Who else has asthma?

I'm starting to get discouraged about it and could use some support/advice.

It started out with being just exercise-induced, but now I'm having problems more often and when I get sick. December was hell with a UR virus and now I have a sinus infection that put a vice grip on my chest.

He put me on Prednisone today and I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.

What's your treatment regimine? How do you cope? Does it ever frustrate/depress you?

Have you ever tried the Advair inhaler? I have been on that for a couple of years now, and it has really helped with bronchitis, etc. I used to get bronchitis every winter without fail but now I've managed to go two winters without being dreadfully sick. I also take Singulair, which seems to help too. Unfortunately, both of these drugs are pretty spendy.

Some trees pollinate this time of year. Are you taking anything for your allergies?

Chronic conditions can be depressing, especially when they are uncontrolled and keep you from doing the things you like to do. I hope you can get some relief soon.:hug:

I take Singulair and Flonase daily. I have an Advair inhaler, but I'm not using it every day, only when I can tell I'm having problems, like during cottonwood season in spring.

It's just been a tough few months and every time I think things are getting back to normal, something else comes up.

I feel like my body is revolting.

Advair more frequently. If you use it on a more regular basis, then you may not need it as much.

I use Advair daily. I have Albuterol for the times when I am having trouble (chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, etc.).

I've noticed when I use my Advair regularly, I tend to not need it as much--but I will still take it at least once a day. I just may not need to use it twice (morning and night). :think:

I know everyone is different--this is why I suggest checking with your physician or allergist on how severe your asthma is and how frequently you should use.

Honestly, I hate taking my inhalers, so I tend to slack off, which ALWAYS seems to result in my having problems. :banghead: When I just do what I should and use it regularly, I feel a lot better in the long run.

HTH! :hi:

emergency inhaler.....

Repeat. It is not an emergency inhaler....

Mine is not severe, but it is triggered by exercise and a lot of heat. I'm hopeful that my move up north might help. It does bother me, because my voice is my livelihood (and my lungs by extension).

The Advair inhaler was mentioned above. I'm also a user of that, and it does seem to help. I also have a rescue inhaler, but I have not had to use it since I was diagnosed two years or so ago.

I live in the highly polluted Chicago metro area. I didn't have any problems until after I turned 30. He says it's years of toxic accumulation.

Where are you moving? I don't sing, but I sure enjoy being able to breathe.

and my asthma was to live in Arizona or New Mexico--dry climates. My dad was stationed in California and I didn't have any problems there either, but this was in the 1960's. I think with their smog problems it might be different now. :)

Unfortunately I live in NC, very humid during the summers. I get a bit wheezy on really humid days.

I'm on Advair and Albuterol, but when it gets really bad, I use a nebulizer and I take Prednisone.

By any chance, do you have gastro problems like an ulcer or acid reflux? I do and when the gastro problems act up, so does the asthma. Stomach acids can reflux directly into the lung or they can irritate the lower esophagus, which makes the bronchial tubes overreact. :-(

Anyway, if you do have gastro problems - even if it's just occasional heartburn - you should mention it to your doctor because it can make the asthma worse. I take Nexium and it helps. :-)

I also have a Vicks Personal Steam Inhaler. It often helps when nothing else does. (By the way, there are other brands that work just as well. I had a "generic" inhaler for years before I got the Vicks machine.)

Hang in there. I know it's frustrating, but it can be controlled. Your doc just needs to find the right medication for you. :hug:

I have one of those personal, home facial steamers--very similiar to the Vicks model. Sometimes it seems that will help when nothing else will.

Love steam!

the steamers are great. I had a steamer that my folks would run while I slept at night. There was some medicine they put in it and it would go into the air as the steam spread over the room.

I can still remember the smell of it.

I make sure the fan is on when I take a shower

That's not a good tip for you, is it? Poor thing.

It really does help me a lot.

