Advair
Generic Name: Fluticasone Propionate
Brand Name: Advair diskus
Indications
Advair is used in the maintenance treatment of Asthma. Advair should not be used to treat an acute asthma attack. It will not work fast enough to reduce your symptoms. You should use an alternative inhalation medication such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil) to get a relief from an attack
Advair is indicated for the long-term, twice-daily, maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 4 years of age and older.
Advair is also used in the maintenance treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Dosage and Administration
Adavir ids available as disposable purple device with 60 blisters containing a combination of fluticasone propionate (100, 250, or 500 mcg) and salmeterol (50 mcg) as an oral inhalation powder formulation. An institutional pack containing 28 blisters is also available.
Advair should be administered twice daily every day by the orally inhaled route only. After inhalation, the patient should rinse the mouth with water without swallowing.
Asthma:
Adult patients 12 years and above: recommended dosage is 1 inhalation twice daily (12 hours apart). The maximum recommended dosage is ADVAIR DISKUS 500/50 twice daily.
Pediatric Patients 4 to 11 Years of Age: For patients with asthma aged 4 to 11 years who are symptomatic on an inhaled corticosteroid, the dosage is 1 inhalation of Advair 100/50 twice daily (morning and evening, approximately 12 hours apart).
Overdose?
Over dosage of this medicine includes an exaggeration of the symptoms like headache, nausea, fatigue
Drug Description
Advair 100/50, 250/50, and 500/50 are combinations of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate.
One active component of Advair is fluticasone propionate, a corticosteroid having the chemical name S-(fluoromethyl) 6α,9-difluoro-11β,17-dihydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxoandrosta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioate, 17-propionate and the following chemical structure:
Fluticasone propionate is a white powder with a molecular weight of 500.6, and the empirical formula is C25H31F3O5S. It is practically insoluble in water, freely soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethylformamide, and slightly soluble in methanol and 95% ethanol. The other active component of ADVAIR DISKUS is salmeterol xinafoate, a beta2-adrenergic bronchodilator. Salmeterol xinafoate is the racemic form of the 1-hydroxy-2- naphthoic acid salt of salmeterol. The chemical name of salmeterol xinafoate is 4-hydroxy-α1-[[[6-(4-phenylbutoxy)hexyl]amino]methyl]-1,3-benzenedimethanol, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthalenecarboxylate, and it has the following chemical structure:
Salmeterol xinafoate is a white powder with a molecular weight of 603.8, and the empirical formula is C25H37NO4•C11H8O3. It is freely soluble in methanol; slightly soluble in ethanol, chloroform, and isopropanol; and sparingly soluble in water.
Advair 100/50, 250/50, and 500/50 are specially designed plastic devices containing a double-foil blister strip of a powder formulation of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate intended for oral inhalation only. Each blister on the double-foil strip within the device contains 100, 250, or 500 mcg of microfine fluticasone propionate and 72.5 mcg of microfine salmeterol xinafoate salt, equivalent to 50 mcg of salmeterol base, in 12.5 mg of formulation containing lactose (which contains milk proteins). Each blister contains 1 complete dose of both medications. After a blister containing medication is opened by activating the device, the medication is dispersed into the air stream created by the patient inhaling through the mouthpiece.
The actual amount of drug delivered to the lung will depend on patient factors, such as inhalation flow profile.
Side Effects
Some of the common side effects include cough, congestion, dizziness, fatigue, headache and muscle cramps. However the side effects differ in every individual. You are advised to seek medical help, if the above side effects persist.
Precautions
- It is very important that the inhaler is used properly, so that the medicine gets into the lungs.
- Before using Advair, inform your doctor if you have glaucoma, tuberculosis, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, allergy, heart disease or blood pressure.
- Avoid known items or activities that may worsen symptoms of asthma or bronchitis. Clean areas where dust or pet fur may aggravate your condition.
Drug Interactions
Some the medicines that may have adverse effect with Advair are:
- Amiodarone (Cordarone);
- HIV medicines such as ritonavir (Norvir), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept);
- antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), or nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- Antibiotics such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, E.E.S.).
