Advair HFA side effects

Hello asthmatics,
I've taken Advair for about 10 years and have had a problem with bone and muscle pain since I've been on it. I started taking it because it was the only med. that enabled me to breathe, as I have severe asthma. Back in the day before Advair, I used nebulizers all the time. After reading the side effects of Advair (decreased bone density), I realize I need to stop taking it. I take a calcium substitute every day and this helps to eliminate the pain, but I feel like I have the body of a 90 year old and I'm only 24! Screw Advair, I don't need to mess around with bone density issues! I wish my doctor had told me that, or I had thought to look it up years ago. Only recently have I eliminated all other Rx drugs (except the occasional nasal spray) as well as most everything over the counter. I hope I'll still be able to breathe without it! If not I'll just have to find something else to take. Any thoughts on Intal? It seems like it might have less side-effects. Take care and good luck to all.
-Ange-

There was an expert on the Mike and Juliet show the other day that said that Advair was not meant to be taken for a long period of time. It is suppose to be a short term medication but the doctors and pharmaceutical companies will not tell you that. For some people this medication really works , and for others the side effects outwieght the benefits I personally don't think the the doctors know anything about half of the medication that the prescribe. They just look in a book and pick a drug that fits your condition. They never tell you the long term side effects from the drugs, and that really makes me upset. I have taken several drugs that the doctor prescribed for me and they don't tell me that it is harmful until I come back in with a serious problem. I think we should stick to the good old home remedies, because people who didn't take these drugs 50 years ago had a longer life expectancy than we do now and the seen to be doing fine.

I have been on Advair for about 5 years. I started with the 100/50 dosage and i guess it wasn't working for me so I was switched to the 250/50. I am 5'6' and I use to weigh about 150lbs. Now after 5years I weight almost 200lbs. I have been experiencing major leg pain that just started a year ago, and I have no idea where it came from. I thought my weight gain was due to birth control, but I stopped taking that a while ago. now after reading all of these comments I think that the Advair was the cause of all of it. I just got married last May and I weight about 165, I have not been exercising like I should, but I don't eat a lot of bad foods. I have gained over 30lbs since then. I went to the doctor about a week ago before i read all of these comments and ordered a 3 month supply of Advair. I think Im just going to stop taking it all together. I would rather take my albuterol more often than have people asking me every six months am I pregnant because my face looks fatter.

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.

These posts have certainly raised some questions in my mind. I am a 48 female, w/mild to moderate COPD - chronic bronchitis due to years of smoking. I have been taking Advair for about 8 years. I have joint and muscle pain all the time, clearing of throat constantly, hoarse like voice, poor urine stream, red eyes, blurry vision. I've had depression and anxiety attacks for years so I can't really blame that on Advair. I take 250/50 strength once a day. I cannot take the second dose in the evenings. If I do, I will not sleep. I go to my pulmonary doctor next week and will definitely talk to him about other options and coming off Advair.

heart was raising at 230 spend 3 days in icu .... had to take digitek ..now these is cossing me a problem so best thing take nothing that is what i am doing now and i feel good.......

This is not really a side effect. I had been taking Advair 250/50 twice a day for about 10 months for exercise induced asthma. It worked really well for about 3 or 4 months. Then for the next 2 or 3 months it worked with moderate success. For the past 2 months or so it was not working at all so I stopped taking it. I had the usual horse voice and mild cough which I put up with when it was working. Anybody have the same experience

69 year old beautiful grandmother, Yes, I stopped taking ADVAIR... After taking advair for two years, I just put a stop to the weight gain, emotion mood swings, headaches, poor circulation in my legs and arms companied by pain. Now my Doctor has me going through test to re- evaluate my condition... I am keeping it real and listening to my body as I questioning my Doctor..
Lady D

Anyone know of a class action suit? I was on Advair for 4 years for mild asthma (very occasional problems with exercise), at the advice of my allergist. While I was still on it, I was diagnosed with osteopenia, and episcleritis (occasional flare up, now gone since I quit). However, after 1 yr off Advair, I have just been diagnosed with a cataract at 54. I questioned my doctor about the osteoporosis, she poo pooed it. My cataract is advancing very rapidly. I would like to know if I can get some compensation to help with cataract surgery!!!!

