How does Advair increase the risk of asthma related death?
What is "Black Box" warning?

I think the Black Box warning primarily applies to people of color. Advair is supposedly safe for other people.

Personally I don't like the drug combinations. Makes it more difficult to tweak the steroid component of your meds, as you might want to do if you were sick. I guess the combined med is supposed to make it easier to stick to your drug plan, and maybe cheaper? But if you can get the meds through a good mail order pharmacy, that helps with cost...I do 2 puffs of my controllers in the am, 3 in the pm, plus rescuer/nebulizer as needed - really not a big deal. I had more hassles when I wore contact lenses! :D

Gabby, do you take singulair?

I take singular, nasonex (not right now - gave me nosebleeds, which would have been messy over Christmas events - kind of pretty, though? ;)), astelin, asmanex, serevent, omexprozele (for heartburn/asthma), xopenix (nebulizer and inhaler).

I used to use a nebulizer when I was a kid... why do you need that though? Aren't your drugs working for you or your rescue inhaler?

I was frustrated about the difficulty getting my asthma under control. I jokingly (but with frustration) asked my lung doc for a "switch" that I could use to turn off my symptoms. Next thing I knew, he was ordering me a nebulizer that very definitely has a switch!

I think the nebulizer might work a bit better because I get the treatment over a longer period of time than I do with the inhaler/spacer. Gives a chance for my lungs to open up a bit more...other people I know have had the same experience. But it's a hassle using the nebulizer - when I went snowshoeing the other day, I used the inhaler on the way to the pass - worked fine. Also afterwards - we were racing to get to the inlaws for Christmas dinner, I used the rescue inhaler again - didn't have time to monkey around with nebulizer tubing.

That's awesome you're going snowshoeing. I'm glad you don't let it keep you down.

There are many Olympic athletes who have asthma. They don't let it get them down, so of course I'm not going to, and neither should anyone else.

You just have to be aggressive in following a good treatment plan and have the right attitude...I hear about people who talk about "suffering" from asthma. I don't "suffer" at all, even when I'm coughing my guts out (good tummy exercise, right? ;-] ). I just happen to "have" asthma, just like I also have bad hair days sometimes (I don't "suffer" from bad hair, either).

whoa! your attitude is a little too good, I call that suffering. Sorry, I try to keep a good attitude. I'm not suffering now, but I know what suffering is and I really don't want to go back to that place. I don't want to die. I'm married and I have a family now... I think about it occasionally, when I have a hard time getting my meds.

I've had some other medical hassles - seriously trashed knees, etc. Have had some major and painful knee ops. Long ago I realized that although I can't control my circumstances, I can control my response to those circumstances. I can "choose" to be happy - to not have the attitude of one who suffers - no matter what happens to me. Tim Hansel wrote a book called "You Gotta Keep Dancin" that might be available on Amazon...like I said, my docs think I'm crazy! But it makes for a wonderful life!

How does Advair increase the risk of asthma related death?
What is "Black Box" warning?

Sorry for jumping in here so late on this topic...but, I believe the reason that they say Advair can increase the risk of asthma-related death is probably because some people don't use it properly. It's a preventive medication...it won't help your symptoms if you're in the midst of a full-blown asthma attack...hence the reason why it might cause an asthma-related death. It's used as a long-term, preventive measure...not as an emergency inhaler. I've been on Advair since it debuted on the market. I also take Singulair. I can honestly say that I can't even remember the last time I needed my Albuterol inhaler...it's been THAT LONG! That is how good Advair has been working for me. Because I have my asthma under complete control, I am able to run 3-4 miles everyday...and that's just a small portion of my daily workout. Now if I could only get my back problems under control the way I did with my asthma.....:D

Linda