Advair Side Effects

Everyone is familiar with the Advair Diskus, thanks to a very smart television ad compaign. It is an oral inhaler shaped like, well, a purple disk that is used to control asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It may also be prescribed for symptoms of chronic bronchitis.

It contains two different medications: one is a steroid which reduces inflammation of the lungs, and the other is bronchodilator which opens up the airways. Because these medications take a while to take effect, the Advair Diskus should not be used for sudden asthma attacks.

According to Drugs.com, common Advair side effects include bronchitis, cough, diarrhea, difficulty speaking, fungal infection of the mouth, gastrointestinal discomfort and pain, headaches, hoarseness, muscle pain, nausea, sinus problems, sore throat, upper respiratory infection or inflammation, and/or vomiting.

Hives, rash, swelling or shortness of breath that does not respond to an emergency inhaler could indicate the more serious Advair side effects. Advair Diskus has been known to cause allergic reactions and acute asthma attacks. If you experience any of these more serious Advair side effects, call the doctor immediately.

I was prescribed the Advair Diskus for bronchitis symptoms. The instructions were to take it twice a day. That was two puffs a day. After figuring out how to 'cock' the Advair Diskus, I was ready to go. I put my mouth on the diskus and inhaled sharply. I thought it would be more like an albuterol inhaler, but it wasn't. What I was inhaling felt and tasted more like a powdery substance.

Advair side effects I experienced were headaches, hoarseness, sore throat, and oral thrush. For the headaches, I simply took some ibuprofen and made sure to rest often. My children were especially excited about the hoarseness because then I couldn't yell at them, but I made sure to drink plenty of water during the day and especially right before I used the Advair Diskus. The extra fluids helped with the sore throat, as did the ibuprofen I was taking for the headaches.

My biggest concern was thrush. I was not warned about the Advair side effect of thrush, otherwise I could have taken steps to prevent it. The symptoms of thrush include white, cream-colored or yellow raised spots in the mouth. In some adult cases, the spots can cause an uncomfortable burning sensation in the mouth and throat.

To prevent getting thrush, one needs to rinse the mouth thoroughly with water after using the Advair Diskus.