Fostair

[Becbux]

l would like to know if anyone on fostair has had any side effects from this inhaler ie short of breath shaking etc .

[Tos92]

My mum has been on Fostair and has not had these side effects. It might be worth speaking to your GP about it.

All the best.

Tos

[VelvetSky in reply to Tos92]

The surgery told me they were changing everyone to Fostair, I refused and a Locum phoned me and said he agreed, saying I was better off on theVentolin and Seratide, Fostair wasn’t strong enough to get me through the winter. I got the distinct impression that there was a financial advantage to the practise to change everyone to Fostair.

[BeeH44]

Doctors put me on this a few years back but I had uncontrollable shaking as side effect so immediately stopped, not short of breath though

[LSCE]

Shaking and palpitations can be side effect of Fostair. Sob maybe if as dose isn't right for you.

[Stoer]

Thanks for raising this. I've been complaining of breathlessness to my practice asthma nurse for over 2 years but just get told that it's not my asthma. I've just looked up "potential side effects" of Fostair and breathlessness (plus other symptoms I've been having) is listed. I recently had a chest X-ray, totally unrelated to my asthma, and it was clear. I think I'll put on an appointment with the asthma nurse (who is also an ANP) and ask her to prescribe a different inhaler.

[EMBoy]

I used a combination of Ventolin and Becotide (beclometasone, one of the ingredients of Fostair) for many years, but had to stop taking the Becotide because I developed Central Serous Retinopathy.

Ventolin alone was not enough for me so I was switched to Formoterol (the other ingredient of Fostair) twice a day with Ventolin occasionally. Looking back, I don't think the Becotide actually made any difference to my breathing.

The Formoterol doesn't make me breathless or make me shake, but does increase my heart rate. I am happy to take it though, because it deals very well with my asthma/COPD.

Unless it is a matter of life and death, I will never take steroids again.

There are several different regimes for treating asthma, so it may be a good idea to see if there is one that suits you better.

[Bingofox007]

I’ve been told the long acting reliever in fostair works on the beta receptors in the lungs to relax the muscle bands and keep airways open , however due to gaseous exchange some gets into blood stream, normally not a problem but the beta receptors in the heart, in some people pick this up and can give that tremor, palpitation, panic type feeling temporarily. Some sensitive people get the same with just salbutamol. It’s harmless but not nice. You need a review of inhalers and maybe just a mono rather than combined inhaler. Take care and hope you’re sorted soon 🦊x

[Heartylife]

Thanks for mentioning. 6months ago I was put on Fostair and was shaking a lot. The nurse asked me to reduce the dose. This helped at the time. but after 6months of trying I’m noticing shaking, restlessness and wheezing at night. So I will be talking to the GP/ Nurse/ Pharmacist

[Rhosyncoch]

I was on Fostair for a year . Initially all ok but over the last month when I had a cold and needed to increase the dose I experienced tremors and pins and needles in my feet as well as being short of breath, increased mucus production and coughing,worse at night. The pharmacist insisted that the side effects were due to the virus rather than Fostair but since changing back to my previous inhaler the symptoms have stopped

[Jennyre]

I was on a Fostair powder inhaler and developed a permanent streaming nose, hay fever type itching in the throat and ears, restless legs in the evening, disturbed sleep and a series of apparent pulled muscles with no reason for an injury. I was told that these side effects are not typical, but they all disappeared within a couple of days after coming off Fostair. The Fostair worked well on my asthma symptoms, but the side effects were too unpleasant.