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.

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DarknessEmbraced 10/15/2015

Nurse Practitioner said she heard wheezing on the left side of my upper chest and that it sounded tight. 02 sats were fine but they usually are. She use a manual blood pressure cuff and had a hard time hearing my blood pressure. She said it was quiet. Have low grade fever. She said it's a sinus infection that is causing my asthma to flare, also could be leaf mold outside causing the flare. She basically said to follow my asthma action plan. That if it gets worse then see her again early next week. She doesn't want to prescribe an antibiotic right away because of the side effects but will if it gets worse. She said if infection is viral it will get better on its own. If it's bacterial it will just get worse. She wouldn't prescribe nebulizer medications. I'm worried it will get worse. She said about using the neti pot but not while I'm having some bleeding from my nose. I still have some blood mixed in with mucus when I blow my nose. Could try nasal gel again. I'm going to try my heated gel pack for the chest pain. Is it usual to have chest tightness with wheezing heard more on one side?

sonnycamehome 10/20/2015

I guess it's the delivery method that makes the nebulizer more effective than the inhalers when you are having an Exacerbation. I'm so sorry your Dr's don't RX Nebulizer medications.

How are you feeling today?

DarknessEmbraced 10/21/2015

My sinuses are bothering me. My cheeks look a little bruised. My chest is sore and the glands in my throat are sore. I'm worried I have a uti because it burns a little when I pee and I have pain/cramping in my lower back in the kidney area. I get a cavity filled tomorrow and Friday I see the Nurse Practitioner again. Clear ct scans so I'm in remission or NED(No Evidence of Disease). Today it was blood tests. I had to fast. They filled 6 or 7 tubes.

DarknessEmbraced 10/23/2015

My face is really swollen, so are the glands in my throat and my ears are blocked. The Nurse Practitioner gave me an antibiotic(doxycycline) for 9 days. I hope that clears it up! My head and ears feels like they are going to burst from the pressure.

sonnycamehome 10/24/2015

Hi Darkness,

I'm sorry you are feeling so badly. The sinus pressure and pain you have sounds very uncomfortable. I hope the antibiotics from your NP kick in quickly and give you some relief.
Are you able to take any OTC meds along with the antibiotic to help you feel better while you are waiting for the abx to kick in?

Hoping you feel better soon,
Sonny

DarknessEmbraced 10/24/2015

I can only take extra strength tylenol and my expectorant syrup which help some. I found out that I took my antibiotic the wrong way last night so my body probably only absorbed half of it. I can't have it with anything that contains milk or iron. One of my medications contains both and I took the antibiotic with it. Today I ate things with dairy and have to wait two hours before taking my antibiotic. I was supposed to take the first dose 12 hours apartment but it's more than 12 hours today. Then one tonight because that will technically be day two since I didn't get the antibiotic and take it until later in the evening. I feel even more miserable today with the same symptoms except now I feel it in my chest with chest congestion. I hope the antibiotic works. I just need to vent. So hard feeling sick all the time.

DarknessEmbraced 10/28/2015

My doctor's office said that it might take the antibiotic longer to work since my infection is so bad. It seems to get a little better then get worse like today. My face is so swollen, my head hurts, the glands in throat are swollen, too much pressure in my head and ears. Doctor's office said to finish antibiotic and if I'm not better then to call. I won't be finished it until Sunday. I better be better by then! I've already been to see the Nurse Practitioner twice for this!

sonnycamehome 10/28/2015

Hi Darkness!

I'm sorry you are still so sick! Are you still on the first round of antibiotics or is this a second round? Your symptoms sound so uncomfortable. I'm sure you are doing all the home remedies like drinking lots of fluids, gargling, heating pads, etc...
I hope the abx kick in soon and you start to get some relief.
Keep us posted!

DarknessEmbraced 10/29/2015

Hi Sonny,

I can't gargle with salt water because it makes me gag. I'm still on the first round of antibiotics. I went to see the Nurse Practitioner again. I wish I could see my family doctor but she's booked up until the first week of December! My temperature was 100.7 F when she took it. She said to continue the antibiotic. She gave me a form to take to the hospital for a sinus x-ray and said she was referring me to an ENT. The sinus x-ray was really uncomfortable because my head had to be contorted in really weird ways especially the last x-ray where I have to have my head as far back as possible so my chin was up in the air. I was told that it could take two weeks for the report from the radiologist to come back. :( I tried a hot facecloth on my face but it didn't help much. The heated gel back is too heavy for my face and it gets too hot. I do feel miserable.

sonnycamehome 10/29/2015

I'm glad you will get to see an ENT and that you got X-Rays, I just wish things would move a bit faster! I know you are feeling terrible and waiting 2 weeks for the Radiologist report or until December to see your Family Doctor just seems like a life time when you are sick.
I hope that somehow the antibiotics kick in and you start to feel better. Did your NP take a culture to make sure you were on the right abx for your infection?

DarknessEmbraced 10/30/2015

It takes a while for referrals here so it will probably be a while before I can see the ENT. The Nurse Practitioner called in a new antibiotic. Cefuroxine axetil. I've never had it before. They are huge 500mg pills that I take twice a day, 12 hours apart. The Nurse Practitioner didn't take a culture because I have a hard time coughing up mucus and my nose and sinuses are stuffed up. I take this antibiotic for 10 days. Surely an antibiotic that strong should do something.

sonnycamehome 10/31/2015

Hi Darkness,

I had never heard of that antibiotic either, so I looked it up, and I read that Dr's rarely prescribe this except in treatment resistant bacterial infections, so it sounds like this could be a really good medication for you. I hope you start to feel better in a couple of days with this new antibiotic!

DarknessEmbraced 11/01/2015

I feel worse today because it's going to rain. The facial pressure and ear pressure are off the charts. The glands in my throat are swollen. I think this infection has a really bad hold on me! This is week 4 of the infection! I'm upset that the Nurse Practitioner didn't give me an antibiotic right away because I would be over it by now. Of course she might have given me doxycycline which doesn't work.

sonnycamehome 11/01/2015

I can understand you being upset about not getting the antibiotic much sooner...when you have asthma and other health problems, a common cold can turn into an infection much faster than in a person with no significant health problems. I think Dr's forget to take chronic illness into consideration when treating people like us, and they follow standard procedures which really don't apply to people with chronic conditions that weaken the immune system.

I'm so sorry you are still not feeling any better!
Sending positive thoughts your way,
Hang in there!
:)

DarknessEmbraced 11/03/2015

Yes doctors often do fail to take chronic conditions into consideration. I wish it would stop raining because it causes my sinuses/allergies and asthma to act up. Hope you are well Sonny.

DarknessEmbraced 11/04/2015

Finally starting to feel better.

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