After being diagnosed with and suffering from chronic asthma since 1999, I was then diagnosed with COPD, three years ago. I wasn't aware of any serious side effect of the medication and took on board the list of side effects that come with the medication. I now suffer from horrendous side effects that make my asthma and COPD worse and I would not have accepted the meds if I had known. My gums are rotting, jawbone crumbling and toothache, sinuses completely shot to pieces, throat so sensitive that I can only use nothing but diluted mouthwash, ears pain, congested, high pitched noise, and dizzy, cannot breath [besides the asthma and COPD] head pain and cavities in and around the nose and throat in. All to deal with 24/7 and I have to argue with a doctor that doesn't appear to know anything about COPD and the side effects of the drugs prescribed. Does anyone else have similar problems?
Side affects v : After being diagnosed... - Lung Conditions C...
Side affects v
As well as having copd you might have tiatus .. that might explain hearing head problems.
That's as much as I can say know really AM sure others be along who might be able to help further
Thank you, Jeff.I'm sure you're right about the ears.
Hi Joan I have asthma and copd the meds do effect u I have insomnia and a ringing in my ears also have dizzy spells the thrush is horrible too it seems to me my medication is increasing yearly as this illness progressively gets worse but it's what's going to keep us alive you have to keep positive take care x
I don't sleep much, getting along with dozing off and on throughout the night and day. As soon as I fall asleep I wake up choking for breath.
What Meds are you taking
You didn't mention what medications you are taking. If you are taking prednisone, that can affect your bones. I f you are taking a steroid inhaler, such as Symbicort, then you can get thrush in your throat.
These are some of the4 more common side effects, but the best advice I can give you is to change your doctor before things get worse.
Hope you can get things sorted.
What drugs?
Hi I can sympathise....I too have tinnitus so have permanent ringing and whistling in my ears.
I have painful infected sinuses which often give me a headache when I lie down....I asked the nurse practioner if it could be aside effect of the steroids ...she said no but I don't know if she is right. Same with the thrush and broken teeth.
Alendronic acid can cause jaw bone problems but protect the bones....mine are very thin.
I also have problems with some inhalers....I asked a couple of GPs about this and just get a sideways look or as one said...that doesn't happen to someone of your age only to babies under one.
Trouble is I have become dependent on the medications I have taken for years so couldn't manage without them....a Catch 22 situation.
I use 3 inhalers,I have a glass of water at the ready.Once ive done the inhaling bit through the tube etc,I take a drink of water and swill my mouth out.This seems to have stopped oral thrush.
Hi there I to have problems with crumbling teeth, horrendous nails and problems with the nail beds alongside poor sleep, bad joints and many other problems. I have asked questions about the medications like the high steroids dose but get the same answers if you weren't on these medications you wouldn't be here now. That doesn't make me feel any better looking like a gargoyle and feeling my body is crumbling inside out. When will doctors learn some decorum when treating patients with lung conditions.
Hi craftyone...I feel the same ..I know I wouldn't still be here without the medications but sometimes the side effects are hard to bear....sometimes I can actually joke with others on steroids about our bellies, boobs and faces...that's on a good day though. Take care
You should be given other drugs to try and mitigate the side effects of the others to try and keep potential bone loss at bay. Ask your GP.
Yes,hello Craftyone - my teeth and nails have all been seriously effected by the meds,the steroids 99%. Nothing much we can do about this ad we need the meds to stay well ( ish). My COPD is severe and I'm on oxygen 15 hrs/day min so I don't see anything in the pipeline coming along to help us - but I suppose, never say never ? ?
What meds are you taking ?
I have heart and lung conditions plus a few others thrown in. Not only do I get side affects but the meds often make the other condition worse. My lung doc changed one tablet and that put me in A&E.
Hi joanii - the medications will make your stomach more acid so ask your doc about acid reflux. Many with copd have acid reflux and another kind - "silent" reflux - so-named because it doesn't give you the more usual symptoms like heartburn, and often people don't realise they have it.
Reflux can cause a lot of symptoms including sore throat, earache, toothache, bad gums, mucus in the throat, post nasal drip. It can also cause breathing problems from the acid reaching the tops of the lungs and causing irritation. It is said that 10% of asthma diagnoses are in fact caused by silent reflux.
