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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Asthma / April 2006Done with ADVAIR
After 5 years of putting up with side effects, I am finally done with this dirty drug. If it hadn't been for the new FDA warning I might have just kept using this drug, but I am glad I didn't. It has caused me more harm than good. I suffered horrible muscle cramps every night b/c of the Serevent and it also made me so hyper. After 3 days off of Advair those painful cramps went away. I also began overbreathing and panting with any exertion. My asthma was never that bad before Advair. Not to mention how keyed up and on edge I felt. The Flovent part of Advair caused me to develop thrush on the back of my mouth and it would not ever fully go away until I stopped the medicine and now it is clearing up. I just recently started taking ASMANEX for my asthma which is really working great which really doesn't suprise me because it is the same drug as in Nasonex (mometasone) and that drug has always worked better for my allergies than Flonase did (same drug as Flovent). I really think we have been sold a bill of goods from GSK by their claiming that we needed Serevent to help us with the constriction part of the disease. I personally see nothing wrong if you need to use your albuterol once or twice a week instead of inhaling a long acting beta-agonist like Serevent every 12 hours. ncchinagirl " I personally see nothing wrong if you need to use your albuterol once or twice a week instead of inhaling a long acting beta-agonist like Serevent every 12 hours." Neither do I. Neither do the people who write the guidelines. if you are using the albuterol more than twice weekly while on an inhaled steroid then adding a long acting dilator (like Serevent or Foradil) is just one of several possible suggested options. Glad you are feeling better.  Signature00doc Some of us never want to use long acting bronchodialators. I do need albuterol every few hours. But I'm aware of when I need it. This awareness is important in lung disease, isn't it? I'd rather be aware and in control. Jack > Some of us never want to use long acting bronchodialators. Why not? Don't get me wrong. I think that they are used far more than they are needed from a strictly medical/biological point of view. I'll bet most of the asthmatics on them could be controlled well through other means and possibly be the better off for it. I use Advair more than I would like because asthma patients are notoriously bad about stopping their preventative meds when they feel better (and defining "better" at levels that are still considered poorly controlled). I'm not sure what the psychology is - whether it is that they see the meds as for symptomatic treatment or they view the inhalers as different (and less important) than pills or they don't view the asthma as a "real" disease - but they just do. Often the "instant gratification" of the salmeterol makes Advair the only inhaled steroid that they will keep taking. I think that is why it is used so much - it improves compliance with inhaled steroids. Unfortunately, as several people here keep pointing out, some people have side effects and there are some safety concerns so it is not for everyone. > I do need albuterol every few hours. But I'm aware of when I need it. > This awareness is important in lung disease, isn't it? I'd rather be > aware and in control. I think you are fooling yourself. Several times a day albuterol also has its safety issues as well. You may be aware but it does not sound like you are in control. Signature00doc I have been on Advair for as long as I can remember and Serevent before that. Now that I am reading the effects I will ask to get on Asthmaex. Is that a steroid? I never heard of it. I wonder if I have put on weight because of Advair. Jo > After 5 years of putting up with side effects, I am finally done with > this dirty drug. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > ncchinagirl Jo: Go to Asmanex.com and check it out! Yes Asmanex is a corticosteroid like Flovent but it works much better for me anyways. Asmanex is used at night which is great because while I am sleeping is when I have had my worst attacks. Now I sleep like a baby! It has a really cool delivery system too it is called a Twisthaler and it is like a tube and much easier to get sucked deep into your lungs. And unlike Advair there is no nasty sweet taste or any left over in your mouth but still rinse after. Plus I no longer feel hyper which is a nice relief. I too wonder about weight gain with Advair in the first week off of it I noticed I wasn't bloated anymore in the midsection and I thought that was fat. > I have been on Advair for as long as I can remember and Serevent before > that. Now that I am reading the effects I will ask to get on Asthmaex. Is > that a steroid? I never heard of it. I wonder if I have put on weight > because of Advair. ncchinagirl > Jo > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > > > ncchinagirl > Jo: > Go to Asmanex.com and check it out! Yes Asmanex is a corticosteroid > like Flovent but it works much better for me anyways. Asmanex is used > at night which is great because while I am sleeping is when I have had > my worst attacks. Now I sleep like a baby! Asthma is often worse at night. That is why when an asthma med is used once daily it is usually taken at night (like Singulair). Personally, I think it is better to take the med int he am than to forget it at night so I tell people to take it at night if they can remember but try the morning if they keep forgetting the evening doses. > It has a really cool > delivery system too it is called a Twisthaler and it is like a tube and > much easier to get sucked deep into your lungs. Huh. The delivery system is one of the things that keeps me from using it more. I love the molecule (mometasone) as it is potent but with extremely low systemic absorption but fnd the "twisthaler" hard for a lot of people to use. It certainly is harder to explain. > And unlike Advair there is no nasty sweet taste or any left over in > your mouth but still rinse after. Funny you should mention that. When they first marketed Serevent (the dilator component of Advair which was released years earlier) people complained that since they weren't feeling the puff that they weren't confident that they were getting anything. That taste is an additive put in there so that you will know you are getting it (that's why it's sweet and not bitter like most medicines). > Plus I no longer feel hyper which is a nice relief. That is probably an effect of salmeterol and so you would feel better with any single component inhaled steroid. > I too wonder about weight gain with Advair in the first week off of it > I noticed I wasn't bloated anymore in the midsection and I thought that > was