Advair HFA and puff

A few years ago, my doctor prescribed advair to better control my asthma. After a few days, I had an almost fatal reaction to the medication. I woke up feeling fine, took a shower, and got ready for work. I took a puff from the advair discus and immediately felt my throat closing. I started gasping for air and took my rescue inhaler which didn't work at all. The nebulizer didn't work either. Within minutes I collapsed and became unconscious.Luckily, my son was late for work that day so he called 911 and gave me mouth to mouth resuscitation until the paramedics arrived. My blood pressure dropped to 60/30 and I had to be intubated for the first time. I remained unconscious until I reached the hospital. The doctor said the only reason I survived was because my son saved me. If I had been alone that day I'm sure everyone would have assumed that I died from an asthma attack. I wonder how many other people that happened to. Since then, I have been very careful about taking new medications.

I couldn't handle Advair for more that 3 weeks!

Had no problem with lower dose, other than voice changes, but prescription was not strong enough.

Higher dose: Couldn't sleep more than 3 hours per night; Indescribable Depression; Weight gain.

Stopped the Advair cold-turkey. Within 2 full days I was feeling almost human again, but still not my normal self.

In 4 full days feeling like myself and needing to use Albuterol inhaler again.
Advair was fantastic for my asthma, but mental health is equally important.

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'm 17. I have extremely bad asthma. and i've had it all my life. i remember being 3 taking nebulizers. i don't know it had gotten better, worse or stayed the same over the years. but i started taking asthma preventers medications because it was really out control. i have horrible allergies all together (which really is all asthma is) but little, tiny things will set asthma attack off instantly, like a short breath from under my bed or even steam from the dishwasher o_O. so i needed to go on preventers. i went from prevention inhalers, pills then finally advair.(and no doubt it works the Best) i was still kinda a kid at the time so it was 100/50, im to young to remember any side effects. but 100/50 wasn't cutting it, so i went to 250/50 , im still on it today. its hard to notice rashes, sinus, mental etc, problems because i have soooo many other allergies. plus im taking medications from them to.
i'd say im pretty healthy though, despite asthma i still play sports and i don't have to use my inhaler THAT much when i take advair it does work good, and i don't really notice all the symptoms/ side effects mentioned in the other comments, its a very good possibility some people are just allergic to advair, i was allergic to some meds i was on, plus, advair is a drug. Every drug Will have some kind of side effects unless its all natural. i question albuterol, i'll find myself reaching for puff when i don't even need it. O_O ! even with the new cfc free inhalers they have out.

I began taking Advair 1 puff/twice a day about 6 months ago. I have COPD. I've been very thin for many years. Now I have all this pudginess around my middle. Is that what happens? What about water retention and urinary incontinence? Can all this be Advair related? Will appreciate your response.

I get side effects too, but my horrible coughing is under control. I am prescribed one puff twice a day. I have cold sores in mouth and something on my gum, my dentist said it was a virus. Everything is so expensive.

I tried to cut down on my Advair usage because it's so darned expensive - close to $200 a month. I only did one puff in the morning. I continued taking my Singulair as prescribed, once a day, at night. I had to go back to using Advair twice a day when I found I couldn't walk up two flights of stairs without difficulty breathing. But the thing that I hate the most is the coughing and the yellow mucus. Does anyone have this problem? I breathe better after expelling the mucus but sometimes it's so hard to do, I have actually coughed up blood. I have, also, lost my regular voice. At times I sound completely hoarse, and forget about singing, That's gone. I ask the pharmaceutical companies, if I must continue taking these drugs, can you make a version I can afford!

my doctor precribed 1 puff twice a day , but i had to use 2 puffs twice a day, has anyone else had to use 2 puffs twice a day? also ihad the severe leg pain likea charley horse. also i think i had chest pain on the right side, trying to go to one puff twice a day. but i really need 2. before was taking combivent 4 times a day. with azmacort.let me know what dosage your doctor prescribed for your advair hfa. please reply at once if possible.

tkram48358@aol.com

I am very grateful for this blog because your collective experiences helped me figure out why I've been having depression and anxiety. I started on Advair 100/50 about 2 years ago and experienced wonderful relief from asthma symptoms. The drug seemed like a godsend.

However, just recently my boss noticed that my personality had changed, and she asked me if everything was OK. I said I've had a lot of trouble with depression and anxiety lately. I was just attributing it to aging (I'm 54).

Now after reading the many entries here about depression and anxiety, I realize that my symptoms are probably caused by the Advair. I've actually had the symptoms for quite some, but they were subtle at first, so I didn't link them to the Advair.

I'm going back to my doctor to see if I can get off of this stuff. I'm currently down to one puff per day, but I experience serious asthma symptoms when I try to quit completely. I'll probably need to go back to using a nebulizer at least during the withdrawal period.

