Asthma Support Group
Asthma is a disease of the human respiratory system where the airways narrow, often in response to a "trigger" such as exposure to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, which respond to bronchodilators.
This started as a simple cold stuffy nose and sneezing. Thursday the coughing started and it's just become worse and worse. My asthma medications don't stop the cough, cough drops don't help, an expectorant/cough medicine don't help. I don't have a nebulizer. I'll get these coughing fits where I'm coughing so hard that I'm doubled over. I'm so sore from coughing. Is there anything else I can try?
Yes, it sounds like I have some food allergies that could be oral allergy syndrome. Thanks for mentioning it because I had never heard of it before. Kiwi causes horrible mouth sores for me!
Sending you hugs :)
I just sent you a hug on here. Mouth sores sound horrible!!! I'm glad that looking up oral allergy syndrome helped you. :D I really appreciate all your help and support.
But yes I have an epi pen for a nut allergy and actuallly had to go to the ER a few weeks ago for a nut exposure. It was a pretty bad one and I used the epi pen and was in the ER for 6 hours. Thankfully I'm ok now...but the prednione threw me for a loop (60mg for 5 days) Iwas in a nice fog for 2 weeks!!
Well I'm headed to the pulmo tomorrow for a lung function test and doctor appointment....so I"l report back!
As for the nebulizer....it never occurred to me to get one until my dad let me use his (new mouthpiece and tube) a couple times when Iwas out of breath...I mentioned it to my pulmo and he ordered me a script for the liquid. We had an extra nebulizer but I think you need a script for that too. So, see if you can get one from your pulmo!! I just use regular albuterol sulfate liquid. I sometimes do only half a treatment because it makes me shaky.
Thank you!! I did a walk today in the park...so I'm glad the shower shortness of breath came after. Ugh!
So yes I also get the scratchy throat but Ihave been getting strep and other weird throat and post nasal problems lately...
Back to the epi pen. I have always been allergic to peanuts but it developed from hives to now anaphylactic shock (and hives and joint pain). I have also developed a soy allergy, which for now is mild...but rash causing. Also I use fragrance free soaps,etc.
I have acne and anxiety too....which I believe is partially caused by all of the asthma meds. Do either of you have those problems??
Take care and warm lemon water and vitamin C!! I have been taking Vitamin C daily as a precaustion!!
Hi Redvelvet, I often get out of breath and start coughing when I finish my shower and open my shower curtain. It hasn't happened as much lately, so I wonder if that has to due with the weather being a bit warmer and I don't get a whoosh of cold air. I did have an asthma attack (nearly fatal) while showering a few years ago though...that was scary!!
When I first used a nebulizer, I was using albuterol sulfate and I always used to get shaky. When I switched to ipratropium bromide/albuterol sulfate, the shakiness stopped. I guess my body had gotten used to the treatments.
Yes, I get acne and I also believe it is from asthma medication. I know Budesonide, which is in Symbicort, has pimples listed as a common side effect. I've always had a clear face, even as a teenager, until I began Symbicort. I also get facial hair, which I am sure is from asthma meds as well. My thyroid could also be partly the cause.
Take care.
I'm sorry to hear that your sore throat is back, I get sore or scratchy throats quite often. I get swollen and tender lymph nodes in my neck or swollen salivary glands under my chin. Do you have any throat lozenges? I find the numbing ones really help. I've had strep throat twice. The last time my tongue swelled up which was really scary. I was able to take some benadryl and ibuprofen and it went down. The doctor said it was a side effect of strep. I hope I never get it again.
I'm sorry to hear of your nut exposure! I know how scary that can be! I'm glad that you're ok now. It's really scary having food allergies because you never know when you will develop new ones.
I've felt short of breath getting out of the shower in the past but it's usually only when my asthma is flaring or when I have a cold.
Albuterol can make me really shaky. I wish I had a pulmonologist. I'd have to get one from a regular doctor.
I have some mild acne sometimes but it's not too much of a problem. I have social anxiety but I had that before my asthma became bad enough where I needed more than albuterol.
I've never tried warm lemon water but I do have vitamin c. I'm coughing up phlegm today and my chest feels a little sore.
Hi gl2010,
I have hypothyroidism for which I take synthroid. I also have parathyroid problems. That would be scary having a near fatal asthma attack after a shower! I'm glad that you're ok!
So...perhaps its not my asthma making me short of breath??? What else could it be? Allergies? I know I felt better after they gave methe nebulizer for the second part of the test. He also had no explanation for the test showing Ihad no reaction to the nebulizer which meant Iwas fine!
Anyhow how is the cough?? Are you feeling better??? What helped?
I notice you say you don't have a pulmonologist? Does your primary physician refuse one???
That's great you passed your lung function test! Prior to the test, when did you last use any asthma medication?
Are you short of breath only after you take showers? If so, maybe you are allergic to something in your bathroom, unless it is just humidity. I usually run a dehumidifier outside my bathroom when I take showers. I don't run it during the winter though.
I have always passed the spirometry test too and it's shown that albuterol(ventolin) have no effect. I know that my inhalers help my breathing though so I'm not sure what's going on. The nebulizer in the ER always makes me feel better too. As for the cough time has helped. I still have it a little bit but not as bad. I do use cough drops sometimes but don't need cough medicine. I hardly feel out of breath now. I don't have a pulmonlogist because my family doctor doesn't think I need one due to the normal spirometry tests. For any kind of referral to a specialist I need to get it done through my family doctor.
Oh and I take Singulair daily....hmmmm.
How are you feeling?
That must be so annoying to need a referral!! Is there a way around it? Perhaps an appeal?? Or a new primary doctor? Or perhaps tell your current doctor that an asthma patient should be overseen by a pulmonologist? The last one is a stretch because I'm sure they know that...either way I hope you feel better! I'm glad the cough has subsided a bit! I know that is such a relief!!
I've read that asthma is usually worse at night. Maybe it's because the mucus has had more time to build up the same way it does overnight while we're sleeping? Do you have problems using a peak flow meter? The last time I went to my asthma educator she said that I wasn't doing it properly. That it's more like blowing out birthday candles. I can't seem to blow out forcefully enough lately. Unfortunately there is no way around the referral process when it comes to seeing a specialist because that's how it works in this province. There many many people without family doctors here so it's not an option to get another primary doctor. People without family doctors go on a waiting list.
Oh I didn't realize that you had to be assigned a particular doctor...it must be completely different where you are than here. I wonder if you can just keep bugging your current doctor until he/she realizes you want more care....or he/she will see you more often if possible?
Oh I didn't realize that you had to be assigned a particular doctor...it must be completely different where you are than here. I wonder if you can just keep bugging your current doctor until he/she realizes you want more care....or he/she will see you more often if possible?
Bugging her won't work unfortunately because she's hardly ever there. We're not assigned new doctors. New doctors call up patients on the waiting list who have been waiting the longest. It all depends on how many patients they are willing to take.
Still coughing and woke up at 5am coughing so I had to take cough medicine to get back to sleep. This rain and high pollen count isn't helping. The rain makes my sinuses worse. I have constant sinus pressure and pain and get bad sinus headaches that make me feel dizzy, sensitive, and nauseous. I know it sounds like migraines but I feel the sinus pressure in my face and it hurts more when I bend my head. Tylenol doesn't help much and the avamys only keeps me from being stuffed up, having an irritated nose and sneezing. Once we've moved tomorrow and are done cleaning I hope i will start to feel better. How are you feeling?