Questions for those with asthma

[cflame1]

I've had asthma since I was a kid. Generally for me it's triggered by my allergies. I've also been known to have an attack when I'm sick with pneumonia or bronchitis.

I get it usually when I spend time at my mom's. She's got a dust mop of a dog (Maltese), and even when the dog's in the kennel while I'm there, I still get sick.

As for prednisone, it makes me sicker... doesn't help me at all. So now that I know that, when a doc tries to prescribe it, I refuse to take it, and ask for something different.

[Babette]

I've never thought Albuterol helped at all. I've tried taking it prophylatically - 2 puffs in AM, 2 at night - and as a "rescue" when I feel a tightness in my chest. Does nothing. Tightness in chest just slowly goes away on it's own.

I've told the docs this, they don't have any response.

My latest brand is Proventil. I just ran out of the curent inhaler, which I've been taking prophylatically since the bronchitis episode in March, and was going to grab another one out of the closet, but now I think I'll hold off.

I've heard that wheezing scars the lungs. I haven't been able to control the wheezing for years. It's always there. It's slight, usually the doc can't hear it, but it's omnipresent. It gets worse when I'm "sick" but it never goes away, no matter what drug they give me, even prednisone.

Doc did say this week to quit taking the Singulair. So now I'm down to Flonase, Advair, and Claritin at night. I read here that taking Claritin at night can help with cpap.

I too am a cougher. I can go through some might horrible coughing fits. Once I get sick, the cough lingers for months. I've just recently felt I was over the cough, then a weekend at the boyfriend's and I'm coughing again. I think it's an allergic reaction to his trees. Doc agreed with me.

I'm really glad to find out other asthmatics have the coughing variety. I have been trying to explain that it's the asthma and allergies making me cough for YEARS. Boyfriend still doesn't get it DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE DOES THE SAME THING!!! He insists my cough is way worse than his cough. You should have heard him on our first date... I thought he was consumptive....

I used to lay in bed and just GAG with coughing all night. Since starting CPAP, I RARELY cough at night now. I'm very very grateful for that.

Okay, need to read more, and schedule blood tests for Magnesium and D levels.

Oh, looked for an Asthma Forum. Nothing out there relevant. Found one, signed up, then realized there were no postings since 2008.

THANK YOU FOR STARTING THIS THREAD!!!!!
Barbara

[Eleena]

Thanks everyone. I am learning alot here. Is the magnesium something I can buy at the store or do I need a dr to prescribe it? I guess it would be smarter to get tested for it first. Is it possible to OD on it? I cough alot too which is quite annoying when I am at work(restaurant) or in school. I sure hope it isn't my cats causing this. I don't know what I would do if I had to get rid of them. My doctor wanted me to see an allergy dr but it just isn't something I can afford to do right now. I would be curious to know what I am allergic to since I have been suffering from allergies for years.

Missy

[twokatmew]

I take my magnesium in my calcium supplement. Ideally you should be taking twice as much calcium as magnesium and, of course, vitamin D as well. (My calcium supplement has all three.) You can get magnesium by itself over the counter. Magnesium is a mineral. It *is* possible to OD on magnesium, or so says this site: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/m/magnesi ... mptoms.htm

I sure hope you don't have to give up your cats. I don't know how I could ever give mine up!

[Babette]

Well, you could always shave your cats!

I can't tolerate cats. I'm better with them now then I have been in the past. I think the Flonase regimen has really improved my ability to deal with them.

I have to be very careful not to touch them. Or if I do, to remember to wash my hands IMMEDIATELY. Inevitably I forget, touch my face, and my eyes swell shut.

I was at a party where the cats had been banished to a bedroom. No cat touching involved. My eyes swelled shut. I decided I'd probably touched a surface that the cats had touched, or touched someone who had been touching the cats. I had to leave early and drive home nearly blind.

My cousin says that she heard that what folks are allergic to is an enzyme in the cat's saliva. Not that that's a big help, but....

LOL,
B.

[twokatmew]

Yes indeed, it is something in the cats' saliva that causes an allergic reaction. Shaving wouldn't do any good (even if they'd permit it!), as they'd still wash themselves. Even the "hairless" cats have this same substance in their saliva, and I guess they're not really hairless. They have a sort of peach fuzz and have to be bathed regularly. Sounds like you're pretty sensitive to cats, Babette. I've been told that cats have to be removed from the house -- and the house cleaned and aired out -- for about six months before the cat allergens will be gone.... I have one friend who's so allergic, she can't stay in my house for more than 10 minutes or so, and I keep my place pretty clean. But ... I always have two, sometimes three, cats.

[time2sleep]

I was recently diagnosed with asthma. I am fortunate to go to Natl Jewish Hospital in Denver which is known for asthma research and treatment. I was given Asthmanex, which is an inhaled steroid powder which I use in the am. Then I have Proventil with a spacer to use for emergencies. I now know why I coughed all night long and in the morning, I now just reach for the inhaler and stay away from triggers. Mine are cigar and cigarette smoke, and exhaust fumes. No problems with perfumes, :>D I can breathe better with the medications and the CPAP at night.