That's been 44 years ago. I've only been hospitalized once with it, when I was 5. I developed pneumonia and of course the asthma took it's toll. My father was in the Marines so I was put in the base hospital for a little over a week.

When I was younger, mine was mostly triggered by allergies(dust, dog/cat hair, grass, ragweed, different pollens). I had to go to Bethesda Naval Hospital and have a scratch test done to determine what I was allergic to. Have you had one of those to find out what triggers an episode? Thankfully as I've gotten older my episodes have lessened and it doesn't bother me quite as much.

My major problems usually occur during cold windy days. If I catch a cold I also have problems. I try to avoid things that will trigger and episode.

Prednisone is suppose to be a good medicine for asthmatics. When I was younger there wasn't the vast amount of different meds that there is today. One of my doctors had me taking allergy shots every other day. My mom would take me after school to get them. I had a pill I use to take when I had an attack. I had to sit down and let it take affect, which was difficult as it would speed up my heart and I would feel like I could do hand-springs.

The best advice I can give you is to be sure you bundle up in the winter, avoid trigger items(whatever you might be allergic to). If you get wet during the fall and winter, make sure you dry off as soon as possible to avoid catching a cold--they can be the killers with asthmatics.

I know how you feel about being depressed. When I was younger after my asthma developed, my folks had to clear my room of anything that would collect dust--all my stuffed animals and my bed and pillows had to be covered in plastic (I'm allergic to goose-down).

One of the things that will help if you do have an attack is to drink hot, black coffee. It does wonders. Try going on to WebMD and Prevention.com. Both sites are great for asthma info.

In my family asthma is a hereditary disease. MY grandfather had it, as did his father. I was the lucky one in my family to develop it.

Anyway, don't let it depress you, but if you feel the need to talk please feel free to PM me and I will help if I can.

She is on Albuterol and something else the name of which I cannot remember. Back when she was a freshman in college, she also had a lung collapse during a bad bout with bronchitis (fortunately, she has never smoked). Every time she gets an upper respiratory infection (well, almost...) her doctor puts her on antibiotics immediately.

Except for last weekend. She started with a cold on Thursday and saw the doctor on Saturday after she started running a fever on Friday evening. That time, the doctor dismissed her symptoms and sent her home prescription-less. Over the weekend she got a lot worse to the point where she had back pain in the region of the lungs in general and it hurt lots while breathing.

On Monday, the doctor put her on a strong antibiotic and she went to see him on Tuesday. He couldn't tell from listening to her breathing if the wheezes were from the pneumonia that we suspect she had or the asthma...and since she was already taking the antibiotic and feeling a little better, didn't send her for a lung X-ray.

Next time she has these symptoms, she plans to be more aggressive with insisting that she be put on antibiotics right away.

So should you, proles. Asthma is not an easy disease to live with.

:hi:

I was feeling a lot of upper back pain for about a day and a half, but I didn't relate it to the asthma. He said it's because your lungs as having spasms and it's connected through the nerves in your spine.

I'm feeling better today. There's not so much tightness and the muscle spasms are gone. But my lungs feel kind of raw and there's some muck that I can't seem to cough out. I drank two cups of hot tea and it's a little better.

Now that I know more about how my body reacts to infections, I realize I need to start using the Advair right away if I have a cold or sinus problems.

I hope your niece feels better as well.

I use Advair once a day and albuterol occassionally. Nebulizer and Medrol dosepacks when I'm really in distress (dosepacks are predisone that start out 6 pills a day and taper to 1 a day for a 6 day period).

I know how frustrating it can be. My asthma is severe, and it does restrict me alot. I have had to learn how to avoid my asthma triggers, or, if I can't avoid them, do preventative maintenance (puffing albuteral before exercising, for example).

Feel free to PM me. I've been through several asthma regimens, including oral predisone, singular, azmacort, and pretty much every asthma med there was. Advair has been the best for me so far. You have to use it every day, though, and not miss any doses. It's a preventative, like singular or azmacort, not an emergency inhaler like albuterol.

