Help! Any experience with Flovent HFA (for allergic asthma)

[BillK]

So months and months ago - Zach was diagnosed with "allergic asthma" - he's 3 1/2 now. He was going through horrible spells of continuous coughing - for hours on end (sometimes the entire night).

He was placed on Flovent HFA (inhaler) by the pediatric allergist we saw at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for a few months and it did seem to clear up his issues - the doctor told us to stop using it after that period - go the summer w/o using it if we could (which we did and he was fine) - then start back to using it the week before pre-school (which we did yesterday morning).

Well yesterday he spent the day at Grammy and Pappy's and had a bad day - grandma said he was irritable and everything upset him the entire day - which NEVER happens at grammy and pappy's house.

Today - he's miserable beyond description - hateful, irritable, aggressive and just plain foul.

My wife wants to take him off the Flovent because it just seems way too coincidental.

I've read the Prescribing Information sheet on the Glaxo Smith Kline website about Flovent HFA and it does say in a small number of clinical trials there have been issues with:

Psychiatry: Agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression, and restlessness. Behavioral changes, including hyperactivity and irritability, have been reported very rarely and primarily in children.
This is on pages 21-22 of the report here: http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_flovent_hfa.pdf

Any thoughts - or hopefully experience with Flovent HFA and your kiddos? We're at our wits end - things just seem waaaay too coincidental.

[Mermanaid]

Our 3.5yo DD is on the same thing ... except our Ped Pulm was very upset that we took her off of it for the summer (glad to hear there are other doctors doing it that way ... this purely a mommy decision).

Anyway ... I've not noticed her reacting to it that way. But, it's hard to tell with her what is behavioral driven vs. reaction to medication because we've been in a 3-going-on-13 mode for the last 3 - 4 months.

I can't wait to hear what other say.

[egoldber]

Sarah took Flovent for about a year for allergic asthma. She did not have that reaction to Flovent but she had a VERY similar reaction to Pulmicort, a different inhaled steroid. The allergist may try to downplay it, but behavioral reactions like you describe: rages, uncontrollable tantrums, irritability and hyeractivity are VERY common reactions to inhaled steroids. She had a similar, but less severe, reaction to Singulair also. She literally could NOT control herself when on Pulmicort.

I would call the allergist and ask for something else. There are so many different inhaled steroids and not all of them produce that reaction.

Also FYI, many kids react similarly to albuterol. Albuterol is probably more commonly associated with these types of reactions. It's interesting, in an academic way not so much in the fun to be a parent of way, to watch her reaction to albuterol. She can take albuterol in an inhaler for many days with no issues, but will start reacting after a week. If she takes albuterol in the nebulizer, after about the 4th dose, WATCH OUT!!!!

[bubbaray]

Not Flovent, but we had a similar experience with DD#1 and Singulair.

You might want to double check with your dr/pedi that discontinuing the Flovent quickly (as opposed to tapering) is OK.

[lilycat88]

DD (age 4.5) has been on Flovent since January (1 puff 2x day when asymtomatic and 2 2x day when symtomatic). Her pulmonologist always asks about behavioral issues when we have an appointment. There was a time when DD was going through a phase where she was just generally unpleasant most of the time. We mentioned it to her doctor and her doctor wanted us to keep an eye on it. Thankfully, she outgrew that phase but her doctor said that behavioral changes were not "uncommon" with Flovent.

[Melbel]

DS and DD1 both have allergy/asthma issues and have taken albuterol, Pulimcort, Zyrtec, Singulair and various nose sprays over the years (not all at one time). I would be hesitant to unilaterally discontinue the Flovent based upon 2 days of bad behavior considering that he previously took it without any problem. I would call the prescribing Dr. to discuss and potentially come up with a different treatment plan.

[lablover]

DD is on Flovent during colds. I have two different strengths that are used and I noticed that two weeks ago when she was bumped up to the higher strength for several days that she was having a lot more tantrums and was doing things she hadn't done before, like throwing books onto the floor when I put her down for her nap. A couple of days after she tapered off she stopped doing those things. It is also very obvious to me that Flovent clears up her eczema (which means some of the med is affecting her body systemically) which doctors tell me it shouldn't do - but it does for her. She is also on Singulair year round and I haven't noticed any behavioral issues due to that (Sometimes I'd like to attribute some of her personality traits to the med but she was like this long before starting it!)