You should not take Advair and Spiriva together if you have certain medical conditions or are taking other medications.
Advair and Spiriva are used for treating asthma symptoms. They both contain an inhaled steroid called fluticasone propionate (Advair) and salmeterol xinafoate (Spiriva). Both drugs are available in combination inhalers that deliver the two medicines at different times.
Do Not Take Advair And Spiriva Together If You Have Certain Medical Conditions.
People with certain medical conditions should not use Advair and Spiriva at the same time because there might be serious side effects. These include high blood pressure, low potassium levels, and increased risks of bone fractures.
Avoid Taking Advair And Spiriva If You Are Using Other Medications.
It’s also important to avoid using Advair and Spiriva if you are taking any other medication. This includes prescription drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins, and supplements.
Talk To A Doctor Before Starting Treatment.
If you have asthma, COPD, or another lung condition, talk with your doctor before starting treatment with Advair and Spiriva. They will help you decide whether these two medications work well together.
Be Careful When Choosing The Right Combination Of Drugs For Your Condition.
There are some side effects when combining Advair and Spiriva, so make sure you discuss them with your doctor. These include:
- Increased chance of developing pneumonia
- Increased risk of blood clots
- Increased risk of high blood pressure
- Increased risk of low potassium levels
- Increased risk of liver damage
- Increased risk of kidney damage
- Increased risk for irregular heartbeat
- Increased risk of seizures
- Increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions
- Increased risk of stomach ulcers
- Increased risk of weight gain
- Increased risk of worsening symptoms
- Increased risk of death
Check With Your Doctor About Any Potential Interactions Between Advair And Spiriva.
If you have any questions about Advair and Spiriva taken together, talk to your doctor. They will be able to tell you what risks there are and how likely they are to happen.
Question:
What Is The Point Of Taking Advair And Spiriva Together?
Are there any benefits to taking both Advair and Spiriva, vs. one or the other?
Answer:
Great question. They are both preventative medicines. As you know every person is unique, and one person’s asthma may be more difficult to control than another person’s asthma. Therefore, it is the job of the doctor to work with you to find the best concoction of medicines to control your asthma.
There are basically your usual front line medicines that are recommended to treat asthma, and your second line medicines that aren’t usually needed but sometimes can help control asthma. Advair is a front line medicine because it usually works fine by itself to get asthma under control. If, on the other hand, Advair alone isn’t getting the job done, your physician may resort to trying second line medicines like Spiriva.
That said, Advair has both a corticosteroid (Flovent) to treat the underlying inflammation component of asthma, and long-acting bronchodilator (serevent) to prevent the bronchospasm (airway narrowing) component of asthma. Serevent is a beta-adrenergic medicine that causes bronchodilation (relaxes smooth muscles). It attaches to beta receptors in the lungs, and when this happens the lung muscles relax.
Spiriva is a long acting bronchodilator that works by blocking cholinergic receptors in the lungs that cause bronchoconstriction (airway narrowing) when stimulated. Thus, Spiriva is an anticholinergic medicine. In this sense, it is often referred to as a “back-door bronchodilator.” It does not as good of a bronchodilator as Serevent, and therefore is a second-line therapy for asthma.
Recent studies, however, do show Spiriva improves lung function in COPD patients and some difficult to control asthma cases. Therefore, if front line asthma medicines like Advair do not control asthma, Spiriva is a good medicine to “try” in conjunction with the recommended front line medicines.
Of course, there’s always the chance your doctor has a different reason for prescribing both Advair and Spiriva for you. Therefore, it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor so you are on the same page with him or her.
You should know: The answer above provides general health information that is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment recommendations from a qualified healthcare professional.
Talk to your doctor about any medicinal changes. Health risks & allergies effect everyone. Your primary care physician can give you the information you need to make an informed decision. Side effects are common with most medications, so definitely ask about those when talking to your healthcare provider. Always use your medicine as directed.
For more information visit Wikipedia Advair and Wikipedia Spiriva.