My daughter 8 has been on Advair 3 years for asthma. Prior to, she was always a happy little girl, fit and healthy.

Some of the new things I noticed as the months progressed were severe mood swings, weight gain, and unexplained reoccurring rash on her feet,legs and thighs. They appeared like Mosquito bites and turned into blisters, not the pediatrician or even an Dermatologist could diagnose it, yet it would appear almost monthly. She has complained of "bubbles" in her eyesight, she developed this squinting, we had her eyes checked several times by eye doctors but told there was nothing wrong.
She has also experienced blackouts, after extensive tests a Neurologist concluded that she had Aura (sp?) migraines and referred to her squinting as a tick.
I feel like I have lost 3 years of my child's life that I cannot get back. She finally has been weaned off it. It has been only a few days with no Advair. I hope for no lasting adverse affects.
My 5 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with asthma and I noticed he is no longer prescribing Advair for children, I would refuse it, if he did.
Veronica, CT

i heard something on the television about a lawsuit involving advair and came across this site looking for information. i have been on advair for aprox 8 years. when i read some of these comments i began to cry. it so said exately what i have been feeling right down to being diagnosed with rhumetoid arthritis and fibro. i spent 6 hours in the er last week with a heart rate of 112. i went to my doctor as recommended after my visit and he blew me off because he was mad i went to the er and told me to go see a surgeon to cut into my collar bone, go down to my lungs and biopsy them. i see a different doctor next Thursday for a second opinion. i am so tired of being sick and to think, it could all be from this one thing. i am going to talk to the doctor about this on Thursday.

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 have been on advair for about 6 years. and im 18 years old. I am now just experiencing signs and symptoms of major ANXIETY!.... RESTLESSNESS, and MOOD SWINGS and im wondering what its from.. it just now started kicking in? I am a severe asthmatic and this is the best thing for me.. but now im starting to wonder???

Paper-thin skin on arms, hair falling out by the handfuls, clotting problems with the slightest scrape on my arms, bruising on my legs. Going to go back to Advair 250/50 and see if these problems go away.

Perhaps you should read a little further on the Advair paperwork. I started having all sorts of problems while taking Advair for 4 months, first thing I told Drs. that I was taking Advair, all just ignored that and tried coming up with a reason for problems. I finally did my own research and if you look at the fine print at the end of Advair paperwork you will find your info about heart problems and withdrawal symptoms that you possibly be on another medication while withdrawing from Advair and the Symptoms of withdrawal.
It has been over a year now since I stopped taking Advair and am having lingering heart problems do to Advair, slowly getting over them, but went to the ER two weeks ago due to rapid and irregular heartbeat. Advair has thrown my electrical system out of whack, not to mention the mental stuff.
Ask a Heart Dr. about Advair, I had two pages of problems when I saw the Heart Dr., no surprise, he said all are related to Advair. There are a few of us that are sensitive to this drug and most doctors. have never seen these symptoms and think you are nuts. So be skeptical but don't dismiss these people. Oh by the way after doing a breathing test with the top guy at Pomona Valley Med Center, guess what, I don't have Asthma, so why did My Dr. put me on it in the first place without first getting tested? I am now so sensitive to anything with caffeine or other things that can increase your heart rate that any of them can trigger Palpitations and such. Yes it can help people, but it can also ruin a life, so beware. Oh, My breathing was great while i was on it, but not worth a heart attack or stroke
If I keep having problems I will soon be on Beta Blockers, so you take all the Advair you want, but you've been warned.

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SWEATING, NAUSEA

21 lb. weight gain, hoariness, night sweats, extremity cramping, hair loss, numbing, tingling and burning sensations in arms, hands, face and scalp, clearing of throat consistently, joint pain, muscle aches. Advair 250/50 for 9 minuths.

I experienced candida (systemic yeast infection) while taking advair. The steroid compromises your immune system and therefore creates a perfect environment for yeast to flourish.

