I believe Symbicort Gave me Acid Reflux... Will it Go Away? Please help.

[mattjb84]

Hey guys, thanks in advance for reading this, I feel like I'm at my wits end... This will be kind of a long post. Back story:

I don't, to my knowledge, have asthma or GERD... I went to the doctor about 3 weeks ago with a bad dry cough for about about a month (that's it) and for whatever reason they prescribed me Symbicort 200 Turbuhaler to treat it (2 puffs, 2x daily).

About an hour after my first dose I had what I can only describe as a feeling like the front of my throat was swelling to the point of I thought I might pass out, hard to swallow, and strained (almost cramp-like) neck muscles... I don't believe my throat actually swelled; it just felt like it. It lasted for about ten minutes and was terrifying... I also got tingling and pins and needles all through my throat and arms and my lips felt like they were on fire...

Stupidly, I assumed that it was just my body "getting used" to the meds, so I continued to take it for ten days total... all throughout the ten days I had extremely painful leg cramps (waking me up in the middle of the night) and several more episodes like I described above. The last straw came 9 days ago when I was driving home from work and I had a prolonged episode of neck strain/cramping and feeling like my throat was swelling shut and it gave me a major panic attack while driving! I somehow made it home and had these scary symptoms for about two hours more... (I should note that I can breathe during these episodes, it just feels like it'll stop at any second... cold air seems to help calm it) That's when I stopped taking Symbicort, cold turkey... It's been 9 days now that I've been off of it.

Since then I have had three more really scary episodes of feeling like I have a huge lump in my throat and my neck muscles tightening and feeling like a spasm... (the latest one was 3 days ago) At 7 days off of Symbicort I had to stay home from work cause I felt like I was detoxing (cold sweats, chills, and major jitters and confusion) all day long!

I finally made it to the doctor after being off of it for 6 days and they said my lungs sounded totally clear, no swelling in my neck, and full range of motion in my neck... They had no idea why I was having the symptoms I was having.

I've been reading about GERD, and I suggested to the doctor that the symptoms kind of sound similar, so they gave me Zantac 75, 2x daily... I believe it's kind of helping, but even today, at 9 days off the Symbicort my neck feels tired and strained all day long! I can still breathe ok, but even my upper shoulders are starting to feel strained now (I haven't done any physical activity that would warrant this) and I keep getting flare up pangs of what feels like muscle strain in the front of my neck and top of my sternum...

I'm a 33 year old male, a bit over-weight, but I've hardly ever had heartburn in my life, and I've never had any sort of neck episodes like this prior to 19 days ago when I took the first dose of Symbicort. All I went in for was a dry cough!

So to the point - has anyone else experienced this, and will it go away (or am I stuck with this acid reflux garbage for good now??)... I've actually been hitting the gym since November, am really watching what I eat, and am down 26 pounds since December 1st...

I should also note that my blood pressure is very high right now (i'm wondering if as a result of the Symbicort)?

Again, sorry for the long post, but I'm really praying that this will pass as I've never had these symptoms before in my life and sometimes I can't even think straight because of it...

Thanks, Matt

[hypercat54]

Hi I am sorry you are experiencing all these symptoms. Just to say I was on symbicort for 9 years for asthma and copd and I never experienced any problems with it. I have never heard of anyone else having these side effects either. We are all different though and I think now you have stopped it your symptoms will improve. x

[Lynneypin]

Sorry I can’t help either, but have been using Symbicort for several years with only the usual side effects of any inhaled steroid....sore throat and hoarseness.

[Wheezycat]

Hi! I, too, have been on Symbicort for some time now, a bit more than a year and a half. I haven’t had your neck symptoms, but Symbicort is associated with increased muscle cramps. I have always been prone to cramp, since I was a child, and now I get more, but never in my neck the way you describe. For me it is worth it as my asthma at that time worsened to a point that I was admitted to hospital, so Symbicort really helps me. Thus I am happy to put up with it, and manage it the best I can (being aware of other factors that can cause cramp, like being cold, tension, lack of fluids, and so on). But as someone else said, we are all different, so I hope you get rid of the side effects soon.

