Asthma - what meds are working for you?

Babs Who Can't Login · Post by **Babs Who Can't Login** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:53 pm

Because.... Albuterol has never done a dang thang for me.

I've taken it for years. And slowly added Advair and Flonase to the cocktail. Used to take something else... Can't remember. Before the Advair.

Anyway, I have a low-grade pretty constant wheeze. I don't really get the chest-seizing "attacks" that most asthmatics complain of. So, it never bothered me enough to TELL the docs that the Albuterol doesn't seem to DO anything.

Well, the other day I got a lung function test, and being a good CPAPTALK member, I asked for the results. Never did that before. In the explanation, the tech mentions that my results did not change after three puffs on the bronchodilator.

I'm wondering if that means that it's not the right drug for me. Or what it might mean.

Anyone else have a similar experience? What are you taking?

Cheers,
Babs

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:09 pm

I was diagnosed several years ago and am not your typical asthmatic from what I gather.

I had been having shortness of breath with severe coughing attacks. No wheezing as such -- just shortness of breath and cough so much that I would turn red in the face and get very light headed and weak feeling.

I had an attack and went to my family doc and she told me she wasn't sure what was wrong and suggested that I go to the nearest large hospital (which is a teaching hospital) and have them check me out.

Well this hospital is 70 miles away and I knew I couldn't drive that far so I asked my sister-in-law to take me and she did. (I had to be really sick as I NEVER ask her for anything!!!)

When we arrived I was still coughing and carrying on and when I registered the nurse took one look and I was immediately taken to a room. Doctor looked me over and checked me out good and asked me how long I had asthma. Told him to my knowledge I didn't. He told me that I did and gave me oxygen -- didn't take long for me to start feeling better and gave me a breathing treatment which helped a bunch and I walked out of there like nothing was wrong!!!

I take Singulair for it and it keeps it under control with very few spells. I have found if I take the Singulair along with my Zyrtec and keep my allergies under control my attacks are not nearly as frequent. I do not take the Singulair year round but just during peak allergy season. The Zyrtec I take daily and have for the last 8 years.

I did get some medicine to put in a nebulizer that is not albuterol that helps if it gets really bad. I keep some on hand for bad attacks. Don't know the name of it will have to dig it out as it has been quite a while since last attack.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:30 pm

Thanks Carol! I too have the cough like you describe, but it's never been as bad as you've described. Until this past week - with the not sleeping and the incontinence.

I was initially given asthma meds when I had pneumonia way back in 1986 or 1987. I only used the albuterol for a few weeks, then stopped. Around... Oh 1991/1992, I noticed I had shortness of breath and wheezing, and the PCP advised albuterol and something else inhaled, for "winter asthma". I stopped using it when I didn't feel the need. Symptoms went away during the warm months.

Over the years, it just got to be more consistent, till about 1998, when I began using asthma meds full time year round.

I keep hearing about nebulizers. I was asked once by an urgent care nurse why I WASN'T on a nebulizer, and I just shrugged and said I didn't know.

My problem is I don't go to see the pulmonary doc unless I'm SICK, and then just want to get my meds and go.

I NEED to get a WORK UP and discuss all options. Been procrastinating about that since starting CPAP.

So, I'm going to start a list of possible options. Singulair, nebulizer, and Zyrtec are on my list. Not to mention Tessalon.

Thanks and keep them coming!!!!!
Babs

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:24 pm

That is another reason I take Zyrtec is because it helps with asthma. At one point our insurance wouldn't cover it and doctor got a waiver for me stating it was treating not only my allergies but my asthma as well. Singulair originally came out for controlling asthma but has properties that help treat allergies so they work hand in hand.

I have the albuterol inhalers that I can use for emergencies or when I have a really bad cold to help keep me open.

My primary doctor is the one that prescribed the nebulizer and the meds for it. It might be worth talking to yours about having one on hand for severe attacks. If you don't want to go that route you can pick them up cheap off from eBay and then twist your doctor for a script for the meds for it. It might be cheaper that way as insurance will cover one under DME but you have to pay the copay and usually they are rental items -- which is a crock since they don't cost that much but is a way to gouge you out of more money.

One thing I have noticed is that cold triggers mine, high humidity, chemicals (perfumes, cleaners, etc.), and of course other inhaled allergens.

