Advair HFA 115/21 and Etidronate Disodium

• Generic Name: fluticasone / salmeterol
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, AirDuo RespiClick, Wixela Inhub

Fluticasone and salmeterol is a combination of two medicines that are used to help control the symptoms of asthma and improve breathing. It is used when a patient's asthma has not been controlled sufficiently on other asthma medicines, or when a patient's condition is so severe that more than one medicine is needed every day. This medicine will not relieve an asthma attack that has already started.

This medicine is also used to treat air flow blockage and reduce the worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Inhaled fluticasone belongs to the family of medicines known as corticosteroids or steroids (cortisone-like medicines). It works by preventing certain cells in the lungs and breathing passages from releasing substances that cause asthma symptoms.

Inhaled salmeterol is a long-acting bronchodilator. Bronchodilators are medicines that are breathed in through the mouth to open up the bronchial tubes (air passages) in the lungs. It relieves cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and troubled breathing by increasing the flow of air through the bronchial tubes.

This medicine must be used with a short-acting medicine (eg, albuterol) for an asthma attack or asthma symptoms that need attention right away.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: etidronate
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Didronel, Didronel IV.

Used in the treatment of moderate to severe symptomatic Paget disease of bone (osteitis deformans).

Efficacy not established in asymptomatic patients. May consider prophylactic treatment in patients with extensive involvement of the skull or spinal column and the possibility of irreversible neurologic damage or in those with extensive involvement threatening major joints or weight-bearing bones.

Less effective than risedronate or alendronate in the treatment of moderate to severe Paget disease of bone.

Relapse generally tends to occur within about 3–24 months in patients most likely to relapse (e.g., higher pretreatment markers of bone turnover).

Resistance is most likely to develop in patients receiving >1 course of therapy per year or those with higher pretreatment indices of bone turnover.

Used in the prevention and treatment of heterotopic ossification (myositis ossificans, ectopic calcification, periarticular ossification, or paraosteoarthropathy) following total hip arthroplasty or resulting from spinal cord injury.

Efficacy not established for treatment of idiopathic heterotopic ossification or heterotopic ossification associated with conditions other than total hip arthroplasty or spinal cord injury.

Bisphosphonates, including etidronate, have been used effectively for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.