the 'thing' he had you blow into was probably a peak flow meter-- you should also be on some kind of rescue medication like Ventolin that'll take care of any kind of serious problem that you have come on suddenly. These are usually taken on an as-needed basis, and might make you shaky and anxious like the Serevent in Advair will. But that's not really terrible, since you won't likely be taking this every day.

There's a corticosteroid component to the Advair that you can take seperately that isn't supposed to make you anxious, since it's not a stimulant. Serevent (salmeterol xinfoate) is a stimulant, and will make you a little shaky until you get used to it, if you get used to it at all.

If you're not big on the taking-of-the-steroids, see about taking another, less potent controller called a leukotriene receptor antagonist. They're little pills, maybe you've seen them advertised on TV, Accolate or Singulair? They're both hella-pricey but if your insurance covers them then you're set. Singulair is a little pill you take once a day. Accolate you take twice a day.