Peace,
Bella

I'm allergic, so I don't have any... :(

When dh and I move to a place w/hardwood floors, I plan to get a puppy. My allergist has a picture of a breed that won't irritate my allergies! I can't wait! I've always wanted a pet (other than fish, hermit crabs, etc.) LOL!

Had a cat in hs, prior to the knowledge I was allergic of course.

:hi:

My doctor has told me to 'get rid of my pets' so my asthma would improve. But I am very meticulous about vacuuming, brushing, and keeping dander down to a minimum. There's no way I could get rid of pets I've had for years. Right now I only have Smoke (14) and Sterling (10). Magic and Nightmare passed away earlier this year.

:hug: Those are great pics of them, though.

I don't blame you at all. If I had pets prior to determining I had allergies and asthma, I know I wouldn't be able to get rid of them.

The humidity really aggravated it. I got pneumonia badly one year and then the asthma hit the following spring and I got into a cycle of pneumonia in the spring and fall so my lungs never had a chance to heal.

Since I moved to California (Bay Area) six years ago, I've had a lot fewer problems. When the smog is very heavy, it bothers a bit but I'm in the mountains south of San Jose so I don't get too much of the smog factor. I use Advair and Flonase and do very well.

It can be VERY frustrating and I never had it as badly as some people do. It's not a nice feeling not being able to breathe and it limits your activity which is aggravating. I hope the prednisone helps. :hug:

:shrug:

:D

You're in good company.

diagnosed in 1994 and have been in and out of hosp. with exacerbations, pneumonia, etc. I take 40 mg prednisone a day and also albuterol. I used to use the advair too but I can't afford it anymore. Prednisone is a pain. I have gained weight, have a moon face and thin skin on my arms. waa. (insert feel sorry for self moment here)
You do know don't you that advair isn't a rescue inhaler? Ask your Dr about regimen.
Living with a chronic condition is not easy, but not the end of the world either.
Have you learned the breathing technique of breathing in through your nose and blowing out slowly through pursed lips? I swear it helps.
Just don't neglect yourself. I used to live on the central coast of Calif and had a lot of problems there. I live in Wa State now and am much better I think. Take care. B.

I've been on EVERY asthmatic regimen ever made, and that means EVERY SINGLE ONE, for at least 30 years. I was hospitalized at least a dozen times with asthma as a kid, and I came close to death twice. When I was just a young'un, methylxanthines (which come from, of all things, tea) were the treatment of note(and they didn't do the job all that great). So I've had just a little bit of experience with all of this.

Right now, the state of the art in treatment is a long-term bronchodilator (e.g., salmeterol) matched with an inhaled corticosteroid. This combination of medications handles not only the allergic reflex constriction of the airways, but also the inflammatory processes that go with asthma. A few years ago, a doctor might prescribe a medication called Serevent (salmeterol) along with an inhaled steroid medication (e.g., fluticasone). Now the two meds are combined in a drug called Advair.

I have been on Advair for the last three years and it's working great. It's expensive, but it does the job. You can PM me if you need any additional information on this.

Unfortunality I smoke too, aaargh if only I could stop. I mostly use salbutamol (ventolin) and Symbicort.

Please don't do that to yourself. It would be a horrible way to go.

You can stop if you set your mind to it and there are plenty of options for help.

when I was 20 while in vacation in Turkey now Im 32. I have tried couple of times to stop but to no avail.

Your life is at stake.

With my present problems, I hate to admit it, but I was a smoker — for more than 20 years. The first time the doctor handed me an inhaler for bronchitis, I quit.

You can do it. I used the visualization of an agonizing death each time I smoked for about two weeks before I quit. It certainly started losing its appeal. The first weeks were hell, but you can survive.

About 7 years ago I was moved by the pulmonologist from theophylline pills to a steroid inhaler, and it was a life-chaging experience. I used to get bronchitis twice a year, now I've had it once in 5 years. I play tennis, basketball, golf, softball(!!). I take the Aerobid twice a day and you wouldn't even know I am afflicted.

you might want to try th inhaler if pills aren't working as you'd like.

