Flovent HFA for asthma/copd.

[heath]

I was started on Flovent HFA 44mcg 4 times/day a little over 35days ago.

I've now quit the stuff. Number one the risk of thrush in the mouth is such that you have to rinse after every use.

My problem is now is that I have a lump in my throat making it hard to play. This is something that hit about 5 days ago. Feels like I got a marble stuck in my throat and causes my entire neck to ache.

That on top of the night time leg cramps I've been experiencing it caused me to swear off any more asthma medication other than my albuterol.

The current thought is that drugs like Flovent work by reducing mucous in the lining of the lungs. If this is left untreated it can remodel your air ways over time making them smaller. IMO this is a scare tactic thought up by the drug companies as these inhalers aren't cheap. Three cost $250 which last 3 months.

I've also noticed some weight gain, which is abnormal considering my clean diet and workout patterns.

Just a word of caution to those that think they can get something for nothing. I noticed a bit of an improvement in my deep breathing, but now my throat is so jacked up it doesn't do me any good.

[claxton]

Diflucan or an anti-inflammatory agent might be of help at this point, but you probably knew that.

The list of adverse reactions from this drug is very impressive. I hope the risk/benefit equation for your asthma is such that you can handle it well with the albuterol alone.

I agree that the lure of profit from such drugs obscures the information about them, until folks like you start cutting through the smokescreen. Thanks for the info about your experience with it.

[LampLight]

I'm sorry to hear about your health problems heath. I also take Albuterol on an as needed basis for asthma, but I take in with Aerobid. The Aerobid is actually taken more regularly than the Albuterol. It seems to help, and I have had no side effects. Perhaps a regime like this might help you. In any case, good luck.

[EastCoastGhost]

Flovent is an inhaled steriod, read- google steriods and you'll be on the right track
Your symptoms although serious are most likely temporary
I'd tell you all about steriods but if you research it a bit by yourself you will own whatever knowledge you have and I won't sound like a no-it all
But here's my quick take on it

Steriods are serious serious drugs that some people need to take when they don't have other options. They have real side affects, not the imaginary ones that I hear my patients complain about. Use with caution, and remember there are some real trade offs with steriod use as well as some real problems when you stop using them
Best of Luck

[heath]

Well I quit the Flovent on Sunday 5-26 and it's been a few days. My neck is feeling better and the lump in my throat has changed to a wierd feeling, but I can feel that it's returning to normal.

The thing that was also getting me down was that I noticed that I was having a major drop off in energy after being on this for a few weeks. I found myself wanting to sleep all the time. I'm not sure if that's one of the symptoms or not, but since I've stopped taking it I've got a bit more pep in my step.

As far as the throat thing is concerned it was getting to the point where I couldn't play any altissimo at all without wanting to grab my throat or go and gargle with salt water every 10 minutes.

Also I've dropped 2 pounds in the meantime which is normal because I still workout everyday, only now I don't feel like an I've overdone it everytime and run my immune system down.

I've started doing some yoga breathing exercises 4 times a day. In addition I started using a powerlung exerciser. And I've gone out and purchased some noisy but effective hepa air filters for my bedroom and living area.

The list of side effects I could find for flovent was:
weakness, tired feeling, nausea, vomiting, feeling like you might pass out;
skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, ear pain, flu symptoms;
wheezing or breathing problems after using this medication; or
worsening asthma symptoms.
Less serious side effects may include:

headache;
dryness in your mouth, nose, or throat;
white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
stuffy nose, sinus pain, cough; or
hoarseness or deepened voice.

The ones in bold are the some of the same symptoms I was experiencing. I love how the doctor was telling me there aren't usually any problems with this particular medication.