Experts from the Food and Drug Administration's safety office are recommending that medications like Advair and Symbicort no longer be used to treat children with asthma because of the risk of serious breathing problems. But the FDA office that oversees respiratory drugs says most patients benefit from the medications, and the risks can be addressed through warnings and educational materials for patients and doctors.
TVNL Editor's Personal Comment: Advair almost killed me. It made my asthma life threatening. It made so bad that rescue inhalers did not work. I have been weened off of it since June 30th of 2008 and I have had chronic asthma, but rescue inhalers work and the severity of my ashma has reduced by approximately 70%.