I have taken 100/50 Advair off and on for several years and hadn't noticed any problems. Three weeks ago I was switched to 250/50 strength Advair following a bad cold which I believe had become bronchitis but my NEW doctor believed was an asthma attack. I don't have asthma "attacks". I just have asthma which is always under control except for when I am exposed to smoke. Even then it isn't that bad. I just use a puff or two on my inhaler and I am good to go. So, I don't think I even needed to be put on the 250/50 strength! Right away, even with careful rinsing, I started to develop a sore throat. I had a constant cough, had to constantly clear my throat to try to speak and it hurt to talk. Within two weeks, besides the throat and congestion problems, I felt miserable as if I had a severe case of influenza: major headache, sinus and teeth pain, joint pains, severe fatigue, chills, burning eyes and blurry vision. I also developed an itchy red rash on my buttock and felt as though I was beginning to get a UTI. Because I felt so lousy, I told myself I didn't have to take the Advair which I knew would just make my throat feel worse. So, I went a whole weekend without the Advair and I started to feel better. Then on Monday morning, I took the Advair (which immediately made my throat hurt) and later went to see the new doctor in the afternoon. (We didn't discuss Advair because I hadn't made the connection and, obviously, he didn't either.) The doctor said I was negative for a UTI and thought my rash was cellulitis. He prescribed an oral antibiotic. I haven't taken any Advair since Monday a.m. because I read about its side effects on the Internet on Monday evening. My throat feels better. It is so good not to be constantly coughing and clearing my throat! The rash didn't respond to the antibiotic, but it did respond to the anti-yeast infection skin cream I decided to use on it. Unfortunately, the antibiotics DID give me a vaginal yeast infection and now I am also treating that! I am wondering if there is a connection between my skin yeast infection and the 250/50 Advair or if Advair just causes thrush (a mouth yeast infection)? Also, my eyes still burn and I still get blurry vision. Could I have a yeast infection in my eyes? I'm wondering because I have read on the Internet that steroids--just like antibiotics--can cause yeast infections. If so, then maybe thrush is not the only type of yeast infection that 250/50 Advair could cause?

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.

Just wanted to empathize with you regarding "asthma" and "advair". I developed adult on-set asthma @ 26 years old. I am turning 30 in a month and have finally experienced my asthma going into remission. I was on advair on and off for 3 years...and am finally free of it. I searched long and hard for answers in the last four years as I journeyed through massage school, colon therapy school and presently Acupuncture school. I adjusted my diet, stress levels, and thoughts. For me, it ultimately came down to affirmations to nullify the belief of asthma and EFT (emotional freedom technique). These alternative methods allowed me to re-align my mind with my lungs...and break up with asthma. Don't allow the conventional medical practice of prescribing medicine to destroy your immune system and subsequently your life. Seek out a holistic practitioner who practices energetic medicine such as an Acupuncturist, Naturopathic Doctor or Chiropractor. Advair is a crutch with sickening side effects! You can heal yourself...begin by taking a deep breath and telling yourself you no longer have asthma. After a few months of re-programming your thoughts....you will be breathing with ease. Would love to write more....but need to turn in! Good luck with your journey and let me know if I can be of any more support :-)

I was on Advair for 6 years and I had the painful cramps in my legs so bad i could hardly move and my legs and hands were always falling asleep.Although it helped with my asthma the pain was to much to handle the doctor who told me to take the advair told me i had tendinitis in my legs well as of 2005 i have stopped taking advair and as soon as i stopped i never felt the pain again and my hands and feet never feel asleep again I stopped cold turkey and I will never take it ever again. P.S my new doctor i got in 2005 told me to stop taking Advair and i didn't listen to him right away but I soon realized how bad the inhaler was.It has been 3 years now and i have never felt that pain again.

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 was on Advair then my doctor switched me to Serevent and Qvar and now I am back on Advair. I have gained 150lbs since starting this medication in 2002 and just now realize that maybe my weight gain is due to this medication. I also started having short term memory problems as well as swollen legs and anxiety. I never had these problems before. My doctor then prescribed me Xanax for Anxiety but it made me too tired so he prescribed Zoloft which boosted my short term memory and then prozac which I have recently just stopped taking. I never knew that all these prescriptions could be the cause of my health decline. I am only 38 and use to be in top shape playing tennis but now I don't have the energy to do much at all.

