Asthma *sigh*

[Pax]

Since February my asthma has been out of control, don't know what's triggering it (and finding out it a long painful process), I have meds to use... but for example, in IL I had a steroid inhaler I used seasonal once a day, a rescue inhaler I used a few times a year, a pill I took seasonally, and a steroid nasal spray I used seasonally. Here in FL I'm using all of them every day, double doses, and the rescue inhaler several times a day and I'm still gasping. IT SUCKS!! It's exhausting and hard on my lungs and heart. I hate that the place I want to be seems to not want me... at least for Feb, March, April (so far).

We're looking at seasonal options like volunteering in National Parks that offer cabins, things like that so we can get me out of here some of the year once we retire (we're looking seriously at next April).

[ny biker]

Oh that's awful. Have you confirmed that it's something seasonal vs. possibly something in the house or larger environment? For example I've had worse asthma problems due to pollution near my office -- concrete dust from parking lot renovations in one building, air pollution from a nearby asphalt plant at another.

I sympathize with the long painful process of figuring out the cause. I spend way too much time playing the "what am I allergic to now" game.

[Crankin]

I went from being a very healthy kid/teen to someone who always had allergies/asthma when I moved to Florida. Humidity and mold did me in. I was even worse in AZ, but because I liked it there, I put up with it. It was the dust there.
I have been pretty much asthma free since i moved back to MA, so there is something very real about trying to figure out environmental causes.

[Pax]

It's worse when I'm home, unfortunately. There previous owner dealt with a leaking pipe that ruined the kitchen cabinets and a lot of the drywall, it was professionally cleaned and repaired, but I'm guessing there's some mold in the walls. Add to that all kinds of new pollen and it's pretty un-fun.

I'm calling a pulmonologist to see about starting the testing procedure, dreading it, but moving again would be a really big financial hit right now.

[Crankin]

I'd see an allergist instead. Just my opinion. It was an allergist that helpe me the most when I was really sick in AZ. Like, having to use a nebulizer before I taught aerobics! The pulmonologist seemed baffled by my "specious" asthma, with no wheezing.

[Catrin]

You've recently moved to Florida which leads me to concur with Crankin. Every time I've moved I've had problems for a couple of seasons as my asthma adjusted to the new environment/pollen mix/ etc. The allergist may be able to help you more quickly, it's worth checking out. I don't have "normal" asthma, but what they call a "cough variant" form, though I do wheeze - but after a certain point the coughing reaches pretty extreme levels for me.

I really hope it turns out to be more pollen related than a mold issue, crossing my fingers for you!