Fostair Help Please

[sar1850]

My asthma changed me to fostair last week as Qvar wasn't controlling my asthma very well. Only thing is I've had a few side effects, can't stop shaking and my anxiety has gone and raised heart rate. I've been taking it since Wednesday 1 puff twice a day. Will this go away or should I see my GP?

[Asthma-girl]

I think you ought to speak to your Asthma Nurse or GP.

[sar1850 in reply to Asthma-girl]

I'm hoping to get an appointment today, they're calling me back as you can't book a same-day appointment anymore!!!

[Popped]

Hello i have been taking 2 puffs of fostair 2x a day for 10 years no side effects whatsoever, won't your GP speak to you over the phone? Hope your symptoms improve soon kindest regards popped 71 year old female diagnosed with Asthma and Bronchietasis

[sar1850 in reply to Popped]

That's what I'm waiting for You have to speak to a doctor before they decide if you need to be seen, I rang at 8:30 and said I was having problems with my asthma and medication and I'm still waiting!

I would have liked it to work as qvar wasn't quite enough so I was optimistic this would be enough!

[Popped]

Hello Popped again forstair helps me a lot especially if I have a lot of mucus hope your doctor calls back soon blessings to you

[sar1850]

Thank you! Have been changed to seretide to see if that works!

[green881 in reply to sar1850]

Seretide is fluticasone (ICS) plus salmeterol (LABA) aka Advair. I'm on beclomethasone ICS (Qvar) plus salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) (LABA) but taking them separately. Fostair is basically Qvar plus formoterol (LABA).

The problem is you are changing two ingredients at once, I'm a fan of first trying to change one at a time so you can pinpoint your reaction (if for no other reason than future reference). So if I was in your shoes (hey actually I am exactly! haha) I would stay on beclomethasone while switching the LABA (to what I'm on).

Do you have a long history of Qvar? Does it generally work for you? If so stay on it, so what if you have to take two separate inhalers. I did not do well on fluticasone I needed way more dose than Qvar for less result.

That said what are my current side effects? Well this time round a little jumpy/shaky from time to time (fairly minor) and a bit of anxiety comes and goes, and trouble sleeping. The last might just have been stupid schedule over the weekend. All in all fairly minor in exchange for super clear breathing and no rescue ventolin in last 3-4 days. Although I also upped my Qvar dose 1.5x about 3 days before starting the salmeterol and I was feeling improvement already so it could just as well be the Qvar. I plan to stay on salmeterol about another 3 days (1 week total) and once I've been rescue free for 5 days I'll try stopping and see if the Qvar can hold it. Also i'll be out of the pollen but that's another story...

As for cramps funny you should mention that, I got a couple unusual left foot cramps and a bit of the electrical activity in some muscle. I'll try banana/potassium. I never heard of that side effect before. i don't remember if I got that once before the salmeterol though might have. It's happened a few times in last week. Again pretty minor - quick stretch fixed it. I've had much worse cramp when running.

I took advair maybe in 2005 and I don't remember any side effects except it not working well. Your mileage and body will vary. I noticed it seems the Serevent powder is finer nowadays than last decade and does not irritate me like it used to.

[Skigoddess]

This happened to me at first and I got a lot of cramp in my legs. Read here about eating a banana a day for cramps and shaking has disappeared too. I use breathing exercises and mindfulness to kerb feelings of anxiety. ( Headspace app - 10 free trial sessions- amazing when you feel up tight!) It was worth persevering with Fostair for me as I didn't experience the usual exacerbation of asthma with tree pollen so I must be well controlled (fingers crossed!) Good luck! X

[green881 in reply to Skigoddess]

Read above re cramps. I never heard of that before, but I was literally going "huh"? minor cramp happened 2-3 times in last week. So now I have the culprit (maybe). I know my body and none of the usual cramp inducing activities were going on (long workout, hot weather, electrolyte imbalance). So I would list that side effect as "probable" but really minor. No reader should be dissuaded from trying it, trust me uncontrolled asthma is way worse.

In my opinion readers should cycle through all the different LABAs and keep their ICS constant especially if you're going on it for 2-3 months. Find a combination that works for you, I am pretty sure response varies by individual and as with me it might vary over time.

[sar1850]

I was on Qvar for over a year, but this wasn't working as needed my ventolin about 5 times a week. They put me on Fostair which they said was the same steroid as Qvar but with the formoterol, they said that my reaction was typical of the formoterol so that's why they've changed to Seretide. I would have stuck if it had a good effect on my breathing, my peak flow was better but my chest was always tight and I struggled with breathing a lot more than before.

Feel a lot better already, chest feels clearer and no shaking! Just takes a while to find something that suits I guess!