Hi All,
I suffer from anxiety issues and formoteral (Fostair, Symbicort) seems to make this worse, if you suffer from anxiety, which inhaler do you take for asthma/COPD? Been around the houses with most inhalers and can not find the right one without horrible symptoms!
Please help if you can.
Thanks
So many posts about this Ami, I wonder if its your anxiety that is the problem not any of the inhalers. If you are finding you can breathe ok without the inhalers perhaps just focus on managing / treating the anxiety.
Perhaps will be better discussing with your doctor regarding this matter, referral to a counsellor or some cognitive therapy training perhaps to help you with the anxiety aspect. could well be that you won't resolve the inhaler issue until the anxiety issue is addressed.
These are just my views, just suggestions.
The important thing is if you having difficulty breathing due to damaged lungs you will need an inhaler to help you with that.
Anxiety causes breathlessness, people get anxious because they are breathless, I think you need professional medical consultation to determine the cause of your breathlessness and if indeed that goes away when you stop using the inhalers.
Best wishes with resolving your dilemma.
asthma.org.uk/advice/manage...
Hi no its not just my anxiety, as I've been fine without the inhalers but an just breathlessness when doing things, I'm struggling for breath in the mornings and only 40 yrs old? I feel as if I need to shift something off my ribs, but can't get it off and then squeezing air out at the end if breaths of that makes sense! My back hurts on either side of spine and chest aches. Since I've had Spiriva it's dried me out totally inside and did send my HR sky high. Yes, I do have anxiety but it's manageable! Until I tried the Fostair, which totally increased it... So i came off that, now tried Symbicort and it did he same... So I'm guessing its the formoteral in it that's doing it as it would make sense.
I've already had CBT and it's helped me with anxiety issues, these are literally dormant until I try and inhaler, then it spikes again!
I've come off the Symbicort and my anxiety is fine today, I can function normally... Hence this post, I just wanted to know if there are anxiety sufferers and which inhaler they take and feel ok on, so I may give it a try... I wish I could say Dr's help, but they are asking me, what I would like to go on? So unfortunately, I have to ask and do research and try find the correct suitable one and then go from there...
You really need to discuss all your symptoms with your doctor, understand that anyone with anxiety / with asthma / copd is not necessarily going to have the same problems you are experiencing with the inhalers.
Formoterol is one I can only take one dose of a day because for me that does cause side affects of excessive muscle cramping and palpitations / anxiety. What I have done, is I have all my inhaler meds separate so I am more in control of the dose. Often in combination inhalers when the dose is twice daily and contains formoterol, for me that dose of formoterol would be too high.
Hope you find the solution that suits you.
Best wishes
I suffer with health anxiety and Fostair caused severe panic attacks for me.
I think I commented on another one of your posts to say that all LABA and LAMA drugs have these anxious type feelings and increased HR as common side effects due to the way they work, however it’s my understanding that these effects do often settle with time as the body adjusts: a lot of people find even ventolin makes them feel like this initially but does ultimately go away for the majority. The body needing time to adjust is true of loads of medications. The reality is that if you’re that sensitive to these kind of side effects, it’s possible that there is no combined inhaler you won’t react to in this way, but as you know it’s the inhaler, and you’ve had CBT, it may be you need to use the skills learnt via that to tolerate it for a period and see if it does start to settle. I understand what you’re saying about asking for other people’s experiences and recommendations, but unfortunately, what works for one person has no bearing on what will work for you, nor does it change the fact that all inhalers have the potential to cause the side effects you’re describing and you seem to be very prone to them. The other thing is, regardless of the side effects, all the time you’re switching, you’re not going to know if a particular inhaler is even going to be effective for you in any event, and your breathing will continue to be naff. I really do think it may be a case of gritting your teeth and bearing it for more than just a day before tossing in the towel.
I understand what you're saying guys! I've spoken to an asthma nurse who says yes indeed it's the LABA add on which causes the anxiety spike! Hence why I've been getting the rise in it. I know exactly what you mean by I should 'grit' my teeth and get through a few days, which I'm happy to do as long as it doesn't leave me non-functional where I simply cannot think and feel as if I'm going to collapse ... which formoteral has been doing!! Its not like ventolin where a raised HR sometimes and headache, cramps etc...but you just get over it. With the anticholinergics I feel as if my HR is ridiculous just at resting... I can not see how continuing would make it better? Just like the formoteral... Hot flushes but anxiety where I can't do the simplest thing is not a sign where can just continue? Ive been advised to do a PF and just get a steroid inhaler on its own and see how I get on with that, as this could even just be Asthma, I've had no LFT as yet, and she was saying consultatant maybe just covering all areas that's why advising a combo inhaler... That might be the problem right there... If I try just s steroid inhaler and PF progresses well... Then this could be asthma and not COPD?! Therefore, I don't even need a combo... Will chat to drs send see how get on...
Hi Ami40, I too get terrible anxiety from inhalers. I would fall asleep only to wake up seconds later with raging anxiety and the urge to run from something. Quite ghastly. In the daytime I would get a hot squeezing sensation around my rib cage and many panic attacks. I eventually ended up taking seretide 50 once a day which does help but after 11years is probably nowhere near adequate for me now.
Fostair caused me to have panic attacks as made my breathing worse. It was stopped immediately at hospital and my old inhaler re prescribed. I have Sirdupla and it's ok with me. Also Ventolin.and Spiriva .....Ialso suffer with Health anxiety. xxSheila
Hi Ami, I have had asthma and anxiety since I was 13, I am 59 now. I am currently on Breo once a day, in the morning. I still have heart palpitations now and then and a sense of anxiety now and then, but it is better than when I was on Advair disk. On Breo I no longer have to use my rescue inhaler (they are all expiring). During the early months of COVID I ran out of Breo and I didn't want to go to the pharmacy, I thought how long can I go without. Well within a few days I found myself reaching for the rescue inhaler, so I guess I need to keep taking it. Good luck.
Hi,
I’m also in the same boat. Only started fostair yesterday but was up all night with racing heart and feeling anxious - not great. I’m trying to get my asthma better for exercise but need to find an inhaler which doesn’t have these side effects - let me know if u find one x
Recently diagnosed Asthma & COPD overlap…. Struggling with anxiety 
COPD sufferers
Not asthma but anxiety?
Ventolin inhaler