I've seen how she suffers with it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. My heart goes out to you.

She started taking Advair last fall and it has helped her more than anything else we've tried. She has actually been able to fight off two colds without them progressing into hospital stays.

Her regimine is fairly simple:

Daily multi-vitamins
Echin. supplements
Vit. C supplements
Advair
Nebulizers when coughing/wheezing begins

I have been living with daignosed asthma for about 15 years.

I notice that if I drink a lot of water, it helps...

Also, if you are caught without your inhaler and feel your chest tightening, a cup of coffee will help to open your airwaves....

(just in case they aren't a coffee drinker). Great tip, though!

I can't tolerate any sort of coffee, but have had similiar relief just drinking warm to hot water, tea or even broth.

:hi:

add some honey....

It works for me and I have the lung capacity of a gerbil

:loveya:

I love my green tea!

But just sitting down for a moment and trying to regai control of your breath with easy in out breathing helps so much....

Thanks for all of the wonderful replies. I'm at work now, but I'll respond to more replies later.

I hesitated posting this, but now I'm glad I did. I don't feel so alone anymore.

I'm probably in the minority here. As I've read several here have said they are exercise induced asthmatics.

I read about Joseph Pilates, he was a sickly child with allergies and breathing problems, frequent colds, etc. He was able to really improve his own health with the exercises he created--pilates.

When I am consistent with my mat pilates exercises they really seem to help me. Somehow it seems to help my lung capacity. I don't think I'm imagining this, as I've read that Mari Winsor and another pilates instructor had problems w/asthma that were helped with their pilates practice.

I've found yoga to be helpful for me, too.

He's tried all the inhalers through the years (Flovent, Albuterol, Advair, etc.) to no avail. It seems as though the only thing that helps is a 5-day push of Prednisone and a cool mist humidifier. (The cough lingers for weeks and weeks......) I hope you feel better soon. :)

I had it when I was a kid, outgrew at the age of ten, but it came back at 25 and I've had it ever since.

I used to go through a thing of albuterol every month, but with Advair the rescue inhaler lasts 5-6 months. I'm not pharmaceutical saes rep but Advair is wonderful for me.

When I was a kid it was exercise and cold induced, but once the Advair got it into control I can exercise more and more--that helps in itself.

I hope they find stuff that works for you.

Try to get the allergies under control. Prednisone knocks a lot of it out of you at first, but the long range effects aren't good. Really, try to get the allergies under control. Like really look for the things that trigger an allergic reaction. You will find out that your life is much better once you identify all the triggers.

mine is triggered by other infections; colds, flu, URI's all drop to my chest and really cause havoc. Fortunately, I am also very disease resistant and don't catch colds or flu nearly as often as other folks (such as my husband).

But I don't have to fight it day to day so I don't consider myself a true asthma sufferer. The steroid inhaler is a life saver when I do get sick though!

When the bad allergy season hits me, I often get a reactive bronchial/asthmatic type reaction, as well.

Not allergic to cats however..if I were I couldn't live with them as I think I would be ill all the time.

OH Yeah: if eating ice cream or drinking extremely cold beverages triggers coughing, you have reactive asthma, so says my friend the asthma doctor.

I'm allergic to ground mold spores and household dust and pet dander, with the mold being the worst. I stay away from freshly plowed soil in the spring and fall and I'm fine. I took desensitizing shots as a kid while I was living on the farm but I don't know how much good those did. I still had a couple bad attacks back then. But now I'm pretty good. I exercise without breathing problems at all. The most recent case of aggrivating my asthma was being stung by a swarm of wasps. That and a house full of pet dander made my lungs tighten up right now. Also aerosols, especially when someone puts on body spray in an area with no moving air.

It doesn't depress me. I've dealt with it fairly well.