Perhaps one of my fellow asthmatics can help me out with this one. I recently saw a new asthma doctor, and, when I asked to have my prescriptions refilled he said, "You like Advair?"
"Yes! I love it!" I said.
"Wow! You're one of the few asthmatics who can stand it!"
"What!"
"Yeah. Most of my other patients hate that medicine." I will assume that he is also referring to any medicine like Advair too, such as symbicort.
"What do they take for their asthma then."
He smirked and said, "Well, nothing. They come in every 6 months complaining of asthma problems."
"Interesting," I said. The conversation moved on from there, although the idea that Advair was as unpopular as he was saying is still wobbling around in my mind, hence this post. I guess the naive person inside my head "assumed" if there's a medicine that works as well as Advair and Symbicort do to control asthma, that most asthmatics would at least try to like it.
Although, according to doctor Axel, that's not the case. Yet I think one of the reasons this threw me off guard is because my old doctor, Dr. Best, told me the opposite: "Most of my patients love Advair."
It's interesting the different perspective a doctor can have on a medicine. Yet this latest discussion about Advair has me wondering: do most asthmatics remain ignorant and continue to have
I wonder, though, if most asthmatics hate Advair if it has to do with the long-acting beta adrenergic medicine (Serevent) in it. I wrote here how it actually took me 10 years to get used to Serevent, and that I actually had to wean myself onto Advair.
Yet I don't think most doctors think about weaning onto a medicine, and when a patient says they can't take it, that's the end of the discussion. Yet I will contend, if you have uncontrolled asthma, Advair may just be the key and you should wean yourself onto it. You should try gallantly to get your body used to the stuff.
So, facts confirm Advair works wonders for asthma. Yet, is it a fact that most asthmatics continue to avoid Advair (and Symbicort) like the plague? If you have any greater wisdom on this cue your wisdom into the comments below or email me.
2 comments:
My dislike for symbicort spawns from the fact that it doesn't really give me good control. Alas once we get my lungs to settle down and find their happy place, then symbicort/advair/other controller will be my favorite.
My husband was on Spiriva and QVAR for a couple of years and I was becoming increasingly alarmed at how often he was having to reach for his rescue inhaler each day. His asthma was clearly not under control and the wheezing was bad. I finally convinced him to go see his pulmonary doctor, who switched him to Advair. It has been nothing short of miraculous. Just two inhalations per day and I never hear him wheezing. It is a very rare day when he feels the need to use his Combivent. This medication has literally changed his life. I encourage anyone who has uncontrolled asthma to give Advair a chance. It may make all the difference for you as it has for my husband.
Post a Comment