GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK, manufactures Advair Diskus, an inhaler that holds blister packs of two drugs in powder form: salmeterol, a long-acting bronchodilator and fluticasone propionate, a steroid. To administer an Advair dose, a patient opens the inhaler, puts her mouth over the opening and inhales the prescribed dose of the two medications, according to Drugs.com. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has approved specific doses of Advair for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
Asthma in Children
The dose of each Advair Diskus depends on the amount of each drug in the blister packs. Advair Diskus 100/50, for example, contains 100 mcg of fluticasone and 50 mcg of salmeterol. Children between the ages of 4 and 11 years should inhale one dose of Advair Diskus 100/50 a day. GlaxoSmithKline warns that salmeterol is associated with increased hospitalizations in children with asthma and acknowledges that data linking the drug to pediatric deaths is inconclusive. Therefore, GSK advises, Advair Diskus should be prescribed only when asthma can't be controlled by inhaled steroids, or in individuals with severe disease requiring this combination of salmeterol and fluticasone.
Asthma in Teens and Adults
Doctors can treat asthma in adolescents 12 years and up, as well as in adults, with three different doses of Advair Diskus: 100/50, 250/50 or 500/50. GlaxoSmithKline advises health care providers to base the starting dose on the severity of the asthma and to aim for a dosage schedule of one inhalation twice a day. Once the asthma is under good control, a doctor may choose to prescribe a lower dose of Advair Diskus or even discontinue the drug entirely.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Advair Diskus can be prescribed as a maintenance drug to help keep airways open in patients suffering from emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the primary forms of COPD, and to keep these respiratory disorders from getting worse. The only FDA-approved dose of Advair for people with COPD is 250/50, two inhalations a day. The 500/50 dose of Advair doesn't improve the outcome, says GSK, and higher doses increase the risk of side effects.