Been on Advair only a few months. MY mouth is on fire and I awake to my tongue almost sticking to the roof of my mouth. I never really had asthma but I started with a cough after a bad case of bronchitis. I started with Albuterol and the advair next.
I'm going to try to stop this because I'm sure that this is why I feel the way I do?
Has anyone else had problems with their mouth. Doesn't look like Thrush but it sure hurts.

I am a 61 yr. old female former smoker diagnosed with COPD/emphysema. I was put on ADVAIR 500, along with using a nebulizer with albuterol and bromide to "inhale" several times a day.I also was on oxygen. I quit smoking and worked at getting my health back and to the surprise of the doctors went back to playing tennis several times a week.After reading about the side effects of the high dose Advair I had my Dr. reduce the amount to 250. It has been almost a year now that I have been on Advair. I have noticed some of the side effects mentioned here. The leg cramps, and leg spasms have been horrid. I also have had blurry vision. And lately I seem to not be able to sleep even if I am tired.I am going to see if my Dr. will let me drop to the 100 Advair level. Lately I have been intentionally skipping Advair doses to see if I notice any difference in my breathing. I almost forgot- since going on the meds listed above I have had kidney stones, an emergency appendix surgery and now high bilirubin count. I cannot find any info on those problems if result of medication ADVAIR. Even though I smoked for a number of yrs. I was very active and not over weight. The Dr. thinks thats why I am back to playing tennis. Has anyone else had a gastro problems ??Thanks A.

After an allergic episode about a year ago, I was diagnosed with asthma. The doc put me on advair (2 puffs - twice a day) . After 4 months, I started having an anxiety issues. I couldn't turn my mind off, felt restless and was stressed out and full of worry about dying from the asthma. At this time I got a job 80 miles from where I was living and had to move. My family and friends attributed my mental state to my life change. Up until now, I had never had any issues with anxiety or depression. Over the course of about another 4 months things got worse and I went to see a asthma/allergy specialist. He put me on Allegra for my allergies and prednisone for the asthma. Needless to say, things got exponentially worse. i could not sleep, was restless and found that I would just get up and run around my backyard. The anxiety had gotten so bad with the lack of sleep that I almost couldn't take life. The doc never let me know about the side effects of the prednizone. A month later (now almost nine months from my original diagnosis) I went back to the doc to see what was wrong because of the depression and anxiety. He sent me to the pysc unit to arrange counseling. That never happened due to the business of the clinic I was at. 2 weeks later I stopped taking the Allegra and Advair. Within a day to day and a half I felt like a huge weight had lifted and it took a couple months to get back to what I would call fairly normal life. I share this just in case someone else is having similar effects or life events. It has taken almost 6 months to shake the mental patterns from the few months of exposure that I experienced. Know your body, listen to it and don't blindly accept what a doctor tells you without research. Doctors are a great asset, but science only goes so far and then God.

I have been on Advair 250/50 off and on for a couple of years. When I take the dose I get a smothering feeling that last for about l5 minutes. I also have cramps in my legs and feet.. Another side effect I think is bruising very easily. If I barely touch something I get big red bruises. Does anyone else have the problem with bruising. Am going to try to get off Advair completely.

Hi guys.... Well I'm quite interested in this drug and I do prescribe it to my patients however I am surprised at the magnitude of side effects listed here. I am based here in south-east Asia and I do prescribe Yasmin to my patients and I rarely here of these side effects. Perhaps this can be contributed to the fact that it is available here under a different brand name however consists of the same chemical composition. I am interested in the ones available in the U.S. Does anyone know how I may go about purchasing them. You can contact me personally on ****** thank you.

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.

Hi all. I'm posting again after being off Advair for about a week. I've noticed a dramatic change in my emotional health. The anxiety that I've been suffering from for the last three months while on Advair has now entirely vanished. I feel like my old self again, and friends and family have also noted the difference. I won't ever take this medication again-- I'd rather deal with my asthma in a preventive way.

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 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!