[Victoria2017durham]

Hi, I Have been on symbicort since December 2017 and now having dreadful cramps in my lower legs and toes. Like you I never had indigestion or heartburn before but now I have it after every meal regardless of what I have eaten. I see my specialist next week so going to ask to come off it.

Hope you get rid of the effects soon.

[ChrissieMons]

Although your symptoms may be from the Symbicort, they may be something else altogether and it is co-incidence that you suffered these awful pains. You must see your GP, especially as your BP is high, and get some proper advice from someone who knows your medical history.

[Coastwalker]

Symbicort (for his asthma) gave my husband chronic leg cramps and caused his asthma to worsen. In a Symbicort report we read, it said symbicort should only be used short term and can cause asthma ??? (He nearly died in the ambulance having an asthma attack.) As soon as he stopped taking symbicort his 2 years of daily chronic night leg cramps stopped. Taking vitamin D3 also turned around his asthma. Taking high dose vitamin D3 can also turn stomach issues around too.

The acid reflux prescription medications can cause gut issues and can even lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency problem.

Many think they have far too high acid levels, but we actually need HIGH acid in our stomachs to break down our foods and digest it properly. The acid reflux prescription meds (and some over the counter acid reducers too) can cause our stomach acid levels to lower, it is the LOW stomach acid which then cannot break down the food, leaving our foods to hang around our gut rotting and not be digested, it is this rotting food which hangs around that causes the acid reflux. I take half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in tiny a glass of water and within a minute it relieves acid reflux. Must buy an apple cider vinegar which is 'organic' and has 'The Mother' written on it, Willy's ACV I found was the better tasting one, many people find ACV works far better than prescription acid reflux pills with their long list of dangerous side effects. A relative of mine has been caused a pattern of additional problems thanks to these awful acid reflux pills.

Your blood pressure will be very high if you go to the gym. Just make sure your Doctor doesnt test your blood pressure when you are there.

Google Dr John Bergman and Blood pressure, watch his videos and you might feel far better, blood pressure he says is a causal problem, he tells it as it is and it will open your eyes in other directions on pills and your body too. He knows how to treat the body as a whole, not broken up into parts as our Doctors do. (As in heart Doctor, bone specialists, lung specialist etc.,) Also if you go to the gym look into making sure you are taking all your electrolytes. Many who do gym training or sport can have terrible health problems when it comes to missing out on any of their main 5 electrolytes.

Electrolytes - Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Chloride.

If you sweat out your electrolytes you can be victim to cramps, seizures, even sudden heart attacks and more if over working your body and sweating without the correct balance of electrolytes. (do google this yourself.) Even medications can cause electrolyte loss.

[Bdawn]

I've been on symbicort 200/6 for almost a year and I do have a variety of side effects. Foot cramps, sore throat, a cough which is not an asthma cough but more like a cough that comes from a tickle in my throat, sometimes a burning sensation across my back. I really hate the medication and drop my dosage whenever I can. I really should try a new med but I'm a procrastinator.

[Johnr_Roberts]

Hi Matt

I have been on Symbicort for many years and when taking the prescribed dose I have exactly your symptoms plus excruciating burning at the base of my oesophagus. At first, I asked my wife to drive me to hospital as I thought I was having a heart attack. After a 2-hour wait (lol) and having not been seen, the feeling went off so I asked her to drive me home again.

In my case, subsequent specialist examination showed this is due to the Symbicort relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter as collateral damage of asthma reduction, causing bile reflux to migrate up the oesophageal tube and causing the throat to cramp/burn; my condition has been around for so long I now need to have regular gastroscopies as I have Barrett's oesophagus. I have found a cup/s of warm, milky, strong, sugary tea works to reduce symptoms, if water doesn't. I cut the inhaled corticosterid dose down and have supplemented it with Ventolin (which does not have these side effects for me).

Hope this helps,

John