Yes, Wixela Inhub contains a steroid. One of its two active ingredients is fluticasone propionate, an inhaled corticosteroid that reduces inflammation in the airways. The other ingredient, salmeterol, is not a steroid. It’s a long-acting bronchodilator that relaxes the muscles around your airways to help you breathe more easily. Together, these two medications treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
What Kind of Steroid Is in Wixela?
Fluticasone propionate is a corticosteroid, sometimes called a glucocorticoid. This is not the same type of steroid as the anabolic steroids associated with bodybuilding or athletic doping. Anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of testosterone. Corticosteroids like fluticasone work by suppressing inflammation, which is the core problem in asthma and COPD.
Fluticasone reduces inflammation in several ways. It decreases the number of immune cells in the airways, including eosinophils, mast cells, and macrophages, and limits the chemical signals those cells produce. It also reduces mucus production and increases the number of receptors on airway smooth muscle that respond to bronchodilators like salmeterol. The net effect is less swelling, less mucus, and airways that stay open more consistently.
How Salmeterol Works Alongside the Steroid
Salmeterol, the second ingredient, is a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA). It binds to receptors on the smooth muscle surrounding your airways and keeps them relaxed for many hours. Compared to short-acting rescue inhalers, salmeterol is far more fat-soluble. It latches onto cell membranes and releases slowly, which is why a single dose lasts roughly 12 hours instead of 4 to 6.
Salmeterol is not meant to relieve sudden breathing difficulty. It provides steady, background airway opening that complements the anti-inflammatory work of fluticasone. Wixela is a maintenance inhaler, used on a regular schedule rather than on demand.
Available Strengths
Wixela Inhub comes in three strengths, each containing the same amount of salmeterol (50 mcg) but different amounts of the steroid fluticasone:
- 100/50: 100 mcg fluticasone, 50 mcg salmeterol
- 250/50: 250 mcg fluticasone, 50 mcg salmeterol
- 500/50: 500 mcg fluticasone, 50 mcg salmeterol
Each device holds 60 doses. The strength your provider prescribes depends on the severity of your condition. For asthma, Wixela is intended for people whose symptoms aren’t adequately controlled by an inhaled corticosteroid alone. For COPD, it’s used in patients at high risk of flare-ups.
Wixela Is a Generic for Advair Diskus
The FDA approved Wixela Inhub in January 2019 as the first generic equivalent of Advair Diskus. Both products contain the same combination of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol in the same strengths, delivered through a dry powder inhaler. Because it’s a generic, Wixela is typically less expensive while providing the same clinical effect.
Side Effects Related to the Steroid Component
Because Wixela delivers fluticasone directly to the lungs, most of the steroid stays local rather than circulating throughout your body. That’s a major advantage over oral steroid tablets, but it doesn’t eliminate side effects entirely.
The most common local side effect is oral thrush, a yeast infection in the mouth and throat caused by steroid residue. Rinsing your mouth with water and spitting after each dose significantly reduces this risk. Hoarseness is another frequent complaint for the same reason.
At higher doses or with long-term use, some fluticasone does get absorbed into the bloodstream. Research has found that high-dose inhaled corticosteroids can produce systemic effects comparable to low-dose oral corticosteroids. Over years, this absorption can contribute to reduced bone density, cataracts, and a slightly increased risk of pneumonia. These risks are dose-dependent, meaning lower strengths carry less concern. For most people, the benefits of controlled asthma or COPD far outweigh these long-term risks, but it’s a reason your provider will aim for the lowest effective dose.