I tried Primatene (spelling) once and it is awful and made my attack worse.

sleepyred · Post by **sleepyred** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:37 pm

I use Advair which works quite well.

BTW - Zyrtec is going OTC at the end of January!

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:44 pm

I've used a nebulizer my hubby was put on years ago. Its noisy and seems to take forever.

Last time my family doctor insisted on giving me a nebulizer treatment in his office he had this NEAT Omron CompAir. Small, quiet and does the nebulizer treatment much faster. When I commented on it, he promptly wrote a script for one for me.

My sheister DME CPAP supplier told me Medicare wouldn't pay for one and tried to tell me it was a "travel nebulizer" as the reason.

I looked the Omron CompAir up online and it was only like $32 or so so I bought one. I LOVE it! Has its own carrying case even to travel w/just like our Resmed and Respironics CPAPs but it is "not" a "travel nebulizer" as my DME tried to tell me. It really does qualify as a regular nebulizer for Medicare! I never checked to see if nebulizers were a rental item tho or a capped rental type item or what.

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:50 pm

My doctor has one that is really neat and although it is her personal one she let me try it out one day when I was having a spell and ended up going to the doctor for it.

It was a travel one, small and compact. If I remember you could even use it in the car.

I will have to look for one like you were talking about Slinky. Where did you find it?

Yep, Zyrtec will be over the counter in just a few days. I can't wait for the generic to come out!!! This month the drug store had the generic on hand to fill my script but the insurance will no longer cover it since it will be going over the counter. A bottle of the generic cost me $17.00 for a months supply.

goose · Post by **goose** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:31 pm

Sorry to hear of your issue Babs -- breathing or lack of breathing is not a fun thing......
My asthma is directly related to allergies, so my meds are pretty much allergy related -- Allegra, Benedryl and Albuteral and I use the Albuteral maybe once or twice a year (allergies are well controlled so my asthma is almost non-existent anymore).

I know I'm not much help with that, but I would certainly look into a nebulizer and the meds (don't recall the names of them off the top of my head -- sorry).

If there's any chance it's allergy related, you know the drill -- eliminate allergens.
For me that would mean living in a bubble (I'm allergic to "my environment" as my doc said in 1972). Strangely enough, I did not have any allergies to anything until I spent time in South East Asia where I was exposed to a lot of "methyl-ethyl terrible" kinds of things, so........ who knows.

I wish you good luck in your search!!!!!!
Take care
cheers
goose

jsmythe · Post by **jsmythe** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:00 pm

[quote="sleepycarol"]My doctor has one that is really neat and although it is her personal one she let me try it out one day when I was having a spell and ended up going to the doctor for it.

It was a travel one, small and compact. If I remember you could even use it in the car.

I will have to look for one like you were talking about Slinky. Where did you find it?

Yep, Zyrtec will be over the counter in just a few days. I can't wait for the generic to come out!!! This month the drug store had the generic on hand to fill my script but the insurance will no longer cover it since it will be going over the counter. A bottle of the generic cost me $17.00 for a months supply.

tinaw · Post by **tinaw** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:27 pm

I have asthma and allergies, and I use singulair and flonase and very seldom have an epoisode. My asthma shows up as a cough and a wheeze, but usually a couple puffs of albuterol works to clear me up- i don't have a nebulizer.

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:21 am

Hey guys. I am partially back...but have to try to keep this short. I was in a very serious accident several weeks ago. I have lost the use of one of my arms (not sure if it will come back or not) and have a very hard time typing one handed. So...that is why I have been away for a while.

I just recently got a nebulizer after fighting it for years. I have severe asthma and have since childhood. I am doing duoneb first in the nebulizer (mix of albuterol and something else), then another treatment with just a big time steriod. I cant remember what it is called. But dr said that if you do the dilator first it will open everything up....then the steroid second will move into the open airways and releive any inflammation and all that fun stuff. It seems to be working pretty well....except that I have to do it twice a day and it takes about 5-7 min for each med. So I sit for 15 min each morning and afternoon. But it does help. But mine is very loud. I need to look into getting something quietter. Plus how odd is this.....seperate DME than my CPAP equipment.

