Fluticasone / salmeterol for Asthma, Maintenance User Reviews (Page 4)

• Liv...
• February 11, 2016

"I have been on Advair for over 10 years. I have never breathed better. Before, I couldn't even walk without being out of breath. I do experience a lot of side effects, such as oral thrush and headaches; however, being able to breathe outweighs the side effects. I would recommend this medication to anyone with asthma."

• M P...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 19, 2015

"Have been taking it for 15+ years - it's been a life saver. Don't remember the last time I had an attack or ER visit (which were mostly triggered off by dust and seasonal allergies, at least once or twice a year until I started Advair). Because of the high price, I end up extending to 60 days, sometimes over that. I use it once a day rather than twice - it works wonderfully as a preventative dose. My PCP is comfortable with this lowered dose, so the only risk I run is with the side effects and the delayed use of the disk. Fortunately, I don't feel much side effects. I did, however, end up developing an early cataract (at 42) and getting the surgery done, and my eye doc has me on glaucoma watch, so it will probably catch up with me one day."

• Rod...
• January 11, 2016

"Since I started an Advair Diskus regimen many years ago, I rarely have to use my rescue inhalers. In fact, I lose more of them than I use. The only negative is the cost, over $200 for a month's supply, that wasn't a big issue when I had a sweet low copay, but all that has changed since the Affordable Care Act (a nice oxymoron there!). I was surprised to see Advair (actually under a different name, but still GSK's product) in Belize at just $55 USD for the same dosage. Can't wait for generics to hit the market."

• Anonymous
• March 11, 2008

"No doubt that Advair was effective at clearing up my lungs so that I could breathe (most important). However, I did have the noted side effect of nausea... so as far as eating is concerned, I don't enjoy eating (can't taste anything) while I am on this medication."

• Mys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2023

"Advair is the best. I've had a horrible chronic cough for several years. No one could figure out why. Finally, someone said asthma and gave me Advair, and the cough is almost totally gone. Blessings to the company that makes it. No side effects either."

• Chi...
• May 25, 2011

"I've been on Advair for more than 2 years and have had no problems with it. My asthma developed because of my newly discovered allergy to cats, and it has allowed me to keep my pets without any breathing issues. It did give me some heartburn at first, but since I was overweight, I lost 20 pounds, and that seemed to resolve the heartburn issue."

• dan...
• September 9, 2009

"I have used Advair 500/50 for a little over three years. It has helped control the asthma, but there are some side effects. I don't have much taste sensation anymore, my throat feels raw, and I cough from the throat, which I don't remember doing before, and I lose my voice. This dosage is too much after a while, I get the shakes and feel weak, sometimes have terrible headaches. I have tried using 500/50 in the mornings and 250/50 at night. That is only good for a short while. I need something between these two."

• adv...
• November 25, 2019

"I don't know if it's my pharmacy or my health insurance, but ever since the AirDuo generic came out, I've been forced to switch from Advair, which I've used and maintained my asthma with for 18+ years, and now all they'll give me is the generic. The inhaler is completely flawed and does not dispense medicine properly, in which I mean half the time the dosage comes out of the 'vent' instead of the mouthpiece. I've had this happen not on one inhaler, but ALL of them. It's also a lot less dosage than what the Advair has in it. I take 100 mcg/50 mcg of Advair. The AirDuo/Teva generic only has 113 mcg/14 mcg. I've never been good at math, but I'm pretty sure 113 is not the same as 100 and 14 (FOURTEEN!) is not the same as 50 (FIFTY). Therefore, I am getting less of my normal dosage. Last month, I also had a terrible outbreak of oral thrush. The back of my throat was so swollen I couldn't even gargle salt water, let alone swallow pills. In all my years of taking Advair, I've never gotten oral thrush."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2009

"After years of asthma, I actually have thrown away full expired bottles of my fast-acting inhaler because I don't need them now that I have Advair. I tried to stop it once and noticed the difference, one dose first thing in the morning, and I am good for the whole day."

• Ala...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2019

"Did not improve my breathing at all. It actually worsened my condition. In addition, my vision was damaged, my inner ears and head are under constant pressure. I have stopped the Advair, but I am still experiencing the negative effects."

• Ang...
• May 8, 2008

"Before Advair, I had to go to the hospital many times because my asthma would become very severe. Since I have been using Advair, I have not been to the hospital in 3 years. My asthma has become very mild, and I have never felt better. I have no side effects."

• Anonymous
• May 12, 2010

"This was the only medicine that I've tried that has completely controlled my asthma. I can't even remember the last time I experienced an attack. I am able to run for miles without any breathing problems."

• Doo...
• September 15, 2021

"I think this should be taken off the market. Unknown to me, my pharmacist substituted this for Advair. Because the openings to deliver the drug are so big and so far apart, when I inhaled, the powder just coated the inside of my mouth and not into my lungs. Because of this, I went over two months without medication, and I am still suffering after three months. I have been taking Advair for two months now but also have needed massive doses of prednisone and several visits to the emergency ward. DON'T USE THIS IF YOU HAVE A SMALL MOUTH!!! or are allergic to fillers in generics. All this was because of a $6.00 co-pay."

