User Reviews for Symbicort to treat COPD

"Absolutely the best copd medicine i have ever taken. Why did i destroy my own lungs with cigarettes? Youth and stupidity I guess. went from a dying couch potato to a 5k runner with Symbicort. 2 puffs in the morning and 2 before bed keeps me in great shape. It really is an amazing drug for copd sufferers."

"Symbicort works well as a maintenance medication for my COPD. I use in combination with Spiriva. The only down side is that it causes anxiety and "jitters" for me. I am already an anxious person so this can be a problem."

"I'm pretty sure that I would have died without it. I had already had full respiratory failure with extended hospital stay and hooked up to oxygen when I went home. Then once I got off of the oxygen I had emergency level exacerbations sometimes 3 or 4 times a week which increases your mortality rate. When I started using the Symbicort it went away."

"After the VA diagnosed my concern as COPD they gave me Combivent 4 times a day and I had to use a rescue Albuterol in between that. It was very discouraging. The doctor then sent me Symbicort 80/4.5 the first day was a miracle. I can shovel snow, walk my dog 1/2 mile and have not touched the rescue once. Not sure of any side effects yet as it has been only a week but the BEST week in a long time. I would recommend this to anyone who can use it."

"Had tried Advair and one other inhaler and didn't do anything. Was using albuterol when needed (2-3 times a day). Doctor put me on Symbicort and had immediate relief. Only take 2 puffs in the morning and set for the day. No side effects yet (6 weeks now). Hopefully it will continue to work on my COPD. Also, I'm a smoker (of course trying to quit) and even with smoking, Symbicort has worked great."

"I was given symbicort on June 15,2020, on June 17,2020, I lost my voice completely I can only whisper softly, it's now September 24,2020 and I still have no voice. All due to a Dr who prescribed it for a misdiagnosis of COPD, now what do I do??? They tell me it's been so long with no voice I might not ever get it back, is it lawyer time , or what????"

"After the first use of 160/4.5 Symbicort my lungs opened and phlegm coughed up. Had more energy. This product is the first time in 5 yrs that I felt it working. VA even carries the product. I also have more energy."

"Symbicort is good but company doing bad with patients by giving them 80% discount pass which is costlier than actual open Market price for example I am buy symbicort @ $241. On CVS. The company is giving symbicort value after 80% discount @$309.53 Why they are deceiving innocent patients. If $309.53 is there 80% discounted price it's mean actual price is $1547.65 while I have bought it 4 times on $241. at CVS. It looks they are getting hidden benefits from any organization by showing that they have given millions of dollars discount to COPD patients. If you not publish it as it is I will go to other methods. They are answerable."

"Have been taking this medicine for 3 years. At first I thought it wasn't doing anything for me. I took myself off of the medication. After a few weeks I noticed that my breathing got worse. Symbicort has made a huge difference in me being able to breath and not. Concerns are my high dosage compared to other people I know who are on it. "

"I've had asthma my entire adult life. It has always been bad. Winters were worse, summers not quite as bad as winters. My asthma/COPD has gotten worse the last two years. Summer is as bad as winter. I've been using Flovent with a rescue inhaler. Even with Flovent, I was using the rescue inhaler all the time. I couldn't sleep a night through without waking up needing the inhaler. I tried Advair, no better. So this last visit to my doctor, he put me on Symbicort. I've gone a month without needing the rescue inhaler. I haven't used it once! It's so freeing not having to worry if I'm running out of inhales. I couldn't do my job, enjoy the outdoors, be active without worrying I couldn't breathe. This has been a miracle medication for me."

"I have used it one night and one day. Four inhales total. At first night. It causes laryngospasm. I almost choked. This horror is still with me two months passed. Even on day i had spasms. Mostly start with a cough. I am afraid if there is no cure for this. All my life changed. None of phsician knows this disease. They prescribe astma drugs. I searched on internet 13 cases reported so far. I am the 14th case. Stay away."

"I have probable COPD, not diagnosed yet, I have had mucus, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness for a year and a half. Prescribed Flovent, antibiotics, Nasonex, Pulmicort for sinusitis. Finally the docs decided to look at the lungs and prescribed Symbicort a few weeks ago. I have had a significant improvement - a lot less coughing and less chest tightness with the Symbicort."