I'm a 37 year old male and I've had asthma since I was a small child. I did the albuterol inhaler for many years but they took that off the market because of environmental reasons, so I had to switch to something. I wound up with the Advair 100/50. I noticed fairly early on that when I went to take the second prescribed puff at the end of the day, I didn't really feel I needed it. So, the combination of me being strongly skeptical of drugs and Advair being expensive led me to skip taking the second puff. The next morning, when I went to take my FIRST puff of the day, I noticed I didn't feel I needed that puff either, so I didn't take that puff. Long story short, I take ONE puff of this Advair every 3 to 5 days. It's been working well for me for about 3 or 4 years. I also take many healthy supplements like Omega Fatty acids, multivitamins, Vitamin C, minerals, etc.
So my message here is: Try taking LESS Advair... As little as possible. If your doctor figures it out, tell him/her whatever you feel like. Lie if you want. NOTHING (repeat) NOTHING is more important than your health and unfortunately the ONLY person who REALLY cares about YOUR health is you. You have to protect yourself. Don't let your doctor's ego win out over your health. You don't owe your doctor any anything except payment for your office visit.

All I can say is OH MY GOD. I'm a 23 year old female and have had asthma since I was 13. I started taking Advair two years ago. I didn't really notice any symptoms at that time except for a 10lb weight gain I attributed to 'getting older'. Last year I lost my insurance coverage and stopped taking the medicine (and imagine, I dropped the 10 lbs). Last month, I got a really bad sinus and ear infection and was having breathing difficulties once again. Since I am now insured I went to the doctor, and got an antibiotic. I took the antibiotic for 2 weeks. My sinus and ear infections are gone, but I have this HORRIBLE nagging dry cough (for more than 4 weeks), that NOTHING will cure. So I went back to my doctor a few days ago. He told me that due to my history of asthma, the previous infection I had, and allergies that bronchial inflammation can occur and I was put back on Advair. I took my first puff 2 days ago. I tried to ignore the jittery sensation, and light-headedness. I just took a puff an hour ago, and let me tell you I absolutely CANNOT ignore it. Currently my heart is racing, I am extremely light headed as I write this, and i cannot stop shaking my legs. I tried to relax in bed but the 'jitters' are just too much. If this does not subside, I think I might go to the emergency room. After googling "Advair side-effects" and finding this site, I now realize I am not alone, and this is not in my head. I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICATION AGAIN. I am convinced that what I am experiencing this very moment are the side effects of Advair. Don't let another doctor tell you there are NO side effects associated with it.
-Ashley Miami Beach, FL

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.

HI I am 61 and took one puff of Advair and the joint pains that night were bad. I took it for three days. Three weeks later it is still very bad. about a 8 or 9 on the pain scale. I am weak in the joints and stiff. I would like to know if anyone had it like this and if it went away and how long did it last. Excedrin works the best, have a prescription for the night time but it does nothing so am using aspirin also.I called the company and they contact the fda also. The mornings are the worse because nothing lasts at night and I don't know why. I can hardly walk and get ready for the day and around 7 at night I get so cold and shaky. Has anyone had it this bad and does it stop. I don't know if the doctors even believe me. I do have a appoint for a arthritis doctor, but not until feb and the blood test I have had so far say there is nothing wrong.

I'm 58 with COPD and the Dr. put me on Advair for breathing. I have been having severe join pain the last two weeks and believe it may be from the rx. also, have reccurring pneumonia, thrush, and sleep disturbances. Sound familiar? let me know if you have the joint pain.

I wish I found this site before I started taking this crap. I started Advair again about two weeks ago 50/500 one puff at night and one in the morning. At first I would just get a little dizzy sometimes when I took it and a mild head ache a couple times but the last three nights I keep waking up and its hard to get back to sleep even though Im tired and I have noticed my heart beating faster then normal. I have only been getting six or five hours of sleep a night which is not enough for me especially because I have been surfing for hours the last few days. I do think it has helped my ashtma when I go surfing but after reading all of these bad side effects I dont think I will ever take it again. The last time I took it was about a year ago and stoped because it made me feel dizzy and I only took it for about two weeks. Before I started it again I told the doctor that it made me feel dizzy a couple times and he said people just accomodate to it. Its to bad they cant make something that helps my lungs like it does without all the bad side effects. Im going to not use it tonight and see how I sleep and tomorow when I go surfing I will see how my lungs are without it.

Yeah i was taking advair, i hardley used to even have asthma. I might need 1 puff or 2 from inhaler each week. Then i got off advair. Now i need inhaler at least 4-5 times a day. I'm real pissed, i wish i could sue advair. Come to think about it, my sister was on advair a lot longer than me, and around Christmas 2005, she was in hospital in comma, because of advair. They should take it off the market, and pay out billions for the deaths they caused

I have allergy related asthma. I was on Advair for about one year, a year ago. I started out with 1 puff 2x daily and weaned myself to one puff and then off. I've had no asthma symptoms until the last month or so. My doctor put me back on Advair last week. Since then I've had trouble with what seems like pressure in my eyes. Three days ago my eyes were very bloodshot with one area really red and since then they've been painful and I'm having trouble focusing on anything close up. Has anyone had EYE side effects with this medication??