To avoid thrush, make sure you gargle well and rinse your mouth out after taking your inhalers, especially any with steroids in them because as someone has said, this can cause bone thinning. And knitter mentioned Alendronic acid which is notorious for causing jaw problems so if by any chance you're taking that. It's important with that one to stay upright for at least half an hour after taking it.
The high pitched sound in your ear is common with these meds - I have it but have become used to it so it doesn't really bother me.
You say you wake up choking when you go to sleep. In case you do have silent reflux, try raising the head of your bed and sleeping on your left side. This will mean that gravity will help keep the acid in your stomach where it belongs. But do see your GP asap - you definitely shouldn't be having such an array of symptoms. Good luck.
Will you please list the medications you think have effected you.
Hi Joan,
I sincerely understand your concerns, I'm in the same boat matie.
An asthmatic/copd and co2 retainer.
I also have ringing in my ears and balance issue an short term memory being all out of whack, including the loss of teeth due to gums being damaged from all the medication over the past 5 years.
I booked into see a hearing/nose/throat specialist to no avail obviously. I realise now after reading up on steroids the medication I must have, is my issue. My Doctor said they are all giving me more time.
I look at it this way Joan, for the first time in 15 months I got to see my beautiful Grandchildren and my daughter for a few hours over the Easter break - I live 700k away from my children and Grandchildren, so I'll keep taking the meds as long as I'm able too.
Stay strong Joan, don't get mad get even, you have so much to keep fighting for, like we all do.
Love and hugs, Jeannine.
Turmeric is beneficial for asthma, COPD, pain, reflux and Tinitus, plus many other conditions and there's a great deal of scientific/clinical evidence to back it up. It is anti-viral, antibacterial and antifungal. Not all Turmeric is equal, so only buy organic from a reputable source (never buy capsules as the levels of Curcumin can be too high and therefore toxic) and there are contraindications with other medications, such as anti-depressants, blood thinners and others, so it's not suitable for everyone. There's a website set up by an Aussie vet called Doug English and a link on there for the Turmeric User Group (TUG) on Facebook, that now has over 200,000 members worldwide. It's a closed group so you have to request to join and you can ask questions. It's members use it for animals and humans alike. There's lots of evidence based data on there in the files and it may be beneficial for you, but do the research. Turmeric is oil soluble and has to be taken with cold pressed virgin/extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or fish oils, as these reduce inflammation and not veg oils as those are Omega 6 oils and are inflammatory. Turmeric also has a short half life in the body, so taking it with freshly ground black pepper increases bioavailability in the body. Turmeric is also more effective when heated a little, so the 'Golden Paste' recipe is the best way to take it and it can be frozen. For much more info go to turmericlife.au.com. The other natural alternative is cold pressed 'Black seed Cumin oil', or Nigella Sativa, which also has very good clinical research and evidence to back it up. It also acts as a bronchodilator and is also antibacterial and antiviral, and has an antihistamine action. but Google it using key words, such as Nigella Sativa and COPD, or asthma and look at the clinical evidence based sites. Do the reading and research. Another is Sulforaphane, a compound from broccoli, that was discovered by St John Hopkins medical research university in the USA. This has been shown to help COPD sufferers, but again Google using keywords. Hope you find something to help.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Go to this link by the Indian Chest Society. It seems they are really up on lung diseases as many go there for stem cell therapy also.
But read what the inhaled medications do to your teeth, gums, etc. I was amazed and shocked and am going to try to wean my self off of them because I have been using Budesonide since February 1st when I went into the hospital. Since then, all of a sudden I notice my teeth are getting black near the gums and toothaches. Well, must be the med. I never took it before. It is a steroid and I am allergic to most steroids and this one I tolerated so they gave it to me. I am still using it in the nebulizer mixed with Brovana but I am going to try to get off it
I just saw the pulmonologist other day and asked how much longer I had to take the Budesonide and he told me the rest of my life!
I am in the process of almost being able to try the cannabis oil treatment. I followed Swerv on here and his progress sounded great. So, I will tell all when I finally try it, too. You use as a suppository so you don't get high.
May I ask what medicines you take?
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