Any other asthmatics?

[Jar11591]

Any other asthma sufferers on the forum? 

 

I type this from the emergency room. I've had a real bad flair up the last couple weeks, and finally made the decision to go to the hospital as my rescue albuterol and the steroid I was prescribed has not been working. 

 

Ive had asthma since I was a young child, but until a few weeks ago it's always been controlled by my rescue inhaler and the daily controller. 

 

So if there are any other asthma sufferers here, what kind of treatments have your underwent and what kind of medication do you take? Have you ever had a time where your rescue inhaler stopped working? 

[Bluebasser86]

Almost died from it when I was really young. Not bad anymore, don't even have any inhalers or anything to deal with it, but occasionally have to do breathing treatments when I'm sick. 

My wife has asthma also, and she does carry an inhaler. I've never seen her have a really bad attack, but a few times she's needed her inhaler. It's a terrible feeling when you can't get a full breath. 

[Jar11591]

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Almost died from it when I was really young. Not bad anymore, don't even have any inhalers or anything to deal with it, but occasionally have to do breathing treatments when I'm sick. 

My wife has asthma also, and she does carry an inhaler. I've never seen her have a really bad attack, but a few times she's needed her inhaler. It's a terrible feeling when you can't get a full breath. 

 

Certainly is scary not being able to get a full breath, and that's why I finally made the decision to go to the ER yesterday. They told me because my inhaler has not been working and they didn't here any wheezing that this may not be asthma related. They found some fluid around my left lung which made the doctor think possibly pneumonia. They prescribed an antibiotic and discharged me. Now it makes sense that this wouldn't be caused by asthma because my whole life my inhalers always worked in a matter of minutes until this latest issue that's been going on for a couple weeks. Every breath has been a struggle and I haven't been able to even fish because of it. It sucks that I missed the hot pre-spawn action but health obviously is more important. 

[Bluebasser86]

I had pneumonia about a month ago. It was almost a month before I felt like I wasn't constantly trying to catch my breath. With having fluid, I'd say pneumonia is probably a pretty safe bet. 

[Burntorangefan]

I've had horrible asthma most of my life (I'm 43).  I've had to do the ER run several times and once crawled thru the doors at the ER because I couldn't get enough air to walk.  That was the closest I've come to having it kill me.  Took FIVE breathing treatments to open my lungs back up.  I was put on Advair 250/50 that day and haven't looked back.  Other than scaling down in the Advair dosage, it's been a game changer.  I now take the 150/50 and only once a day (it's supposed to be 2x) and don't even carry a rescue inhaler any longer.  I use it randomly during the year but the 200 puffs can literally go all year and it used to last only 2 weeks.

 

[Jar11591]

3 minutes ago, Burntorangefan said:

I've had horrible asthma most of my life (I'm 43).  I've had to do the ER run several times and once crawled thru the doors at the ER because I couldn't get enough air to walk.  That was the closest I've come to having it kill me.  Took FIVE breathing treatments to open my lungs back up.  I was put on Advair 250/50 that day and haven't looked back.  Other than scaling down in the Advair dosage, it's been a game changer.  I now take the 150/50 and only once a day (it's supposed to be 2x) and don't even carry a rescue inhaler any longer.  I use it randomly during the year but the 200 puffs can literally go all year and it used to last only 2 weeks.

 

 

I've been on Advair 250/50 since I was about 8 years old and haven't needed to be hospitalized due to asthma since going on the Advair until last night, which I found out isn't asthma related. Normally I need my rescue inhaler at most once a week, but I always carry it on me because I never know what's going to trigger my asthma and it's a security thing. Always works almost immediately. That's why I knew it was time to go to the ER when the rescue was doing absolutely nothing. They discharged me but not sure that was a good thing because even as I type this I'm really struggling to breathe. 

[Burntorangefan]

59 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

 

I've been on Advair 250/50 since I was about 8 years old and haven't needed to be hospitalized due to asthma since going on the Advair until last night, which I found out isn't asthma related. Normally I need my rescue inhaler at most once a week, but I always carry it on me because I never know what's going to trigger my asthma and it's a security thing. Always works almost immediately. That's why I knew it was time to go to the ER when the rescue was doing absolutely nothing. They discharged me but not sure that was a good thing because even as I type this I'm really struggling to breathe. 

