Foster Side Effects

Like all medicines, Foster can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
As with other inhaler treatments there is a risk of worsening shortness of breath and wheezing immediately after using Foster and this is known as paradoxical bronchospasm. If this occurs, the patient should stop using Foster immediately and use the quick-acting 'reliever' inhaler straightaway to treat the symptoms of shortness of breath and wheezing. The patient should contact the doctor straightaway.
Tell the doctor immediately if the patient experiences any hypersensitivity reactions like skin allergies, skin itching, skin rash, reddening of the skin, swelling of the skin or mucous membranes especially of the eyes, face, lips and throat.
Other possible side effects are listed as follows according to their frequency: Common (affecting less than 1 in 10 people): Fungal infections of the mouth and throat, headache, hoarseness, sore throat. Pneumonia (infection of the lung) in COPD patients.
Tell the doctor if the patient has any of the following while taking Foster. They could be symptoms of a lung infection: fever or chills; increased mucus production, change in mucus colour; increased cough or increased breathing difficulties.
Uncommon (affecting less than 1 in 100 people): Palpitations, unusual fast heart beat and disorders of heart rhythm, some changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG), flu symptoms, fungal infections of the vagina, inflammation of the sinuses, rhinitis, inflammation of the ear, throat irritation, cough and productive cough, asthma attack.
Nausea, abnormal or impaired sense of taste, burning of the lips, dry mouth, swallowing difficulties, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhoea. Pain in muscle and muscle cramps, reddening of the face, increased blood flow to some tissues in the body, excessive sweating, trembling, restlessness, dizziness, nettle rash or hives.
Alterations of some constituents of the blood: fall in the number of white blood cells, increase in the number of blood platelets, a fall in the level of potassium in the blood, increase in blood sugar level, increase in the blood level of insulin, free fatty acid and ketones.
The following side effects have also been reported as 'uncommon' in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Reduction of the amount of cortisol in the blood caused by the effect of corticosteroids on the adrenal gland; Irregular heart beat.
Rare (affecting less than 1 in 1,000 people): Feeling chest tightness, missed heartbeat (caused by too early contraction of the ventricles of the heart), increase or decrease in blood pressure, inflammation of the kidney, swelling of skin and mucous membrane persisting for several days.
Very rare (affecting less than 1 in 10,000 people): Shortness of breath, worsening of asthma, a fall in the number of blood platelets, swelling of the hands and feet.
Using high-dose inhaled corticosteroids over a long time can cause in very rare cases systemic effects: These include problems with how the adrenal glands work (adrenosuppression), decrease in bone mineral density (thinning of the bones), growth retardation in children and adolescents, increased pressure in the eyes (glaucoma), cataracts.
Sleeping problems, depression or feeling worried, restless, nervous, over-excited or irritable: these events are more likely to occur in children but the frequency is unknown.
Reporting of side effects: If the patient gets any side effects talks to the doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the monographs. The patient can also report side effects directly via the national reporting system.
By reporting side effects, the patient can help provide more information on the safety of this product.