Advair 250/50.. Anyone?

[C.Ann]

Does anyone here use Advair? And if so, how long was it before you detected any results from it?

The doctor was telling me yesterday that they're going to be phasing out Combivent/Albuterol soon because there are flurocarbons or something in those inhalers that destroy the ozone layer..

Since Advair is not an "immediate", result I'm curious what they will use to replace the Combivent during actual breathing attacks..

 

[dianeschlicht]

Advair worked great for me almost right away. The problem is that I don't tolerate any asthma treatment for long before I start having trouble from it. With Advair, it was thrush. I used mouthwash and brushed my teeth after each usage, but I still got thrush. I seem to be prone to yeast type infections though, so I am probably not a good test of that.

I did think it was the easiest asthma product I had ever used, and but for the thrush, had the least side effects for me.

 

[sharbear]

I use advair, my sister uses advair, my bil uses advair. It's the best. Really. I have an emergency inhaler but I don't think that I've used it since I switched to advair. When you have a breathing attack you need another inhaler, I use Maxair but there are many others which are just as effective. But the advair is so effective I my asthma has been really good. When I switched to advair I was on another course of inhaler so I don't know how long it takes to be effective but I would guess about a week.

If you have questions, call the pharmacy. Thats
what they are there for and will be able to answer your questions. They know much more about drugs than the doctor.

 

[janette]

My 9yo DD uses Advair, she hasn't needed her rescue inhaler much at all but does have a Maxair for when she does. I believe it takes a little bit for it to work.

 

[SeaSpray]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
Advair worked great for me almost right away. The problem is that I don't tolerate any asthma treatment for long before I start having trouble from it. With Advair, it was thrush. I used mouthwash and brushed my teeth after each usage, but I still got thrush. I seem to be prone to yeast type infections though, so I am probably not a good test of that.

I did think it was the easiest asthma product I had ever used, and but for the thrush, had the least side effects for me.

I LOVED Advair but I, too, got thrush from using it And I can count on one hand how many yeast infections I've had in my life, so I am not really prone to them. I have been wheezing lately so I am thinking of using the Advair again because of the great results I had when I was using it. Anyone have good advice for avoiding thrush? It really was annoying and took a while to go away.

 

[BethanyF]

Im on Advair 100/50 and I have had wonderful results. I think I noticed results within a couple weeks.
And count me among the group that got thrush from it
I brush my teeth and drink lots of water after taking it, but it still occassionally reapppears. As a matter of fact, it is starting to form again, so I need to refill my Nystatin (?) prescription. I think thats the medicine...its the same stuff they prescribe for infants with thrush.
Oh, register at Advair's site (advair.com) and they will send you all kinds of goodies. I have gotten a couple toothbrushes and travel cases, tooth paste, and I am waiting for a carry case for the inhaler. They usually send the stuff in really cute tin boxes too.

 

[RitaZ.]

My DH uses Advair. Initially he started taking the higher dose, but didn't really need it. His doctor then lowered the dosage. He still has to use Albuterol if he feels "tight", which rarely happens. He has not had problems with thrush, but he did notice that his ability to heal has been reduced (this is one of the known side effects). DH had a scratch on his leg and it took weeks for it to heal.

There is a new med on the market called Foradil, powerful stuff. His doctor wanted DH to try it, which he did. I don't remember exactly the reason why he didn't like it, but he went back on Advair.

 

[dizneenut]

My 13 yo DS takes Advair. I think it really started working after about a week.

 

[kilee]

I too take Advair. For over a year nothing was working. I still also take a daily dose of singular too, so it might be the combo. Since I started the Advair almost a year ago, I have only used my fast acting inhaler twice (I was using it almost 3 time a day!!). It defintely affects the immune system. It has taken me twice as long to recover from almost everything in the past 11 months since I began it. I complained about this, and the asthma specialist told me that is common among Advair users.

The other thing. If your insurance doesn't cover it (I don't have any prescription coverage on my Blue Cross), the cost is anywhere between $300.00-650.00 a month. Depending on your dose and where you buy/live. Thankfully I work for 3 different MD offices and I get all the samples I need.

