Asthma Support Group

oh and I do experience tightness of chest during these "attacks"

try seeing a pulmonologist

You think I should see a pulmonologist rather than my primary doctor?

I agree. See a pulmonologist ASAP!

Yes, it does sound like asthma.

You cans tart off with your family doctor if you feel comfortable with them. They can get you started with a treatment plan. Eventually, it is probably best to see a plmonologist though. They are experienced and more up to date (usually) with asthma, it's symptoms, testing, and medications.

I wouldn't wait any longer to make an appointment though.

Even though you may not feel the tightness, a doctor can generally hear it in your lungs. They will listen to your chest. hear about your symptoms and go from there. Waking in the middle of the night means that if you have asthma then it is out of control.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

~Robin

I will call tomorrow morning and see when a pulmonologist can see me..if it's a long wait Ill just call my primary physician. I would honestly prefer to see a specialist though for this so I hope I can find a pulmonologist that will see me asap.

My pulmonologist tests my pulmonary function annually using a specialized phone booth-sized pressurized cabinet. Even though I have not been experiencing wheezing or asthma that I'm aware of lately, the test still proves that my lungs are asthmatic and helps us fine tune our treatment plan to keep it under control.

If I were you, and I was in *exactly* your situation once in the beginning many years ago, I would go to the Emergency Room when you wake up from your asthma or at any other time that you have any symptoms that cause you to feel that you are in pain, scared, or having shortness of breath.

I would make an appointment with *both* your primary physician *and* a pulmonologist. Asthma kills but it can be managed. Once your docs have ruled out silent female heart attack and other diseases, you can focus clearly on stabilizing your lungs.

I once had only 3 months to live due to the damage air pollution did to my lungs. I found some medicines made things worse, some were mildly helpful, some were life-savers and some were brilliant in healing underlying problems that made my prognosis so poor.

Insist on whichever physician sees you *first* on being tested for Vitamin D deficiency. I just found out a few months ago that I am deficient and no one *ever* tested me in *15 years* of having initially difficult to control asthma. People low in Vitamin D (grad students were mentioned in one study that I read) have increased inflammation, increased auto-immune problems including thyroid disease which I noticed in your profile, increased diagnosis of depression and other mood problems, increased feelings of anxiety and impending doom along with a host of other health complications. The following link changed my life and my health is improving dramatically because I'm finally getting the help and treatment that I have probably needed for a very long time. It's funny and will help reduce anxiety just watching the professor/doctor who is giving the information.

http://www.uvadvantage.org/portals...

Please feel free to message me, you *will* get through this, you're not over-worrying, it's just time to take action. :)

Resilient - Hey! Thank you for your reply!! I woke up this morning and started feeling the tightness and wheezing in my bedroom. I got up and walked to my living room and it started to get a lil better. I mean it's not gone I am still coughing a lot and can't take a full breath but I don't feel like it is getting worse! That is the 4th time this week this has happened!! Im starting to think that I have asthma that is caused by a severe allergy to something in my tiny room. My boyfriend has asthma and he even has a hard time in my bedroom. Dont know why...perhaps gross things are in the walls..cause I am a clean freak I dust and everything to keep it clean quite often!

Yes I have a vitamin D deficiency. I am a grad student. And yes you are right I do have an autoimmune disease of the thyroid.

I called a pulmonologist office this morning and was able to get an appointment to go in tomorrow at 2. Thank god!! I can not deal with this another night!! Ill keep you guys up to date!

Hey all! Went to the doctor today! He put me on an albuterol pump and a flovent pump. He wants to see me again in 2 weeks to see how I am doing...yeay....finally heading somewhere here! :)

Good luck! I hope these meds work for you. I am on my second type of meds because the first type didn't work for me. Glad you are going back in two weeks. I was told you have to give the meds two weeks to see if they are going to work!