FDA Issues Warning for Serevent, Advair
Basis of alert: Based on the results of a 28-week study that compared effects of salmeterol in asthma patients with asthma patients not taking the drug. African Americans, in particular, had a significantly higher risk of having a life-threatening asthma attack or asthma-related death when taking Serevent.
serevent alone is the problem. We usually use ADvir which has steroids in it.
The increase in death is similar to that found with inhalers: You stop the initial attack, but six hours later, get the more severe edema with spasm that doesn't respong to bronchodilators.
Also, Serevent is not used "as needed". It is used constantly, so those using serevent are the more severe cases of asthma, i.e. those who are supposed to be on steroids. So wait for the Advir studies come out first.
I use serevent because I can't tolorate Albuterol, and rarely need a bronchodilator as long as I take my steroid inhaler. About the only place I use it is when I go to Walmart, which for some reason makes me wheeze, probably the cleaning fluid they use to clean the place.