It is sad to read that so many people have these side affects using Advair. My Poppa has been on Advair a long time and has had numerous problems that I now believe are attributed directly to this medication. At the WASHINGTON TIMES in the search archives I found an article called: BAD DRUGS AT A PHARMACY NEAR YOU by Henry Miller.. In summary it states that the drugs we are buying from other countries, are fake. The drug Heparin led them to this conclusion after 100 children died in Panama. Heparin is used to treat malaria, and when the medication did nothing the did a spectral analysis revealing that the active ingredient was replaced with a poison that with first glance looks like Heparin. It does not end there. The triads and Russian mob are linked to the fake drugs and whats worse is all our drugs come from out of country. It goes on to say that insulin and other life saving meds are also at risk.... Please reply if needed -to know more, I have immense computer power and have sent alerts and Quad sucker to find out more that has been hidden...

Very prone to thrush mouth-even after brushing and gargling, weakness in muscles, Doctors do not know the affects of taking Advair for longer than 6 months

I've also been prescribed Advair, two puffs, twice per day. What dose are you on? I was on 250 two puffs, twice daily and was actually told that this was not even the highest dose that you can be on. I didn't like the idea of taking more than the original dose I was prescribed and so my specialist told me to add in Flovent, which I did help. Even after all of this, I still do not like the drug at all and am trying to do my best to say off of it.

On another note, has anyone experienced severe asthma symptoms (very bad wheezing, coughing, chest tightness) BUT had a perfect oxygen saturation level? I have been in and out of the emergency ward for the past week and a half and am getting very frustrated with not only the medical system not treating me because of excellent oxygen saturation levels, but with their treatment plans for emergency. I can remember a time when I would walk into the emergency room and be seen almost immediately and be given a mask treatment as soon as I got in there. I'm guessing that treatment plans have changed as I have experienced three hospitals prescribing anywhere from 4-12 doses of ventolin.

Anyway, if anyone else has had similar experiences I would love to hear your story and what you did to get through it.

Thanks!

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

Tried to quit cold turkey but asthma flared up immediately. Doctor put me on Asthmanex and told me that I can't escape taking an inhaled steroid. However, since being off Advair my mood is much better and I feel hopeful again. Also back to using my nebulizer. But I at least I am starting to feel like my old self again. Going to see a nutritionist at end of month which will hopefully unlock the key to losing weight while on steroids!

I have just tried Advair, and after 4 days, joints all over my body started to ache. My eyes hurt alot and my vision got blurry. Lastly, I just have a general feeling of unease. I quit the advair and was much better within 3 more days.
All pain is gone and eyes feel normal again, although my eye sight seems diminished. I took no other drugs and felt fine before taking the Advair.

I am 44 and suffer from mild copd. I can get by with Albuteral, and will do
so from now on. I know that one is safe.

Good luck to all.

Hi all. Thank you for the posts-- this helps put my own symptoms in perspective. I'm a 28-yr old female and have had severe asthma since I was a toddler--which resulted in a childhood full of long hospital stays and all kinds of toxic drugs which aren't even prescribed anymore. I've been taking advair for about 3 months and have noticed that my mood has been off. I'm normally a peaceful person, not easily rocked, practicioner of yoga, etc. But for the last 3 months I've had sleeping problems (very severe in the 1st month-- to the point that I couldn't sleep at all) and have been experiencing anxiety, with heightened awareness of my breathing patterns and the occasional racing heartbeat. I've *never* had anxiety before. I went in for an EKG and they found that my heart is normal. Since I'm not a worrier or a person who is prone to anxiety, this was very disturbing for me-- I couldn't understand what the underlying cause was. This has had negative effects on my work life and my personal relationships--I'm just not as energetic as I used to be. I'm going to go off the drug and will report back to this website if I notice an improvement in my anxiety levels and sleep patterns. If so, then the cause will be obvious.

