Can't breathe

[chickwhorips]

eclectic good job! glad your feeling better also.

[emily_in_nc]

I got my Rx for Advair filled today. My doctor did not have a sample to show me how to use it, but the box came with a very detailed insert that I followed to the letter. Being an engineer, I'm big on details, so I made sure I did it right! I have used albuterol for years as a rescue inhaler, but this was definitely a little different! I certainly made sure to breathe in, very deeply, to actually get the medicine into my lungs!

I don't know if I just got lucky, but on my trail ride tonight, I definitely felt like my breathing was better. My average and max. heart rate were lower than the last time I did this same route, so I felt less taxed, and I felt really strong. It's possible that I had just had a good ride, but it's also possible that that Advair helped a little even with just one dose!

I had been using albuterol before every ride, but I skipped it tonight. My asthma is mild, but it definitely seems to come into play when I do intense exercise. I don't have asthma attacks per se, but I just huff and puff way more than anyone else, even on slight inclines -- and I am a very active person; I hike, jog, walk, kayak, lift weights, and ride, so I should not huff and puff quite as much as a complete novice, especially since I am not carrying excess body weight around. Tonight I finally didn't huff and puff more than a "normal" person. :-)

My doctor started me on the lowest dosage Advair: 100/50. Hopefully I can stay on this one as I want to use the least amount of medication necessary. I have been taking Accolate, a leukotriene inhibitor (pill), but it didn't seem to have any effect on me whatsoever. Albuterol helps, but it makes my heart race and makes me jittery, like too much coffee, so I am not crazy about using it. I didn't sense any of that with the Advair.

So, after just one ride, it's way too early to tell, but I am cautiously optimistic.

For those of you on Advair, have you had any side effects from it?

Thanks!
Emily

[Pedal Wench]

Were you told to gargle after you use the Advair? I heard that you have to gargle for 30-seconds to get the meds out of your throat. Is this true?

[chickwhorips]

i was never told about the gargling so i don't know. seemed to work fine without that.

[Cindyloo]

When I was given one of the inhalers like Advair I was advised to gargle after using it to clear it out of my mouth and throat. In some people it causes them to have thrush (overgrowth of yeast) in their mouth.

[eclectic]

When I was given one of the inhalers like Advair I was advised to gargle after using it to clear it out of my mouth and throat. In some people it causes them to have thrush (overgrowth of yeast) in their mouth.

Ditto on that. I was talking to someone recently that did get a yeast infection in their mouth from it.

Rinsing - a small price to pay for breathing

[mary9761]

most of your inhalers have those warnings now. I know that I was told to rinse after using my Qvar as well. Believe me mouth sores from inhalers is NO fun. I don't always pay for forgetting to rinse, but there are times I do.