COPD & Emphysema Support Group

COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...

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Kanadian 09/16/2013

Where I live in Canada they have started a new thing for COPD patients who have reached end stage levels. They come to my home once a week to check on me, offer advice and are now in the process of trying to set up a place to hold group exercises and discussions. That my problem is that I have been on Symbicort for quite some time and was happy with it. But my therapists decided that I should be on Advair 500 instead. I have been using it for the past 4 days. I don't think I find it to be helpful and I am suffering from waking up continually through the night. I have never had this problem before - I could sleep through everything. Now I wake up many times and have trouble getting back to sleep. Is it the Advair?

Kanadian 09/16/2013

Should say SLEEP

bjrapp2020 09/16/2013

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/advair-diskus-side-effects.html

Hi Kanadian,
I looked up Advair side effects and one , way down the page, said sleeping problems as one to report to your doctor.
I was on advair also and my new pulmy changes me to symbicort, which I really like.
I would think you would have the right to change back to the one that helps you. Tell your doctor, and/or the folks that come to check on you, that advair is causing sleeping problems and you never had that with symbicort.
Those are two different steroid medications (Advair and Symbicort) so you could very well be having issues with it.
Hope you get it resolved
Hugs
Brenda

gwapo 09/16/2013

I started out on Advair/Seretide 250......decided to try Symbicort....Pulmo got angry n told me to go on Advair 500...so Im back on....Cannot tell the difference.

Sleep is elusive at the best of times and usually get up after 4hrs around 3am everyday.....but also that's the time the roosters are in full voice...

Peter

deleted_user 09/16/2013

I had problems sleeping before I started taking Advair so not sure if that's the problem. Health and blessings.

Promises2Keep 09/16/2013

I went from Symbicort to a sample of Advair and it did NOTHING. I called begging for a Symbicort prescription. I looked all over the internet and I did find that Advair takes a couple wks to build up in your system.
Everyone has different reactions to these things...maybe the Advair would have worked eventually, but, I was desperate.
Wishing you a quick resolution to your problem

dollaraudit 09/17/2013

Wish I could help but I've been on Advair for 10 years or more, and if anything I suffer from extreme with this respiratory problem, and can sleep forever. That does not mean your problem is not Advair related. Please remember that answers we give you out here come from our hearts and are our own reactions to various things. You may have a problem with the drug and should tell your doctor so you can try another one and see if it makes a difference. I would do it immediately since it is not good for any of us to get overtired or sleep deprived since it can have adverse effects on our o2 levels as well. Looking forward to future comments when you try the other medication.

deleted_user 09/17/2013

Kana, I have had sleeping issues for as long as I can remember, long before the influx of drugs I need to maintain. I even use an generic amibent to help me sleep and it does. But the reality is if I sleep more than 5 or 6 hours (meaning staying in bed) it is a very good night. But again this is a situation which is new to you, and I would take it to my doctor asap! Maybe you new menu of drugs are not playing nice together. Please take care, Bill

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