Advair Inhalers

Why is Advair Prescribed?

Advair is a medicine prescribed for individuals suffering from asthma and COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease associated with chronic bronchitis. Advair is prescribed for the treatment of two major problems during asthma which are airway constriction and inflammation. Airway constriction refers to the tightening of the muscles around the airways. Inflammation is the swelling and irritation of the airways in your lungs.

Advair is actually a combination of two drugs. The first drug is Fluticasone propionate and the second drug is Salmeterol.

In How Many Dosage Forms is Advair Available?

Advair is available in 3 dosage forms:

• The smallest dosage is 100/50 mg
• The intermediate dosage is 250/50 mg
• The highest dosage is 500/50 mg

The first number in the dosage description is the amount of micrograms of Fluticasone propionate and the second number is the amount of micrograms of Salmeterol present in the formulation of Advair.

What is Advair Inhaler and How Is It Used?

The container that holds and dispenses Advair is a purple disk-shaped container called a  ‘Diskus’ which is about 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) across and about 1 inch thick (2.5 cm). The Diskus container holds small pellets of the drug combination, which are crushed on a dose-per-dose basis into a fine powder. This process is carried out utilizing an internal mechanism activated by pressing a small lever on the side of the container.  

This powder is then inhaled directly into the lungs through a mouthpiece. After taking the Diskus out of its foil wrapping, it can only be used uptil 60 days. If Advair is inhaled twice a day, one container will provide a supply for 30 days.

Advair is manufactured and distributed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.

What Are the Constituents of An Advair Inhaler?

Advair MDI or Diskus is a combination of Salmeterol and Fluticasone in one inhaler. When these two constituents are taken together regularly in medication form, they help to control your breathing difficulties related to asthma and COPD.

Advair inhaler contains a suspension of Salmeterol xinafoate and Fluticasone propionate. The medicine comes in a pressurized can, with a mouthpiece and an 'actuator'. Each time you press the actuator, a dose of the medicine is released. Each can contains 120 doses of the medicine. Each dose contains 25 micrograms (mcg) Salmeterol and 50, 125 or 250 mcg Fluticasone propionate.

How Should I Take Advair Diskus?

• It is important that you follow your doctor's advice and take only the recommended dose of Advair as prescribed for you.
• Advair is taken twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. There should be at least a gap of approximately 12 hours between two doses.
• You may notice improvement within 30 minutes of using the Advair Diskus. Maximum results may take a week or longer to manifest.