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Advair Warnings


Advair Warnings : What is Advair?

Advair is a combination medication that utilizes salmeterol and fluticasone to manage respiratory problems, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

In the United States, Advair is marketed by GlaxoSmithLine under the same name. Patent protection for Advair expired in 2010. The availability of Advair, in the generic form, is expected to be delayed because the Food and Drug Administration has not established a standard regarding the bio-equivalence of inhaled steroids in dry powder or multi-dose inhalers. 

Advair is available in several dosage strengths. The dosage strength will vary based on the patient’s location and their individual need for the drug. The smallest dosage is 100 ug of fluticasone and 50 ug of salmetrol, while the immediate dosage is 250/50 and the highest dosage is 500/50. 

Advair is a respiratory inhaler that is used daily (once at night and during the morning); Advair should never be applied during an asthma attack—it used daily to prevent the likelihood of falling victim to an asthma attack; the drug possesses no benefits in weakening an already-existing asthma attack. Advair is applied daily to form a protective shield and promote the flow of oxygen in the body. The common side effects of this combination drug are those of its individual components. For example, the use of an inhaled corticosteroid is associated most notably with oral candidiasis. 

Advair Warnings:

Like so many other prescription drugs on the market today, Advair is attached with numerous Advair warnings. 

Advair warnings are simply risks associated with taking the drug. Advair is currently attached with a black box Advair warning which is simply a precautionary statement given to the drug by the United States Food and Drug Administration. This Advair warning is present because of the results of various studies on the safety of salmetorol. The most prolific study, referred to as the SMART trial, exhibited a small increase in the risk of hospitalization and death as a result of breathing problems when taking salmetorol. This particular Advair warning was observable in predominantly African American patients. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration placed the black box Advair warning on salmeterol as well as formoterol, which works in a similar way. 

Although the SMART trial did not specifically study Advair, the Advair warning was placed on the box because the drug contains significant levels of salmeterol. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, any medication that contains salmeterol or formoterol will be accompanied by the black box warning. 

The majority of Advair warnings exist because of salmeterol or formoterol, which are long-acting beta agonists used to treatment moderate to severe asthma. These types of drugs, which are not adequate to control asthma by themselves, can potentially cause life-threatening attacks if misused. People with asthma therefore should always utilize an inhaled steroid for proper treatment of their condition whenever a long acting beta agonist is required. 

Advair warnings are still somewhat ambiguous because of the lack of clinical trials; the SMART trial, which is regarded as the foundation of the Advair warning system, did not even address whether particular patients were taking inhaled steroids for their asthma. 

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