fat. Fluid retention and weight gain are a side effects of steroids in general. Low to moderate doses of Flovent do not usually cause noticable systemic effects. However, some people are more sensitive and Asmanex has an even lower absorption rate than the already little absorbed Flovent so it is possible you are noticing a difference. Signature00doc Asmanex is extremely easy to use even a child could do it! You just twist off the cap, exhale, put the tube to your lips and inhale. It is a dry powder corticosteroid like Flovent but I find it to be more effective. I used Flovent for a year and my asthma was still out of control. I am actually taking less mcg/day of steroids than I was on the Flovent but with the Asmanex I feel great. ncchinagirl > > Jo: > > Go to Asmanex.com and check it out! Yes Asmanex is a corticosteroid [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > lower absorption rate than the already little absorbed Flovent so it is > possible you are noticing a difference. I am pleased to hear that you got off of Advair. Even GSK admits in their warnings that Advair is a dangerous medication. When my father died I called GSK many times to speak to someone, and they blew me off. I sent a letter to their legal department, and they told me to go away. When I called the FDA even they told me that Advair is dangerous, but not enough people have died to warrant a recall. Be very careful with this drug. I know, I know,,, all drugs have dangerous side effects, but we are not talking about the other drugs, so don't even go there. > Asmanex is extremely easy to use even a child could do it! You just > twist off the cap, exhale, put the tube to your lips and inhale. It is [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > lower absorption rate than the already little absorbed Flovent so it is > > possible you are noticing a difference. > I know, I know,,, all drugs have dangerous side effects, but we are not > talking about the other drugs, so don't even go there. Yes, we know. Nothing else matters. Signature00doc >I have been on Advair for as long as I can remember and Serevent before >that. Now that I am reading the effects I will ask to get on Asthmaex. Is >that a steroid? I never heard of it. I wonder if I have put on weight >because of Advair. Ug! Asthmanex is a fine product. I'm glad ncchinagirl is doing well on it. I wish her continued good health. It may turn out to be a great product for you (or it may turn out the Advair is doing more for you than you think). I can't believe that you were so set to ditch your prescribed med and ask for a specific change without even knowing what the stuff is. Signature00doc 00doc, I have not stopped taking Advair but have been concerned about reports on it that I recently read. As far as Asmanex is concerned, I was thinking about a change because I am on so much med.-singulair was added to Azmacort and Asthmacort was switched to Serevent and Serevent switched to Advair. I have put on weight even though I eat very little food. Also, I have been having some heart problems-beat is sometimes off. Have been seeing a cardiologist. I blamed this on Vioxx and then Bextra but have been switched to Mobic because I had skin reactions to Bextra. I just thought that switching to Asmanex would help. Wondered though if it was like Azmacort. Jo >>I have been on Advair for as long as I can remember and Serevent before >>that. Now that I am reading the effects I will ask to get on Asthmaex. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I can't believe that you were so set to ditch your prescribed med and ask > for a specific change without even knowing what the stuff is. > 00doc, > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > thought that switching to Asmanex would help. Wondered though if it was > like Azmacort. The problems with Vioxx and Bextra were that they predisposed to increased clotting (heart attacks and strokes). I would not expect them to cause irregular heart beats. The Serevent, alone or in Advair, could certainly do that. Theophylline can do that as well so this would probably not be a great option for you either. Steroids can produce weight gain in two ways. One is to cause fluid retention. If this happens the excess water is rapidly excreted when the drug is stopped. The other is to trigger increased food consumption and deposition of fat. Fat cannot be manufactured unless more calories are eaten than burned. Inhaled steroids usually do not do either unless very high doses are taken or the person is very sensitive. Azmacort has a relatively high bioavailability and I saw several people with obvious steroid effects back before we had better meds (they usually were on very high doses). Fluticasone (Flovent and Advair) has much lower systemic effect but can still do it. Mometasone (Asmanex) has even less bioavailability. So it is possible that the Advair caused your weight gain but you would have to either be taking a lot of it or be unusually sensitive to it (some people are). If it did then it is quite possible that you might not see this with Asmanex. For most people the issue is negligible with fluticasone so not much would be gained by a switch. Switching to Asmanex might help. I was just commenting on your apparent decision about this and plan to ask the doctor for a switch before you even knew what it was. Ncchinagirl is giving advice that probably will not help most people, might help some, and is unlikely to hurt anyone. It is not uncommon for people to come here and offer advice that is not nearly so benign. You would do well to look a little more before you deciding to leap. -- 00doc Thank you for your reply. I will not jump into anything. Just got scared when I read about Advair in the paper. Jo >> 00doc, >> [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > -- > 00doc People don't get any smarter when they use combination drugs like Advair. Better to be aware of what is doing what to you. Flovent is fluticasone, one of the really effective corticosteroids. Serevent is salmeterol, a long acting bronchodialator: convenient and safe when used properly. Together they mask each other's effectiveness. But what a money maker Advair! Jack > People don't get any smarter when they use combination drugs like > Advair. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Together they mask each other's effectiveness. But what a money maker > Advair! I'm not really sure how they mask each other. If you need only the inhaled steroid then it would be better for you and your pocket-book to just take the Flovent (or another inhaled steroid). If you need both it is cheaper to use the combination product than to buy them seperately. Granted, taking them seperately does allow for more flexibility if you frequently titrate the meds. Signature00doc |
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