Has anyone had withdrawal when stopping Symbicort?

[dinadina]

My doctor put me on Asamax and stopped the Symbicort. It's been two days off of the Symbicort and I feel short of breath. Is that just my lungs making the adjustment, or do I need to be concerned? Thanks to all of you!

[dinadina]

Meant to say Asmanax.

[Emer1000]

Ask your doc if this is expected. I've never been on Symbicort but changed inhalers last year with no issues.

[Superzob]

What the doctor has done is to remove the long-acting bronchodilator (formoterol) from your prescription and substituted a more powerful corticosteroid. I don't quite follow the logic of that decision unless Symbicort was not controlling your asthma.

It is entirely possible to get a rebound effect if you stop taking an inhaler: you effectively get worse for a few days and then it wears off. You might want to give it a few more days to see what happens; if it continues to get worse, then use your Ventolin (which I hope you've been supplied with) and go back to the doctor. It is possible to get a combination inhaler (like Symbicort), which has both the Mometasone (which is in Asmanax) and a bronchodilator. If you haven't got any Ventolin (and you should definitely speak to your GP if you haven't), then you could go back onto the Symbicort (if you have any left) and take up to 2 inhalations twice a day, after you've allowed the Asmanax to wear off overnight.

[dinadina]

Thanks for your reply. I was living in a house with mold and had a very bad exacerbation. The only thing that worked was Symbicort. I am out of that situation now, and my doctor wants to see if I can return to my previous steroid only preventative. I hope so, but it is scary going off the Symbicort. I'm going to give it a week or two and see if my lungs adjust. I do have Ventolin and have been using it.