 

[ducklite]

I've been taking it for about six months, and it's been wonderful. Where I was using the Albuterol inhaler daily, now I need it a couple/few times a month!

Anne

 

[Kristi1357]

Another happy user here! I've been on Advair for well over a year and I rarely use my rescue inhaler anymore. I haven't had any bad side effects either.

 

[justjulie]

Advair was a saviour for my son. The doctor put him on it after his bout with pneumonia and after the follow up a week later all he could say was "wow, finally - this is what clear lungs sound like!" It worked wonders for him and he uses it once/twice a day depending on how he feels.

I must agree, it is one of the easiest products to use. He just can't seem to get the timing right on his salbutamol inhaler - by the time he inhales and pumps he ends us with it just in his mouth, none in his lungs which is pratically useless.

 

[Jeafl]

I'm also a happy Advair user. I've been on it about 3 years and have never had a problem. I do notice that scratches/cuts do take a little longer to heal, but for me that's a small price to pay. I also take Singular in combination, and for the first time in over 20 years, I feel like my asthma is under control.

Fortunately, I've never had a problem with thrush. My doctor and pharmacist did warn me of the possibility though.

 

[Rajah]

Advair made a difference for me within a couple of days. But, it also made my heart race, so I had to stop taking it. I'm trying something else now. QVar I think is what it's called. Both Advair, QVar, and another one that starts with a P that I forget the name of are all the preventative inhalers. The P one didn't work for me very well, but Advair did and I think the QVar is as well (I haven't been using it long).

But as for the immediate inhaler -- there's another one called MaxAir that I use that isn't a pump, it's a powder like Advair that you inhale, and it works as well on me as the Albuterol did (as in, I notice a significant improvement within a few minutes) but doesn't give me the *horrible* shakes the Albuterol always did. I still get the shakes with MaxAir, but whereas the Albuterol shakes would last for several hours and even the rest of the day, the MaxAir shakes are gone within 20 or 30 minutes. Since I hated the shakes Albuterol gave me, I almost never used it. Now I'm willing to use the MaxAir much more often when I need it instead of ignoring the problem.

 

[Denine]

Another happy Advair user. It took about 2 months to get the inflammation down enough to where I had a normal lung function test. I hardly ever use my combivent. I mostly use that if I have bronchitis.
I have also received the toothbrush and now the neat carrying case.
No problems with thrush.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm glad to hear that it works, but not ONE word was mentioned about thrush!! I remember when my adult DD had thrush after massive doses of antibiotic cocktails when she was hospitalized last fall and it was SOOO painful - she couldn't even drink water..

Any suggestions other than brushing and rinsing in order to avoid it? And will it lessen the effectiveness if you rinse your mouth right away?

 

[ducklite]

You are definitely supposed to rinse well without swallowing, or better yet brush immediately after using it. That's printed quite clearly on the insert.

Anne

 

[KrnB]

DH has been using Advair for a couple years. He has really severe asthma - he had to use his nebulizer (sp?) a few times a week for an entire summer before he started on Advair. It was really scary because he would get so dizzy, and I knew that it wasn't healthy for him to do that so often. An "average" dose was never enough to stop the attacks, which was something the hospitals never wanted to believe when he told them when he went in for an attack he couldn't stop.

Since Advair, he's only needed his nebulizer once that I can remember, and he's used his inhaler (Albuterol) maybe 5-10 times. Advair is truly a life saver for him.

In addition to Advair, he also takes Allegra to combat the allergies that tend to set off his reactions. I can't remember if he is still taking Singular as well or not - that stuff always gave him severe headaches and was never as effective as Advair, but I think the combo was good for him.

DH always rinses his mouth out throughly after taking Advair, and I don't think that he's ever had problems.

 

[mom2of2]

I too use Advair. I have viral asthma so I only use products when I'm in an episode. Something to remember for those that don't use this on a daily basis....Advair's only good for 30 days after you break open the pouch. It expires after that time.
I also rinsed and brushed after every usage and no thrush or any other mouth problems