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.

My doctor prescribed Advair last week and I am supposed to take one puff twice a day. I have done it for the past 3 days. Now I am afraid to continue because of the side effects you all mention. How long until you began to notice the weight gain/sleeplessness, etc.? I just lost 40lbs and it took a lot of hard work. I will not let this drug ruin that for me. (I don't
have chronic asthma, I am just having trouble getting over a bout of bronchitis.) Thanks for any information you can offer.

I have taken Advair 100/50 one puff in the morning for several years. It has worked wonders in alleviating my Asthma. The trouble is I now have developed type II Diabetes. Also I have put on about 30lbs. that I don't seem to be able to loose. I eat about 2000 calories a day and exercise 5-6 times a week. I also have high triglycerides, high cholesterol and fatty liver. After reading the posts in this forum, I am convinced that the Advair is the cause. That being the case I made an appointment with my Allergist on Wednesday. I tell you what he has to say.

I have been on Advair 500/50 for 2 years taking 1 puff twice daily. I have had these side effects:

weight gain
dry skin
itchy skin
pain in muscles and joints, mostly legs
thin skin on arms
bleeding problems/ clotting disorder
rapid heart beat
thinning hair
difficulty sleeping
thirsty throughout the night
dental problems
water retention
heartburn
I hate taking this drug but it does help keep my COPD(emphysema) under control. I get depressed at times due the side effects of this drug and the impact it has on my life and how I feel about myself. I often think of just stopping the drug and seeing how I feel but I am afraid to.

all the people closely examining their symptoms and trying to figure the cause just check if they have used any setroid sprays for their nose(allergic rhintis)/cause an inhaled spray causes much greater side effects than a inhaled advair puff.its ironical that docs say advair doesnt enter ur system but what wud they say when they prescribe steroid sprays for nasal allergies?ok i am happy that i did find a way out of steroids and steroid side effects.i am using homeopath and its been 8 months now/i am not reacting to dust at all/the remed for dust allergy is bromine 1M in homeopahty/to the disbeleivers just tr the remedy/of course one shud alwas be under expert guidance/but there r no side effects here.

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.

Occasional hoarseness

Foot Pain leg pain

Nausea or hunger pangs sudden and painful

Heartburn

Bloated stomach but I eat 3 garlic cloves a day so not too sure if Advair is culprit

throat irritation

Have been using the 100 and 250 at one puff a day for year and a half

Excellent control of asthma but the side effects are not worth it. Will consider alternative, perhaps holistic approach.

After 9 days hospitalization for bronchitis and asthma, doctor gave me prednisone and combivent inhaler for 6 weeks. Both were stopped and I was given Advair 500/50 - 2 puffs twice each day. Within two days I experienced sever blurred night vision. I suspected Advair and cut dose in half-1 puff twice each day. A few days later, I awoke with tingling in legs and severe mustle pain down the front of my right leg, not allowing leg to stretch back far enough to walk properly. I quit Advair. Am on combivent for time being. Tingling has mostly gone away and pain in right leg is gone.

After starting Advair last Nov. I suddenly had so much pain in legs and arms. Difficult to walk or lift anything. This pain continued until spring when I demanded a diagnosis. It was diagnosed as polymyalgia rheumatica. They do not know what causes it. I already had fibromyalgia. After prednisone for one day ALL pain and stiffness disappeared and I need to take prednisone for one year. I noticed others with fibromyalgia had much increased pain after Advair

I took Advair for 1 months 2 puff a day ..I had experienced dry mouth..My hands ache and also Muscle spasms..that My doctor told me no side effects of Advair.I fight with my DR ..And told him go get some more education.Then i had extra Advair to my girfriend .She is now writing the rest of this e mail..! She experienced pain in her hands and fingers and alsohoarsness and Wight again also...

I took advair over a year ago to try to help me. I only took it for about a week and it did not help but even now one year later I have an awful sore throat and terrible taste in my mouth that I beleive was caused by advair, and if I really puff my lungs out I get smoke to come out. Go figure and it was supposed to help....

I am normally a very patient and kind individual. Immediately after beginning treatment with the 250/50 diskus, I became very aggressive and nearly violent. Had terrible time trying to sleep, and this only added to the continual sense of frustration.

My eyes are always red, and my vision has become blurry. I have cut the dose in half (only one puff per day) but symtoms do not seem to have decreased. I am 34 years old and have never breathed this freely in my life. I have always had to carry an albuteral inhaler with me, and used it several times a day. Now, I couldn't even tell you where it is!

I am going to try taking it only one puff every other day and see if I can deal with the symtoms that remain. I have always been underweight, so I am actually enjoying the increased appetite. However, I have not as yet seen any significant weight gain.