For people who take QVAR and/or Singulair?

Out of the blue, I have developed severe asthma and multiple allergies (food and inhalants). Needless to say, I am not a happy camper. ;)

Has anyone here taking QVAR gained a severe amount of weight? It's a steroid, so I know this can occur, even though the chance is less than with an oral steroid.

I am a little scared to start. I was planning to use only my Ventolin inhaler when needed.

So, has anyone here experienced weight gain from these medications, and what is your daily dose?

Thanks.

I take Advair, which contains the inhaled steroid Flovent. I take Advair 500/50, which contains a dose of Flovent equal to about 2,000 mcg (20 puffs of Qvar 100 mcg) of Qvar daily. I'm about 30 lbs overweight anyways and I noticed that it makes my stomach swell sometimes, sometimes I have a very temperamental stomach, and there have been various side effects that I have dealt with over the last few months.

I think I have gained about 10-15 lbs because of the Flovent in Advair. I really don't care because if I don't take it, I can't breathe. I plan on starting an exercise routine to try and lose some weight, but I'm not worried about it too much. I can breathe. That's what matters most of all.

If you are not handling Qvar well because of side effects (weight gain), then perhaps another inhaled steroid would work better for you. I have personally been on Asthmanex for several months and did not experience any noticeable side effects at all on it. Asthmanex is significantly stronger than Qvar. Another option would be the new inhaled steroid Alvesco. You breathe in an inactivated form if it, and it turns into a steroid on contact with your lungs. It sounds like a good idea to prevent side effects. Have a talk with your doctor about any side effects you're having on Qvar. Maybe your doctor will consider changing you to something else that is stronger or with fewer side effects.