"Symbicort is the best inhaler. You receive immediate relief breathing and it relieves your breathing for extended period. The only problem is, the inhaler is very expensive. My doctor was giving me a free sample but they do not have anymore. I'm trying Pro Air but it is not as effective."

"I have insurance with AARP & United Health . After paying $195 a year for medical, I pay $47 for Symbicort. I have no monthly premium. Otherwise, I would be paying over $350 for it. Try different insurances. I found mine very affordable. I have not had to pay any office visits or blood tests."

"I tried this a couple of times and it always made breathing worse. My lungs felt inflamed. I went from general shortness of breath to not being able to complete a sentence without running out of breath."

"The medicine worked right off the bat, after 30 minutes or so, could breathe much better, and as a smoker, helped my wheezing go away, and not as tired with more energy. NOW the BAD part. I have had a heart attack and have 3 stents. For 3 years, my bp has been perfect at 110/65 with a pulse of 58 to 65 even drinking caffiene and smoking. Since starting this, BP has increased a little, but pulse no matter what stays above 110 24/7, SO, can't take it for that reason only..."

"I have taken Sympbicort for over 1 year. It works very well but I asked my lung dr if we could try another inhaler. The side effect that caused me to stop taking it was horseness and scratchy throat.. My dr gave me anther inhaler to try/ Still with the throat t thing. I hope he comes up with something else but my expections aren't high. All of this type of inhaler must do the same thing as far as side effects."

"The first couple of weeks, it seemed to help, but then I developed a bad case of thrush, even though I rinsed and gargled after each use. I did not swallow it. I have had the 5 pills to suck on every day for 14 days and now the Nystatin to swish, gargle and swallow. I am much better now, but I took myself off the Symbicort. I am also on a lot of other medicines but the one I absolutely need is phenytoin, due to a brain aneurysm. My mother had esophaguel candida and was on Diflucan all the time, and I have had my share of yeast infections also."

"Helps breathing some. My copay is $271 Received e-mail from symbicort that said if I printed it and took it to my pharmacy it would cost average $35 and maybe free . Pharmacist said if used symbicort card it would be $418. I think its just a scam to get my information"

"Been using it for a month, no bells or whistles. Does what its supposed to I guess, I take two other inhalers as well. I see people on here saying they pay $250 for this??? Where's this at? I'm on the East coast of Canada with no insurance so pay out of pocket. 120 doses $110... I switched from Zenhale to the Symbicort..... good luck,stay safe."

"Used this ONE time and was in the hospital an hr later. Went into A-Fib. Been on Breo, Adavair, Arnuity. Was told I (yes I, not the doctor) should look for a NON stimulant med. Do they make one? Searching still."

"It helps some but in the large picture, not much. I can walk to the back of my house 40 feet without having to stop to catch my breath, but still breathing heavily. Prior, I had to stop every 15 feet or so to catch my breath. Improvement? Yes. Better? No."

"worked really good but the side effects were unmanageable. Rinsed, gargled as instructed but developed thrush and swallowing was very painful. Discontinued use but took over 6 months to get over side effects. Now on Advair and am so scared of this happening again that I take right before a meal so that food will clean the esophagus of the medication. Hope new drugs being tested will result in a drug as good as Symbicort but without the side effects! Are there any patches or injections available as I have severe Gerd and pills and inhalers cause me extreme pain."

"It helped the COPD but the side effects are dreadful. I was on it for 8 years, started when I was 40. Gradually I gained 50 lbs, had muscle cramps, skin conditions, peripheral neuropathy, bloating and GI issues. I thought I was just “getting old” but it was all the symbicort. Now I use my DuoNeb 2-3 times a day. My breathing is still a struggle but it’s better then the side effects."

"Having COPD I have had to rely on my rescue inhalers daily sometimes I go through three inhalers a month. I had an opportunity to try some Accord and I was amazed. Not once did I need my rescue inhaler. Unfortunately I unable to stay on it due to a lack of health insurance and the $400 needed to purchase it; however, my state recently expanded medicaid and to my surprise, Medicaid paid for it!"