Budesonide / formoterol and Depression: What Users Say

• Gob...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 9, 2020

For Asthma, Maintenance "After reading all of your blogs, I thought that I should give you all of the symptoms that I had. First: intestinal bleeding, vaginal bleeding (with no uterus), sinus bleeding, skin bruising, skin peeling off causing extensive bleeding, torn Achilles, screaming leg cramps, loss of muscle tone, osteoporosis (loss of 3” in height). Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, eye issues, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations...I’m sure there are others that I have overlooked. Wouldn’t be my first choice or my last choice...stay away from this drug!"

• Cod...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 10, 2019

For Asthma, Maintenance "Prescribed when I had a respiratory infection... great! BUT I couldn’t get off it... prior to this I might have used my ProAir inhaler twice a week, mainly when I was exposed to mold or very furry dogs. Since being on Symbicort I have lost 2 1/2 inches in height... bloating, vaginal bleeding, depression, anxiety, rash, peripheral neuropathy, Achilles’ tendon tear, muscle weakness, bruising, easy bleeding, tears of the skin (thinning of the skin). I was 69 when I was put on the drug, so all of these symptoms were due to “aging”... don’t think so, as I didn’t have any of these problems prior to Symbicort. The most insidious part is that it attacks your muscles, weakens them and you need your “core” muscles to breathe... polio attacked muscles... they developed the iron lung to allow people to breathe. After being off this drug for one week, I can feel my diaphragm again. Still working on total “back to normal”"

• See...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

For Asthma, Maintenance "I’ve had asthma for most of my life and tried many different medications. This one has been one of the worst. I tried both the Turbohaler and the Rapihaler over a period of 3-4 months and found both gave me headaches, muscle aches, nausea, a loud heartbeat, broken sleep, increased anxiety, and some depression. I’ve had success with Pulmicort, so I imagine that it’s the formoterol that is the issue. There is also a contradiction for Symbicort and some antidepressants, so be careful. I won’t be using this again in the future."

• Lou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2018

For Asthma, Maintenance "Although this improved my adult son's breathing, the side effects were hideous and dangerous. They include weight loss, back pain, blurred vision, sadness, and depression. I never would have believed that an asthma drug could cause such a severe reaction. Doctors should be warning patients about these side effects, and it should also be printed on the box. The depression issue was chronic and happened in a short time. So BEWARE!!!"

• Lou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2018

For Asthma, Maintenance "Although this improved my adult son's breathing, the side effects were hideous and dangerous. They include weight loss, back pain, blurred vision, sadness, and depression. I never would have believed that an asthma drug could cause such a severe reaction. Doctors should be warning patients about these side effects, and it should also be printed on the box. The depression issue was chronic and happened in a short time. So BEWARE!!!"

• Amy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2022

For Asthma, Maintenance "Not only did this not do much, but severe side effect, deep depression. Didn't realize that until discontinuing for a while, and then restarted. Depression started within a mere 2 weeks of use. Yowza, beware."

• edy...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 23, 2021

For Asthma, Maintenance "This stuff is terrible. I was naive to think that my doctor cared enough that they wouldn't prescribe a medication or not even question said medication when I've clearly had a ton of side effects for the last 10 years. Even my pharmacist argued with me when I told him that depression was a side effect. Like, what? Of course, it may not have been Symbicort, but I can't believe it took all this time for me to realize that my health concerns were due to that. I guess I thought doctors would warn you about side effects, but clearly not. So this is my list: went to the ER three times, and twice I needed an emergency endoscopy to remove food caught in my throat. The specialist diagnosed me with GERD. I had absolutely no throat issues before starting this medication. I had to go to emergency because, on another occasion, my face blew up twice its size, I'm having liver issues."

• Ema...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 12, 2020

For Asthma, Maintenance "I have been on Symbicort for about 6 months. It does help to keep my asthma under control (I still have to use my inhaler and nebulizer when using Symbicort, but I suppose everyone's situation is different), but I have had many side effects. It makes my throat hurt terribly, it is difficult to speak, and I cannot sing (I'm a musician) when I take it even half as much as I am prescribed to. It also has greatly affected my mood and mental state. I am prone to depression, and this has made my bouts of depression amplified and last longer than I have ever experienced. I also read that osteoporosis is a side effect, so I have stopped taking it. I am using my nebulizer a lot until I find another way to keep my breathing under control. It is also REALLY expensive, over $300 without insurance."

• Str...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2022

For Asthma, Maintenance "I have been using this for a couple of weeks and decided today that I cannot take it anymore - it has caused headaches, bloating, and, worst of all, severe depression. I am a long-term depressive anyway, and I take anti-depressants, but this med has sent me back into a state where I cry uncontrollably for no clear reason and cannot concentrate on my work. I was taking two puffs of 400 mg per day. This morning I did not take it, and during the day I had to use my Ventolin four times. This is not great, but I'm just not prepared to poison myself with Symbicort anymore. E-mailed the manufacturer - nothing back. E-mailed the doctor - still waiting for an answer. Very upset by this whole thing. Going back to Innovair. It's not that effective for me, but I can't be doing with this."