Breo Ellipta and Fatigue: What Users Say

• Mor...
• March 24, 2015

For COPD "Used Symbicort for a few years and was very pleased with it, but then I tried the Breo Ellipta. I thought Symbicort was very good, but the Breo was outstanding. I felt like I did 20 years ago before all of this started. I could mow the yard and function without any moments of shortness of breath - it is a really great treatment. The Tudorza Pressair (aclidinium bromide) just doesn't work. I felt lightheaded a lot and had a difficult time concentrating - felt very tired with it, and it just isn't working. The Breo is so very expensive - wish there was a way to get it without deciding if you are going to buy food or your Breo medication."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2018

For Asthma "The first couple days this felt like a miracle drug, like I never had asthma at all. The next few days, it only worked for about half the day, and now I can't tell if it's doing anything at all. I've also begun having frequent dizziness, low-grade headaches, constant hunger, sharp pain in my teeth, pain in my back, shoulders, and neck so severe that I sometimes can't even sit down, shooting pains in my legs and ankles, weakness, fatigue, constant stomach cramping, strange sensations in my eyes and vision issues (my eyeballs feel swollen inside and I keep thinking I see smoke), a welt on my lower face, and tiny spots of blood under my skin that look like I've been pricked with a needle all over my body. I was trying to wait it out until my next appointment, but I just can't stand it anymore, I'm quitting it today."

• Hal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 10, 2019

For COPD, Maintenance "Breo definitely helped with breathing, but the side effects are not good for me. On Breo for 3 months and found I gained 20 pounds, was always hungry, excessive phlegm, continually tired, leg cramps in the morning, extreme uncomfortable bloating to the point I thought I would bust. So no... it doesn’t work for me."

• Jan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 13, 2019

For Asthma, Maintenance "Breo 200/25 worked great for about 6 months. Never used my rescue inhaler. Now I have a chronic sore throat and raspy voice, chest pain, muscle spasms in both hands, fatigue, and insomnia. I can still breathe deeply, but the side effects are getting worse the longer I continue to use Breo. I plan to return to using Symbicort, the only side effect from that was a raspy voice. I was put on Spiriva Respimat also last month, but the combination of Spiriva and Breo caused me to totally lose my voice. I had to quit the Spiriva, voice loss and terrible heartburn/stomach pain."

• car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2018

For Asthma "Breo Ellipta made my asthma disappear. Great, huh? Not so. I became extremely fatigued and would not leave the house anymore. I previously had been taking exercise classes three times a week and stopped them all. I was never able to go back. Breo made an old lady of me. Stopped after a few weeks of taking it."

• Blu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2019

For Asthma, Maintenance "Sad and relieved to see others here like me. The first week was great, and then tremors, headaches, dry hair, skin, eyes, sinuses, and mouth joint pain, and finally super high blood pressure and high cortisol in my body. Foggy head and fatigue. Chest tightness, rash, and moody. I took it for asthma, but the side effects are crazy. I took it for less than 2 months and quit."

• Pea...
• December 8, 2016

For Asthma, Maintenance "This medicine worked well in the beginning, but I quickly built up a tolerance to it. It is now not working so well after a month. Now I am getting severe tightness in the chest a few times a day while still using it. Not only that, I am cramped up now all the time with severe thigh and lower leg cramps, shoulder spasms, and neck terrible pain. The fatigue is crippling and intolerable. My life has become a misery. I will go back to the Dr. and ask to be put on something else. This is the cure? Ha!"

• mag...
• January 22, 2018

For Asthma "Wheezing constantly, hungry for air, fatigue, tremors, weakness on exertion, anxiety, back pain, swollen glands, earaches, and sinus trouble. Only relief is Benadryl. Am I allergic to this med? Waiting for the doctor to call - can't take any more."

• Eny...
• July 6, 2016

For Asthma "I was recently diagnosed with bronchial asthma and prescribed Breo. My hands and feet got stiff. My breathing worsened so that I was gasping after walking from room to room. I had such severe deep muscle ache in the middle of the night that I found myself getting up and trying to stretch, especially my hip and shoulder joints. I'm not big on homeopathy, but I found an herbal remedy called Ridgecrest ClearLungs. Lots of rave reviews on Amazon. It's been two days since I stopped the Breo. My breathing is much better, and I have less generalized weakness and fatigue. (I thought I might have ALS, that's how awful I felt!) I'm taking the ClearLungs (can't hurt) and have stopped the Breo. Caffeine in coffee works for me."

• msi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2022

For Asthma "Was put on Breo while pregnant as my asthma had flared up enough to warrant additional medication other than the rescue inhaler. Stopped cold turkey after I gave birth, and it seemed like my asthma calmed down. A job change and some allergies later, I had to go back on. Wasn't paying much attention to the side effects when I was pregnant because I chalked it all up to the pregnancy. But, after reading these comments, it all makes sense now. It has helped my breathing tremendously, absolutely. But my overall health has gone downhill. I would get days when I felt like my vision didn't track with my eyes (does not even make sense, but that's certainly what it feels like). Anxiety was crippling. Got boils on my face, butt, ears - it was insane. Restless legs at night. Insomnia initially, but then turned into extreme fatigue and muscle/bone pain. I have herniated discs in my neck/back, which I have always managed with chiropractic care and yoga, but suddenly none of those work anymore."

• Tex...
• April 13, 2022

For COPD "I have COPD/emphysema and never smoked, so I was surprised at my diagnosis. Now 65 years old. I tried several inhalers, none of which worked or had side effects. My doctor finally prescribed Breo. It worked really well for my breathing. Then, after about a month, and thinking I was losing my mind from the intense depression and anger, I stopped taking it. After a day, I was beginning to feel like my old, happy self. I tried the Breo one more time and those emotions hit me again immediately. I also had dizziness, hoarseness, fatigue, and insomnia. I will NEVER use that again."

• Win...
• May 13, 2017

For Asthma, Maintenance "My allergist put me on Aerospan for a month, it wasn't working, I was still tight. The same day I started Breo, I felt relief. It will be 2 months on April 10th. Have not used my rescue inhaler more than twice in 2 months (used to use it 6 times a day). The only side effects I have are severe all-day chest pain and back pain. Fatigue. I feel super tired and unable to walk too much, but no exacerbation from my lungs. I feel shortness, but my lungs are clear. My pulse is over 120 resting and as high as 165 at times, had to take Ativan to relax the palpitations. I'm 29 years old. My dosage is 200/25 mg, along with montelukast 10 mg."

• Dry...
• December 22, 2021

For Asthma "Started using Breo for asthma three years ago. It controlled my asthma without the need for my rescue inhalers. I noticed that I could not use my contacts anymore and my eyes were dry. I developed cataracts! Also, I had anxiety and insomnia. Then I developed adrenal fatigue. I stopped taking it."

• CJn...
• March 6, 2022

For Asthma "Horrible experience! First week nothing, then headaches, high BP, dizziness, and fatigue. After 27 days, I couldn’t take it anymore. Things got worse, all symptoms increased, and chills and joint aches started. At 70, worse experience ever to prescription medicine. Two weeks off and still not normal. By the way, it never helped my breathing."