• Gar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 19, 2021

"I have more problems with the inhalers not working. I have returned one, and I have six more that are not working. When you try to use them, all you hear is a crinkling sound. Now I have to try and get my money back from OptumRX, which is a rubbish mailing prescription provider, and I will not be using them anymore. They did not care the inhalers didn't work and told me to call the manufacturer."

• Mou...
• April 1, 2019

"I have been using this purple disk since childhood. I’m in my mid-20s. I never realized how effective this was until I stopped my asthma meds altogether (this inhaler and another smaller one). I needed to see the doctor that I avoided for about 3 months, but I had an actual asthma attack. It was scary as heck. When I finally went in, my doctor explained the importance of my inhaler because the steroid is that powerful. I went back on it and immediately recognized a huge difference. It’s helped me for a decade. No doubt. It is pricey though."

• Do...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 11, 2023

"I, like many of you, had been switched to this horrible drug for the same reason: insurance not covering Advair. I have been sick for a month and had two trips to the emergency room and two trips to urgent care. It took me a bit to figure out what the heck was going on, I did not make the connection as soon as I should have. My vision was blurred and declined, I had unexplained bruises, numbness in my legs and arms, fuzziness and dizziness, horrible indigestion, shortness of breath, and horrible pain in my upper back. One of the trips to the ER found a mass on my lung, not cancer, unsure at this point where it came from. Since I have stopped using it, in only two days I feel human again. I really thought I was dying, it was the scariest thing I have ever been through."

• dsg...
• March 16, 2011

"I am giving it a 9 only because I have only been on it a few days. It works. I used to get so tired just doing my grocery shopping and have to sit 2 or 3 times during, and feel like I can go for miles now. I do notice in the reviews the different ways people are using it. I was told after inhaling to rinse my mouth thoroughly, as the medicine can cause thrush. Anyway, I have a little chest tightness and get a bit of a headache at first, but that goes away after about 30 minutes."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2023

"I only found this after my first use of Wixela because it tasted so bad. Within 30-40 minutes, my lungs unlocked, and the tightness went away. Don't get me wrong, Advair is the stuff of gods. Nothing's ever worked as well on me since Serevent (dating myself there, lol), but this seems to work too. It tastes like someone just crushed a strong aspirin on your tongue. I made a medicine face for a while, but it actually worked. It's too soon after my first usage to note any side effects, but about an hour after using, I'm doing great. Maybe it depends on your type of breathing issue too. I was in the hospital and even died once because of my asthma. I don't know why, but rescue inhalers seem next to pointless for me, comparatively speaking, to nebulizer treatments and stuff like Advair and this Wixela. I don't know, I'm also not too picky; what works works. If it makes it so breathing is comfortable, then it has done its job, which so far it has. Feeling pretty decent."

• Anonymous
• October 26, 2011

"I used to be hospitalized at least every 6 months with my asthma problems as a child until my adolescence. I have tried EVERY inhaler and pill to help with the symptoms. Then I started Advair when I was 15. I am 24 now, and I haven't been hospitalized in 10 years. The only problem I have is tachycardia."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2017

"After using the Advair Diskus for less than a week, realized that I had lost the ability to taste food within 2-3 days of starting. Sense of taste has never returned. I reported this to Glaxo and my physician. Neither followed up beyond my call."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2020

"I’ve only been using Advair for a month for asthma and COPD maintenance, and it has been driving me crazy! The side effects have been torturing me, and I wish I never started taking it because it does more harm than good. It can hospitalize and make you worse, and even give you pneumonia and vision problems. What a terrible way to combat asthma, an inhaler that gives you worse asthma..."

• Bar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2023

"Wixela has been a waking nightmare for me! I can't breathe, I can't sleep, non-stop profuse coughing to the point of aching ribs and sore lungs. The sleepless nights are the worst. The huge bags under my eyes tell it all! No energy, loss of appetite, irritability. You name it, I've got it. I wasn't surprised to see the horrible reviews that confirmed all I've been feeling. The Wixela mechanism itself is a joke. If I didn't know better, I would think they were just practicing on people for some low-level chemical warfare! Lord help us!"

• Jam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2021

"Was told I was being put on Wixela for my COPD. Tried for 2 days and noticed more shortness of breath, and within a day or so had swelling and sensitive red rash in my whole groin area. I finally got rid of most of that after maybe 1 1/2 weeks, but did not suspect Wixela. This was replacing my Symbicort. After my feedback, I had to explain exactly how I used it and insisted I try again for 2 days. The same happened with everything, and the rash and swelling were worse than ever. It was discontinued, but the rash persisted for more than 3 weeks."

• Gem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2025

"I needed something for uncontrolled asthma, and this really helped me. I had tried other medicines that didn't work but went to a pulmonologist, and he thought this might be the best fit. I went from using my rescue inhaler several times a day to once every couple of weeks so far. I can vacuum my house again. I use it, one puff twice a day. The only issue I have had is being more hoarse from it, but if I can breathe, I will take it."

• Kis...
• April 8, 2016

"I've only been using it for 3 days, and I haven't used or needed my pump once. I usually use the pump at least once a day. It might be too soon to tell, but I haven't had any side effects, and I'm not winded when walking up the steps like prior to using Advair."