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Q. I am a singer, so my voice is critical to both my livelihood and my sense of well-being. I was recently diagnosed with mild asthma and my doctor prescribed an inhaler called Flovent.
I am fairly certain that this medicine is affecting the quality of my voice. Is this my imagination or could this be a side effect? Are there any other complications I should know about?
A. Fluticasone (found in Flovent and Advair) is an inhaled steroid. Such cortisone-like drugs calm inflammation in the lungs with fewer systemic side effects than oral steroids. Nevertheless, hoarseness, throat irritation, sinusitis, oral yeast infections and voice problems are not uncommon.
One reader was livid that she was not informed of any fluticasone side effects. After years of regular use, she had developed cataracts, headaches and osteoporosis. Discuss your concerns with your doctor.
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After years of inhalers for asthma, my experience is these two in particular cause throat irritation. My pulmonologist still prescribes it. We requested and switched to xopenex inhalers and nebulizer treatments, which I find much more effective.
Flovent is different than Xopenex in that Xopenex most often is not used as a preventitive medication. Flovent is used for long term control. I personally would speak with your doctor about a nebulizer with Budesonide as the problem may be with the propellant in your MDI.
When taking any inhalers for asthma you must thoroughly rinse your mouth immediately afterwards or you may become hoarse and/or contact thrush. I now make sure that I gargle with mouthwash after I use my inhalers since I have had thrush a number of times. Thrush needs to be treated with antibiotics as it is a fungal infection in one's throat.