asthma doctor about this.