Ok....worn out my hand, and still cant really sit for long periods, so I am going to lay down. Hope you all are well.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:58 am

Jenn, I got my CPAP from one local DME supplier and my 02 from another local DME supplier too. But that was 'cause I disliked my CPAP DME supplier so much I REFUSED to use them for the 02. And, as soon as I found out that I could I started getting all my CPAP supplies from my 02 supplier I got the routine supplies and new masks from the 02 supplier too but had to finish out the CPAP capped rental w/the CPAP sheister until the capped rental was completed. LOVED it the day of my "emancipation" when the Elite became MINE and I could "kiss" the CPAP supplier bye-bye. I LOVED filling out that "Satisfaction"?? survey!!! To their "credit" and I HATE to give them any I did receive a call from them expressing their regret I had been unsatisfied and asking that I clarify each problem I had w/them. I LOVED doing that too!

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:28 am

I have asthma and allergies. Usually if I can control my allergies, then my asthma's pretty mild. When it gets bad, albuterol... or pro-air which is what I'm now using works well. My sleep doc which is also a pulmonologist would get me on more but doesn't think that I need it... and I agree with him.

The bad triggers for me are cats, cold and being sick.

Probably need a good antihistamine prescription... working on some samples lately of allegra D that seem to work well, though not for a full 12 hours straight. Singulair didn't work for me.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:43 pm

JM - OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry!!!!!!!!!! I've been wondering where you were. I was waiting for you to knock on my front door and tell me you'd moved to Bremerton!!!!!!

I send you all my best arm healing wishes. I struggled with bad arm pain in my right arm for most of last year. After three treatments with an Occupational Therapist (hand therapist) and some home exercises, I'm CURED and am preaching the wisdom of preventing/treating carpal/radial tunnel syndrome with decompression exercises to all my friends and coworkers.

Anyway, that's not YOUR problem, but I don't need my good luck right now, so I send it all to you! May you be as lucky as I and find the right treatment/therapy for your arm!!!!!!

Everyone else, now I'm seriously curious about nebulizers. Particularly if I can buy one for $32. WHERE DO I FIND THIS??? Slinky, quit slinking off and teasing us like that.

You know, I really don't even KNOW what a nebulizer is. I've never used one. I used a spacer once for my regular inhalers - thought it was stupid, and wasting the meds, so I threw it away.

Oh look! Cheap portable nebulizers online:
http://www.medical-monitors.com/nebulizers.html

$65 Oximeter, too. Though not a recording device.

Zyrtec OTC online:
https://www.zyrtecotc.com/econsumer/zyrtec/index.view

I've never tried this. I've been using Claritin since 1998 off and on. Maybe I'll run out next week and get some of this and see how it feels.

As for allergies - yeah, they are related to the asthma. I started down the allergy road back in high school when I developed FLAMING excema, and they told me it was an auto-immune disorder, and that it couldn't be cured, but I could only be made comfortable. I slowly reduced over the years - now I just have an odd patch here and there. The allergy docs say it's all related - allergies, excema, and asthma.

I've been a mucus monster most of my life - taking various antihistimes as I learn of a new and better one. I've been scratch tested. I'm allergic to just about everything. Usual main ones - mold, trees, dogs, cats, etc. My house will never be clean enough for me, so I have to admit to just giving up on it. I get so sick around cats that I try to avoid them, and try to avoid staying with friends and family with multiple animals - so not worth the misery. But I lived with a dog for a year and didn't notice any worse symptoms, once I'd adjusted to her.

I do find that when I get the urge to dig around in my dusty boxes of what not, I can give myself horrible respiratory attacks, not unlike what I've been going through this week. I try to remember to mask up, but I never do. I buy masks, I ignore them.

Well, I'm rambling. JM - ALL MY BEST ARM HEALING ENERGY TO YOU!!!!

Hugs,
Babs

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:46 pm

Jen -- so sorry about your accident!!!! I wish we could help you out!!
I truly hope it heals quickly!!!

Babs, I have a friend that grew up in Bremerton. Her name was Mary Sperber. I still keep in touch with her.

Our allergies and symptoms are so similar it is scary Babs. When I was going to the allergist, I was told to get rid of the carpet, curtains, stuffed furniture, etc. I am allergic to alot of environmental stuff.

We must be kindred spirits Babs!!

Mask

Additional Comments: Aussie Heated hose for rain out/PapCap Headgear and chin strap