Flovent Side Effect? - Asthma Message Board

Vanessa74 · 01-16-2008, 07:45 AM

Hello,

I am hoping that someone who has or is taking Flovent - or someone who has knowledge of asthma medications can help me.

I have been on Flovent (2) puffs in the am for about 2 years. In October 2007 I went to my Dr. for breathing problems - he referred me to a pulmonologist - did a PFT - findings all normal but told me I still had asthma? Increased my Flovent to (2) puffs twice a day and said to add Prilosec OTC (thought that GERD & possible hiatal hernia were contributing to the breathing problems.

Well doubling the Flovent did NOTHING to help my breathing -- NOTHING. The Prilosec DID help but after three weeks on it I began to have some serious side effects so I had to stop.

Well lately my breathing has been AWFUL again - my question is this - can Flovent cause you to have UPPER chest tightness and congestion and a sort of cramping pulling feeling? I have been on the double dose now for about 2 1/2 months - trying to determine WHAT is causing this because when I go to my Dr. he listens to me and says - you are CLEAR, not WHEEZING, and breathing good - but I FEEL HORRIBLE???? Its ALL in the upper chest and upper back???

How do I know if it is the Flovent causing it??? Can it cause upper repiratory problems? Which I NEVER HAD until I increased the Flovent AND WENT on the Prilosec (which I have been off of for 10 days now).

Please help!

gcsjr · 01-16-2008, 09:27 AM

It's a lot more likely that the GERD is what is causing your symptoms, not the Flovent or the asthma (particularly if the doc says your chest sounds clear). GERD can be a huge contributor to asthma symptoms because it irritates the mucus membranes in your esophagus and causes inflammation (plus the fact that Prilosec helped while you were on it makes it seem like a likely cause for what you're feeling).

I'd talk to your doctor about alternatives to Prilosec so that you can get the GERD under control and eliminate that as a potential cause for what you're going through.

Vanessa74 · 01-16-2008, 10:59 AM

Thank you so much - I really appreciate your input on this.

I was thinking that could be it - just not sure. The Upper Chest and back tightness did not start until AFTER being on the Prilosec for 5 days - each day after that that I took the Prilosec it got worse and worse and worse, until I finally had to stop taking it. I have been off of it for 10 days.

I thought that maybe the Flovent and the Prilosec were interacting? Maybe not huh.

I do have A LOT more acid now than EVER before since stopping the Prilosec. My Dr. gave me Prevacid to try for the acid - but I am afraid of side effects - guess I should just get my courage up and try it huh!!

Thank you again for your input!

shan06 · 01-24-2008, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanessa74

Hello,

I am hoping that someone who has or is taking Flovent - or someone who has knowledge of asthma medications can help me.

I have been on Flovent (2) puffs in the am for about 2 years. In October 2007 I went to my Dr. for breathing problems - he referred me to a pulmonologist - did a PFT - findings all normal but told me I still had asthma? Increased my Flovent to (2) puffs twice a day and said to add Prilosec OTC (thought that GERD & possible hiatal hernia were contributing to the breathing problems.

Well doubling the Flovent did NOTHING to help my breathing -- NOTHING. The Prilosec DID help but after three weeks on it I began to have some serious side effects so I had to stop.

Well lately my breathing has been AWFUL again - my question is this - can Flovent cause you to have UPPER chest tightness and congestion and a sort of cramping pulling feeling? I have been on the double dose now for about 2 1/2 months - trying to determine WHAT is causing this because when I go to my Dr. he listens to me and says - you are CLEAR, not WHEEZING, and breathing good - but I FEEL HORRIBLE???? Its ALL in the upper chest and upper back???

How do I know if it is the Flovent causing it??? Can it cause upper repiratory problems? Which I NEVER HAD until I increased the Flovent AND WENT on the Prilosec (which I have been off of for 10 days now).

Please help!

Inhaled steroids can affect gerd symptoms making them worse, this happened to me when I was on advair, so dr took me off...

jodar · 04-12-2008, 02:56 AM

Flovent Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with Flovent® HFA (fluticasone HFA); however, not everyone who takes Flovent will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate Flovent well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.

This article uses the names "Flovent" and "Flovent HFA" interchangeably to refer to Flovent HFA.

(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Flovent. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Flovent side effects with you.)

Common Flovent Side Effects
Flovent has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.

In these studies, the most common Flovent side effects included:

Upper respiratory tract infections (similar to the common cold) -- in up to 18 percent of people
Headaches -- up to 11 percent
Throat irritation -- up to 10 percent
Sinus infections -- up to 7 percent
Hoarseness or voice changes -- up to 6 percent
Cough -- up to 6 percent
Bronchitis -- up to 6 percent
Upper respiratory inflammation -- up to 5 percent
Thrush -- up to 5 percent.
Flovent Side Effects to Report
There are a number of possible side effects with Flovent that you should report immediately to your healthcare provider. These serious side effects include but are not limited to:

Agitation, aggression, anxiety, or restlessness
Depression (see Flovent and Depression)
A worsening of asthma
Frequent or severe infections of any type
Unexplained weight gain (see Flovent and Weight Gain)
High blood sugar
Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, and unexplained swelling.

Less Common Flovent Side Effects
There are other possible Flovent side effects that occur less frequently. These Flovent side effects occur in 1 percent to 3 percent of people. It is difficult to tell whether these side effects are actually caused by the Flovent medicine or factors unrelated to the medication.

Some of these less common Flovent side effects include:

An irritated or runny nose
Diarrhea
Decreased salivation
Muscle or bone pain
Muscle stiffness
Dizziness
Migraines
Urinary tract infections (bladder infections or UTIs).

Flovent Side Effects: Final Thoughts
It is possible that you may experience some or none of the Flovent side effects explained above. Unfortunately, there is no way for your healthcare provider to know beforehand if you will have side effects from a medicine that you have never tried. Therefore, make sure to let your healthcare provider know if you develop any side effects while taking Flovent. You should also let your healthcare provider know if you develop something that "just does not seem right" during treatment with Flovent. While it may not be a side effect of Flovent, your healthcare provider should be able to diagnose and treat the problem.

Take care,
JD