Flutiform issues.

[Improver]

I used flutiform 50/5 from October 2019 to Jan 2020. It controlled my asthma very well, but I felt there was an issue with my knee joints, which I took to be a mild osteoarthritis or plain wear and tear. My prescription was increased to flutiform 125/5 at the end of January following a worsening in my breathing. Almost immediately, I suffered very strong knee pain which made it difficult to walk up and downstairs. I suspected that the increased dose of flutiform might be to blame and consulted my surgery asthma nurse. After trying several different approaches and changes of medications, I felt forced to return to flutiform 125/5 as it was good at controlling the asthma and I just put up with the drawbacks. In October 2020 I asked my doctor if I could return to the lower dose as I could stand the side issues no longer. I tried flutiform 50/5 again until Jan. 2021, but could stand it no longer. I was prescribed fostair 100/6 to try instead. Guess what? All of the problems I had faced for over a year just disappeared! I have never in my 75 years experienced such clear evidence of side effects caused by a medication of any sort. What were the side effects? Knee pain, muscle pain, inflammation in the whole of both legs, night time sensation of intense heat in both legs leaving me unable to tolerate contact with any bed clothes, ankle swelling, and a feeling that the skin on my legs was stretched tight from inside. All of this much worse at night. I am now back to normal and wonder how I put up with the problems for so long. I have just submitted a yellow card form and hope that warnings to others will avoid anyone else having the same experience. It just goes to show how certain things just don't suit everybody.

[Poobah]

Good for you for following through and using the yellow card. I didn't get on with Spiriva and ended up with high blood pressure and felt so poorly. Since then I'm more aware of the effects inhalers have on potassium levels in the bloodstream. Now I take a small daily supplement of potassium and magnesium. I've also changed to Eklira Genuair.