I wanted to make one more post just to raise awareness about another asthma drug I've tried. I took singulair in the past (about 5-6 years ago). At first it was a wonder drug-- totally clearing up all symptoms allergy and asthma related. But it did a number on my digestive track for the first 3-6 months of use-- I could not digest anything (and I eat very healthily--lots of fresh fruits and veggies everyday and little meat). I eventually went off that drug and tried it again this past year after a bad bout of the flu and some consequent sinus infections. I only took it 3 times and each night I had a horribly violent nightmare. Normally, I'm what you might call a happy dreamer-- maybe an average of 1 nightmare per year, if even. I stopped taking singulair on the 3rd night, and on the 4th night my dreams went back to normal. This was truly a disturbing experience, and I feel sure that singulair was responsible-- all the dreams were of a paranoid nature. I haven't had a dream like that since, and it's been more than a year since I stopped taking that. Asthma medication seems to have the potential for psychological side effects that everyone should be aware of. It is only fair that doctors warn their patients so that they know what any possible changes in their moods might be from. I really wish my doctor would have mentioned something to me. I'm sure I would have tried both drugs anyway, since I also know that people react different to different medications. But I certainly wouldn't have stayed with Advair as long as I have, knowing what I know now.

I wish all of you health, peace and happiness. I hope you are able to get well and live normal lives.

Has anyone gone off of Advair and a) noticed any side effects; and b) switched to Alvesco? I tried the switch a few weeks ago and gave into going back on Advair (hate the drug though) and am currently on Prednisone again and hoping to just switch, again, back onto Alvesco.

This is unbelievable. I was checking on another drug and stumbled in here. Have been on advair for several years. I've had chest pain, short of breath foggy head, joint aches, numb hands and feet,upset stomach all the time every test known to man and they find nothing. ALL the symtoms mentioned here are wrecking my life. No energy, insomnia. I used to be hard working , hard sleeping. Got caught up with ambien for sleep. I sleep, but still feel terrible. My dentist gets mad just looking at my teeth, which used to be great. I have gained 40 lbs in 4 years.No matter what I do it won't come off. Time to cut back or something.no more ambien, even if I die awake. Bad combination of meds, all legal. enough already.

My 14 year-old son was diagnosed with asthma after he was given a breathing treatment. He was prescribed Advair and it has been terrible since then. Advair caused him a severe insomnia. He cannot stay in school because he is so sleepy but cannot sleep at all. I am getting ready to sue the company and the doctors who prescribe this knowingly. Someone needs to do something before these drug companies and doctors kill more people on their way to being richer!

I have been on advair for about 5 to 6 yrs. I was on 250/50 at first and my hands and legs would all ways hurt me. Then I had a bad asthma attack which landed me in ICU. That's when the doctors gave me the largest dose of the 500/50. It has been a year since I have been on this and I have hair loss.
One side of the head around my egdes are bald.
And the rest of my hair is getting very thin. I am only 39 years old, and I have to were wigs.

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!

It is day 4 off my advair and WOW what a difference! I feel great, clearer,lighter, its hard to explain. No withdrawls YET, I am sure the biggest asthma attack ever is impending, but things are really good right now. My mood and personality are even better, I guess when you feel like your dying all the time you can get a little moody. I also enjoyed reading yesterday about Advair and tooth decay (4 fillings and root canal this year) and chicken pox (got them AGAIN last year). Don't worry glaxo, my rotten teeth and life threating bout of pox and spasms of my HEART, which I hear is an important organ, is all a trade off to be able to breathe a little better. Sure. I plan on sending my unused (and will remain) Advair to GSK with a bill for my teeth. We will see what happens.

I was Dx with Asthma in 98 after having bronchitis for the first time. I am not a smoker but Asthma does run in my family. I have been taking Advair 500/50 for 3 years and as far as controlling my Asthma I am so HAPPY to be on it!(I am 40 years old). In the begining I did struggle with side effects of heart burn,& tooth pain but that has subsided. The only side affect that has really affected my life is the loss of cartledge in both of my knee's. Granted I had a history of Femoral Patella Syndrome prior to taking ADvair, it just seems like the medicine has sped up the deteration. But Honestly. It has worked so well to control my Asthma, and nothin else seems to be stronger. I will have to choose breathing over my knee's.

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 forgot to add another important problem that I was having on Advair and that was elevated blood pressure.

I've had high BP for years, but always controllable. For the last year or two, my internist has tried six (6) different BP meds and we still cannot get my BP under 155/85.

Today, after being off the Advair, my BP was 139/78 !! This reading was with only being on 1/2 dose of a single med (Cozaar).

I think that calls for a toast ! (yea, I wish! haha)