[riverdreamer]

Thanks everyone. I am learning alot here. Is the magnesium something I can buy at the store or do I need a dr to prescribe it? I guess it would be smarter to get tested for it first. Is it possible to OD on it?
Missy

Magnesium citrate is a supplement that can be bought online or in stores that have good supplement sections. Many drugstores only carry magnesium oxide, which is not well absorbed. I buy my mag citrate at http://www.iherb.com. There is some disagreement over taking magnesium in a one to two ratio with calcium. Some doctors think the calcium blocks absorption of magnesium, so I always take magnesium separately, and in a higher amount than the calcium I take. Magnesium can help with sleep, so I take my calcium in the morning, and my magnesium at night.

Most people taking magnesium orally will get diarrhea if they take too much. It is good to increase your dose slowly, to make sure you don't hit that point. Testing for magnesium blood levels is not very helpful, as the levels you really need are red blood cell levels, the amount found inside the cell, not what is floating free in the blood. A lot of people will show normal blood levels, but still be deficient.

The magnesium sulphate that I use in a nebulizer is a prescription that you would need from a doctor. It is commonly used intravenously for various conditions, but can also be used in the nebulizer. These two forms seem to be the only way I can get my levels high enough to help. I take the oral magnesium also.

[Birddog]

I have Chronic Bronchitus from building Fiberglass boats in a factory in Sarasota Florida for 16 years and Since I have been diagnosed with OSA,The heated Humidifier has all but made my Bronchitus go away and i feel great. The Heated Air has made all the difference to me.

[Muse-Inc]

...blood tests for Magnesium...

May not provide any useful info. I've read that the magnesium ion form is doing all the work and there's no test for that form. My blood tests show just above normal and I'm taking 800 mgms/day when the RDA for women is just 320, so I'm a bit skeptical of the blood test. So far I've read there are few side effects (avoid oxide form which is a laxative) unless you take ridiculously huge amts for a long period of time -- read, investigate, great mineral.

My mom also has the mostly coughing form! When she starts coughing, I start nagging about Coromega fish oils and magnesium,; she takes 'em just to shut me up but the coughing stops in a few days so my work was done .

[mask88]

Missy,

I've had asthma since my teens (pushing 60 now). Took drugs for years (including inhalers - steroids and vasodiolators) but stopped about 7 years ago. I use turmeric (actually a Boswellin product which also contains turmeric, though tumeric alone seemed to do the trick) instead now. Turmeric is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory (yes, turmeric the spice - you can buy it as a food supplement with a reliable percentage of the active ingredient). I began taking if for joint pain and noticed my asthma was much better to the point I was able to stop using drugs.

I'm also allergic to cats, but have a cat and wouldn't think of getting rid of her, though I do keep her off the bed.

Bronchitis shouldn't go on for months. I also generally have one major bout with bronchitis each winter. As soon as I begin a bout with bronchitis I go on a 4-day course of antibiotics.

Machine: Autoset II, Mask: Mirage Active Nasal Mask, Humidifier: Resved H4i

[Komodo]

I've had asthma & COPD for the past 20+ years. I have been on SO many different meds, and combinations of meds, that I've lost track of all of them. At one point, I was taking SIX different meds per day, not including my rescue inhaler.

I currently take only two Advair (500/50), and Spiriva. They're the only thing I need, and I swear by them.

[elg5cats]

My once mild asthma is now an every day event. Missy

http://www.aaaai.org/professionals/asth ... n-plan.pdf

An Asthma Action Plan can help with anxiety reduction with asthma. If you don't have one, you can consider printing one like in the above link and discussing with your asthma MD/Nurse.

elg5cats

[sabby]

I also take Advair daily, Singulair and Zyrtec pills daily, and Proventil as needed.

If you cannot afford your prescription you can apply for prescription assistance - just google prescription assistance and you should find the link.

[Eleena]

Well, I was back to my dr 2 days ago because I was struggling to breathe yet again. He put me on 9 days of prednisone but said he couldn't keep doing that because it wasn't meant to be used long term. I am an insulin dependent diabetic and my blood sugars are running very high right now. I am taking extra insulin to control that. Other than that, the prednisone is working great. I finally gave in and agreed to see an allergy dr for testing. Going in on July 21 for that. My question is even if they figure out what I am allergic to, how will that help me? Are there specific meds for certain allergies? As for my sleep apnea, that is going fine. I didn't tape my mouth for 2 nights because I was waking so often with asthma attacks that I would panic with the tape on. Boy, did I pay for that. I was so grouchy at work, I think I almost got fired. So I taped last night and feel much better today. I completely forgot to ask my dr about the magnesium so I will ask the allergy doc when I go in. Thanks for listening.

Missy(who just wants to feel well again)