Yeah, one thing I learned is that if the rescue doesn't work on the first pass or two, it's not going to work and requires a full fledged breathing treatment.  Regarding your feeling today, don't hesitate to go back.  Trust your gut.  You know how you feel and the ***** of asthma is that it really does kill people every year, even though most of us consider it an inconvenience.

 

EDIT: regarding the pneumonia diagnosis, see "trust your gut" above.  Could save your life.

[crypt]

was born wheezing, so it's been a part of my life from the beginning. an on Advair 250/50.have albuterol when it gets tough to breathe. this year it's been tough because the pollen count has been through the roof.causing my allergies to trigger attacks. thankfully have not had to got to ER. people ask what it's like to have asthma and I tell them to close they're mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe. they understand a little more after that.

[Burntorangefan]

46 minutes ago, crypt said:

was born wheezing, so it's been a part of my life from the beginning. an on Advair 250/50.have albuterol when it gets tough to breathe. this year it's been tough because the pollen count has been through the roof.causing my allergies to trigger attacks. thankfully have not had to got to ER. people ask what it's like to have asthma and I tell them to close they're mouth, pinch nose shut and breathe. they understand a little more after that.

I tell them to breathe through a straw...

[Raul]

I'm not asthmatic by my mom suffers from lung emphisema, salmeterol/fluticasone and ocassional iprathropy shots is what she is prescribed.

[Bankbeater]

I had asthma when I was a kid.  For the most part I outgrew it when I was about 12 or 13.  Every once in a while something would set it off, and I would wheeze like an old radiator.  I think the last time I had an attack I was around 19 or so.

[N Florida Mike]

I have had shortness of breath for over 25 years. I have had a barrage of tests,including heart  tests ( No heart trouble they say.) twice. 4 different doctors. None of them have told me it was asthma, but I have all the symptoms. It seems to be aggravated by stress,but sometimes it just happens. It gets so bad I have to change posture   sometimes try to yawn so I can get a deep breath. It's been so bad that my brain gets deleted of oxygen and I feel like someone is holding a vise grip on it.Then I can't come up with simple words I'm trying to say.

Doctor put me on blood thinners and that didn't help at all. They've never found what it is ,so I quit going to the dr over it and just live with it. 

 

[Jar11591]

14 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

sometimes try to yawn so I can get a deep breath

 

 

This is is exactly what I have to do very often. People think I'm just tired when they see me yawning constantly but it's because sometimes that's the only way I can get a full breath. I thought I was the only one. 

[N Florida Mike]

Sometimes I also have to sit with a straight posture and fight for air. I used to think it was brought on by my eating high cholesterol foods because the only thing they could ever find wrong with me is high cholesterol.So I quit eating those foods for years but I still had the shortness of breath.Whats really weird is that I never had it until after I got married!! Taking a baby aspirin seems to help when I have an attack. 

Not meaning to hijack your thread but just trying to relate.

[Skeeter Dan]

I have COPD I struggle every day.  I'm on three inhalers a day and on real bad days I have to do breathing treatments.

[Lil fat guy]

On June 3, 2017 at 6:59 AM, N Florida Mike said:

I have had shortness of breath for over 25 years. I have had a barrage of tests,including heart  tests ( No heart trouble they say.) twice. 4 different doctors. None of them have told me it was asthma, but I have all the symptoms. It seems to be aggravated by stress,but sometimes it just happens. It gets so bad I have to change posture   sometimes try to yawn so I can get a deep breath. It's been so bad that my brain gets deleted of oxygen and I feel like someone is holding a vise grip on it.Then I can't come up with simple words I'm trying to say.

Doctor put me on blood thinners and that didn't help at all. They've never found what it is ,so I quit going to the dr over it and just live with it. 

 

 

Florida Mike, have they ever checked you for cystic fibrosis? You were probably born before it was a standard newborn test.  I am 31 now and was diagnosed at birth but a lot of adults around my age weren't.  You've probably already been tested but thought I'd ask jic.  Sorry to the op if I hijacked their thread.  To the op: I hope your out of hospital and doing well now.  I can't comment on drugs specific to asthma but I know how it feels to be in the hospital and struggle to breathe.  I'm currently in the hospital for a tune up now.  

[N Florida Mike]

No I don't think so.Cant say I know much about it but I'll check it out.

Thanks.