Anyone else noticed this? I’ve used a steroid inhaler my whole life - I’m now 32.
I’ve always had issues with anxiety and restlessness. The past few weeks ive not used any inhalers - silly I know, but I wanted to test something. Since not taking them I felt different. More present, able to focus. Just couldn’t run, be in the cold or go near any allergens. Joy.
Yesterday I started taking my inhalers again - more or less instantly back to racing heart beat, major anxiety, restless legs and a slight tremor in my hands.
Does anyone have symptoms like these and do you think they relate to using inhalers??
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Stefkaski
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I can feel restless sometimes after taking my inhalers particularly if I’m needing lots of salbutamol. Not nice but I would much rather have that than end up having a attack!
Hm, I have suffered from anxiety for years now, probably going back to my teens at least. I wondered if it might relate to autism (both my children have autism and I do have some other traits, and my father definitely has a lot of traits too and I take after him in a lot of ways), but I do take a lot of steroids and I am sure they do make things worse (I've had asthma since I was two). It's so hard to tell when I take so many drugs to begin with. Also, I've had a fairly stressful life the past few years. How do I pick apart what causes the stress and anxiety? It's nearly impossible.
I believe there is a connection. It got worse and developed into ocd after my mother died. But the inhalers also do good as long as it is the right one.!
I've not noticed any connection between steroid inhalers and anxiety. You may need to be more specific as to which inhaler you are taking. they will have different side effects.
Hi there, I used to get very edgy when using Ventolin. I stopped using it and switched to Brycanyl which was much better for me. Neither were as good as the old Intal Orange, but they don't make that anymore.. Good luck.....
I remember Intal Orange - or IntalCo. Amazing stuff when I was put on it aged eight and a half, and it’s definitely not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. Only problem with it was that if I took it to calm down an attack I usually ended with a horrendous headache. It didn’t last long, a couple of minutes or so, but my word did it leave me feeling exhausted after it calmed down. I came off it eighteen years after I was put on it when I moved to a different part of the country and it no longer seemed to be as effective as a preventer. A mistake, as it turned out. I was put on a low dose of becotide which did an even less good job, was ignored when I raised my concerns and eventually ended up in hospital. The strength was increased after that but it wasn’t until I moved again and was put on Flixotide that my asthma became well controlled again.
Surely the psychological benefit you feel from not taking steroid inhalers is outweighed by your asthma getting worse? Or am I missing something?
I've had anxiety problems since I was a child, when I spent a lot of time in hospital with asthma. Asthmatics tend to have anxiety problems because we live under more stress and breath in different ways to people without asthma, plus the inhalers have components in them that make your heart beat faster which increases your anxiety levels. I do a mediation exercise once a day which helps and try and breath through my nose which helps my asthma (warms the air) and anxiety (prevents hyperventilation). I've also had CBT. Being afraid of the symptoms of anxiety is the surest way to keep it going, so I've just learnt to ignore the symptoms and my anxiety decreases.
Wow, mind if I ask at what age did you start steroid inhaler?!!? And your asthma didn't grow out?? The reason is my son (9yrs) right now and he current on qvar. I'm not looking to have him on forever (if he able to control his asthma) and due to the fact a lot ppl have developed other health problems from steroid inhaler side effects long term use.
I think the idea of asthma being a childhood thing is one of the great asthma myths. Or, as I like to say, Great Asthma Myths, though it doesn’t work quite so well without jazz hands and the alleluia chorus in the background. I’ve had asthma my entire life and inhalers my entire life too. Some people do seem to grow out of it but I don’t know how common that is. I’m in my early 40s now. I now have 3 inhalers, one of which is a combination steroid one. Best wishes to you and your son 👍
I just thought my reply was totally unhelpful to you. Even if your son doesn't grow out of asthma he can still have well controlled breathing with the right medications. There are non-steroid inhalers. I had Serevent for years which wasn't a steroid, I was really well with it and had no side effects. Unfortunately it was taken away and changed to something else that didn't suit me and I got ill and am now stuck with a steroid inhaler. If your son's been given a steroid inhaler I guess the doctor believes he needs it. They do have side effects but if it's helping your son that has to be a good thing. If you have a doctor you can talk to maybe you could say you're not happy about the prospect of your son being on steroid inhalers long-term because of the side effects and is there something else that would work. Best of luck to you both.
I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 4 and am in my 30s now! However my sister had childhood asthma and now only needs asthma medication if she gets a bad cold. So it could go either way. The only thing I would say is although my asthma can be a pain sometimes (especially in cold and flu season) I can't remember not having it and it's just normal life for me. Hope your son is keeping well and the meds are helping 😊
I take seritde and ventolin. At the moment I’d actually take the not being able to breathe and potential death to living feeling so unfocused and jittery. There must be alternatives to steroid inhalers! Does anyone know of any? I can’t live like this.
Just a little addition to your post. I can't take Ventolin as it makes me very on edge and not nice to be around!🙄 I switched to Brycanyl and I was fine. We are all different bu I may be worth a try?
Hi there, Seretide has two drugs in it. It may be worth asking your doctor If you can separate them out and switch them to other choices. It’s likely to be the Salmeterol, in Seretide causing the problem rather than the Fluticasone.
Your GP might be reluctant to do that, but you could ask for a trial of a separate steroid inhaler and Long Acting Bronchial Antagonist. There are also a choice of drugs that could be prescribed in each category.
Another drug that might work for you is Spiriva, and that is now used for asthma and works well for some people in conjunction with an inhaled steroid.
Also have you considered how much Ventolin you are using? If you are using it more than twice/ three times a week apart from pre exercise then your asthma is not well controlled. And if you are using a lot of puffs daily that could be causing anxiety. I know when I use my nebulizer I can get those shaky feelings.
These are just a few things you could consider.
I do get mental health problems when I take oral steroids at high doses, but have not had a problem with inhaled steroids even at high doses. I have also used inhaled steroids since I was a teenager when they first became available
Best
R
I’ve been on steroid inhalers for over thirty years and have never noticed any anxiety or restlessness resulting from taking them. I have noticed the shakes if I need to take higher levels of ventolin to bring an asthma flare under control (as have others on here) but that’s not unusual.
Yes I took 2 yrs to wean myself off steroid inhalers, I have COPD & asthma. After I had come off them I had an annual assessment with the asthma & respiratory nurse & my lung capacity had increased by 3% & I had only one slight chest infection during that time while I had previously been having 3-4 annually. Unfortunately for me the nurse persuaded me back to a low dose again as my lung capacity is still low. Within less than 6 MTHS my lung capacity diminished again by 3%, which doesn't seem much but it was very hard work weaning myself off steroids, then to start again to get this result. Needless to say, I am now weaning myself off it again & we'll see what result that produces. I must add that I am extremely careful with my diet, use of supplements & exercise. I have started pulmonary rehabilitation & Tai Chi also. Vitamins are a vital part of our daily requirements & patients used to be prescribed them by the GP until Margaret Thatcher's government deemed them (ridiculously) unnecessary. Obviously diet is the best way but to get a daily dose of vitamin D we need the sunshine each day, not always possible. It has now been scientifically recognised that vitamin D is necessary for the 'heart and bones' & also ' cardiorespiratory fitness'. It is also the 'key to a long and healthy life'. Concise Independent 31.11.18.
Vitamin D3 needs K2 to properly be absorbed by our bodies.
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