A drug side effect is an unwanted effect that you experience while taking a medicine.

Many patients are concerned about potential side effects of the medication(s) they’re prescribed for their asthma.

Side effects can be local or systemic. Local side effects occur directly on the part of the body affected by the medication. An example would be the hoarseness sometimes associated with taking preventer medication.

Systemic side effects are those effects caused by absorption of the medication into the bloodstream. Cataracts are an example of a systemic side effect. They have been linked to long term corticosteroid medication use in some asthma patients.

When steroid medication is taken for many months or years, harmful side effects are likely and almost inevitable. The list of possible effects is long; it includes mood changes, forgetfulness, hair loss, easy bruising, a tendency toward high blood pressure and diabetes, thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), suppression of the adrenal glands, muscle weakness, weight gain, cataracts, and glaucoma.

The side effects of some asthma drugs include anxiety and sleep disturbances. Some asthma medications can make you feel jittery. Many people with asthma who experience these feelings may not realize that they may be caused by their asthma medication.

According to the ‘British National Formulary (BNF 63)’, a publication of the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the side effects of Beta2 Agonists include (but are not limited to), fine tremor (particularly in the hands), nervous tension, and disturbances of sleep.

The side effects of theophylline include (but are not limited to) insomnia.

The side effects of inhaled corticosteroids include (but are not limited to) anxiety, sleep disturbances, irritability and aggression.

The side effects of leukotriene receptor antagonists include (but are not limited to) insomnia.

The Buteyko Method can not only significantly improve asthma symptoms and enable asthma sufferers to reduce their asthma medication (in consultation with their physician) but it can also help in the management of anxiety and some sleep disorders (e.g. insomnia, snoring, and sleep apnoea).

Buteyko Breathing Clinics (Dublin and County Wicklow)