When I didn’t have insurance to pay for my prescribed asthma medicine, Advair Diskus, I was in trouble and not breathing well. It was and still is an exorbitantly expensive medication. Now that I have insurance, I thought I’d be in the clear –– but the company decided they would stop covering the Advair because it’s too expensive.

For a few years I was able to get my Advair for free through a clinical trial, but that ended and now I’m no longer able to use Advair. When I got off the trial and went to pick it up at the pharmacy counter, I was told it would be $800. I had no choice but to stop taking it–– I don’t have $800 a month to spend on one medication.

I’m now on Solara, a cheaper and less effective drug. I’ve seen a change in my breathing for the worse. I now huff and puff, and when I was on Advair, that didn’t happen. I have to make sure I have my emergency inhaler with me all the time now, because the Solara is simply just not as effective at controlling my symptoms. I don’t want to risk a serious asthma attack.

I want to be able to take deep breaths and enjoy the beauty of Hawaii, where I live. But I can’t –– I have to be cautious of my breathing and activity levels because I’m no longer on Advair. On pollution alert days, it’s even worse. The cost for Advair Diskus is simply too high, and is detrimental to my health. GlaxoSmithKline, the corporation that makes Advair, needs to lower the price now. Patients deserve to be able to breathe, and I’m not able to because of GlaxoSmithKline’s greed.