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Advair Side Effects

Advair side effects may range from common deleterious symptoms to serious and life threatening complications. GlaxoSmithKline's Advair is a long acting bronchodilator approved in 2000 to treat patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nearly fifty million Americans suffer from one of these conditions. In one year alone, over 17 million prescriptions of Advair were written for patients in the United States.

The most common Advair side effects can cause irritation and inflammation of the ears, nose, and throat. Bronchitis and lower respiratory infection may also be caused by Advair side effects. The gastrointestinal system can also be adversely affected by Advair side effects. Some patients may experience upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea from this medication. Additional Advair side effects include: headaches, dizziness, increased heartbeat, shakiness, nervousness, muscle cramps and bone pain.

There are also more serious Advair side effects that can lead to serious injury or death. There are two active medications in Advair: fluticasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid and salmeterol, a long acting beta-2 agonist bronchodilator. The latter, salmeterol, has been linked to more than a dozen deaths caused by fatal asthma attacks brought on by the medication itself.

In 1996 the maker of both Advair and Serevent designed a 28-week clinical study to measure the effects of Serevent (whose only active medication is salmeterol) and a placebo. The study discovered that patients in the Serevent group had a rare, though significant, risk of suffering a serious asthma episode or death brought on by the medicine. African American patients seemed to be at an even greater risk.

Because Serevent and Advair share the same active ingredient, the side effects discovered in this study were assumed to be a class effect that may also be relevant for patients taking Advair. In 2003, the FDA ordered a black box warning to inform patients about Serevent and Advair side effects.

This warning also informs consumers that Advair does not replace, or have the same effect as, short acting bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroids. People with deteriorating asthma should not use Advair, since this medication is not appropriate for acute or serious respiratory conditions.

In 2005, an FDA advisory panel of fourteen respiratory experts convened to consider whether Serevent, Advair, and a similar drug called Foradil should remain on the market. After analyzing current available information on these respiratory medications, the panel voted unanimously to allow the drugs to remain on the market. They also suggested that more studies be conducted to learn more about Advair side effects and those of similar respiratory medications.

If you or a loved one have been injured by Advair side effects, please contact us to speak with a qualified and experienced attorney in your area.

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