hi

im 4 weeks and 5 days pregnant with #1

i have asthma and i was wondering can i use my advair if im having asthma problems?

thanks

I have asthma. When I was pregnant I was able to use my albuterol as needed, and I was also put on a daily controller med called Pulmicort.

My asthma got REALLY bad last time I was pregnant. Before that I only had my "rescue" inhaler that I used on an as-needed basis, but a couple times it stopped helping with my attacks. After two trips to the emergency room, and being admitted for 3 days, my pulmonary doc put me on the daily controller medicine called Pulmicort.

I had to stay on that until after I gave birth. I was fine after that.

Advair is a daily controller med - right? (not just a rescue inhaler?)

I'm not sure if advair is safe or not, but if its NOT, your doc will put you on something that IS. I would call your Ob/Gyn or Pulmonary Doc and ask asap. They will be able to help you.

In the meantime, I know your rescue inhaler is safe.

I also know that the benefits should outweigh the risk. So - if your advair is helping you get OXYGEN that you NEED, thats an important benefit that outweighs the risk of lacking oxygen! That being said - I would continue what you have been using until you get a doctors answer... its probably not safe to just STOP taking it if you use it daily.

Oh - another suggestion would be to call your pharmacist and ask them (they are there on weekends)... (at least ask if you should continue taking it till you speak to your doc or stop right away). They should be able to advise you on that.

That answer was all over the place - but I hope it helped a little!

Congrats by the way!

Hey. I have asthma too. My doc consulted with a specialist for me and switched my preventer inhaler to Pulmicort, as this has been found to be safe. There was no evidence to say my old one wasn't, but pulmicort had studies to back it up.

Benefits definitely outweigh risks, so keep it up!

i Have asthmas and it is quite bad for me at the moment i am on flixotide and ventolin both seem fine for me altho at the moment nothing seems to help me

I'm also asthmatic and had this discussion with my GP before we started trying. I'm on Advair and Singulair, both are considered safe (by motherrisk)

Fiona

I am asthmatic (severe) and my dr left me on advair as it is safe as far as she was concerned. For me the risk of not being able to breathe is greater and advair has seriously changed my quality of life so I would be upset to have to switch.

I have been to a couple other dr's sonce becomeing pregnnat and one explained to me that if i were to have an attack and go to hospital, they may have to put me on an oral steroid tablet. It would take a year of advair to equal the steroid in one pill. Now I don't know if that is the exact truth but it put it inot perspective for me.

A breastfeeding article I read also pointed out that since it is inhaled most if not all the drug is localized to the lungs. There of course would be small quantities that go into the blood stream and then even smaller amount that will cross the placenta.

Last thing i can offer is in one study of rabbits there was a very small increase in cleft palets. However the dose of advair in the study was way more then is prescribed to humans so for myself i didn't put a ton of stock in it.

In the end it has be what you are comfortable with as pregnancy can be a time of worry and its not worth being upset all the time about your meds. Best to discuss with your dr and see what is right for you - plus there is no need to panic at this moment since your are not sharing a blood supply with the fetus just yet but I would think about your options over the coming weeks ofr sure - Good Luck!!

I actually just had this conversation with my allergist yesterday. She said albuterol is OK as a rescue inhaler during pregnancy, and that you can use Pulmicort as a daily inhaler, but that she doesn't feel comfortable prescribing Advair during pregnancy. I have no idea what the difference is, but I imagine your Dr might say the same. ?

The difference is that Adviar has a long acting bronchiodiolator kind of like a time release rescue inhaler whereas pulmicort is the steroid alone. Its the brochiodialator that some feel may not be safe but the steroid is considered very safe.

In my case for example if I took the steroid alone I would need my rescue inhaler 4 times a day, maybe more becasue I used to use it at night a couple times as well. this kind of use which borders on overdoseing is not good for me, as i means I am constantly in need of oxygen, and since it raises my heart rate etc those high doses everday arent good for the baby. While on adviar I only use my rescue inhaler one week at most which means my asthma is in control and I can live a much healthier lifestyle even excercising and my oxygen levels are never in jepordy.

This is why it would be important to speak with your own dr who knows your history. I went to a walk-in clinic when I first found out for another reason before I had seen my own dr. I asked him about the sfaety of advair he said he couldn't recommend changing my medication as he no idea about my personal situation and therefore could not determine if the risks outwieghted the benifits. Your dr on the other may decide switching to another drug maybe better sfaer for you. Stopping any kind of steroids suddenly can be dangerous unless supervised by a dr.

I have to talk to the doctor about it this week when i go for a BT cause my asthma has started to flare up again.. I have the ventolin one.. its blue.. i only use it when im really bad.. I think i may need it today.. one puff and im usually fine for the rest of the day.. im really early in my pregnancy so im worried about taking it.. but i guess i have no option.. I do remember a few people say its ok..

I am asthmatic, I have a ventolin which is my rescue inhaler and seretide, this one is 2 inhalers combined into one which contains steroids, I have had my inhalers changed and added over the last few years as my asthma has got worse. With each pregnancy my asthma has got worse too, but so far with this one it seems to be loads better already, I am not going to speak too soon though, as it is still early days.......

I havent heard of the meds that you are on, but Im sure if they arent right that the dr will change them for you. My dr told me that its better to take it than not to take it as its stopping my attacks or easing any attacks I do have.......