Can't breathe

[Cindyloo]

When I was given one of the inhalers like Advair I was advised to gargle after using it to clear it out of my mouth and throat. In some people it causes them to have thrush (overgrowth of yeast) in their mouth.

[eclectic]

When I was given one of the inhalers like Advair I was advised to gargle after using it to clear it out of my mouth and throat. In some people it causes them to have thrush (overgrowth of yeast) in their mouth.

Ditto on that. I was talking to someone recently that did get a yeast infection in their mouth from it.

Rinsing - a small price to pay for breathing

[mary9761]

most of your inhalers have those warnings now. I know that I was told to rinse after using my Qvar as well. Believe me mouth sores from inhalers is NO fun. I don't always pay for forgetting to rinse, but there are times I do.

[emily_in_nc]

The instructions just say to rinse your mouth out after use, not gargle, but maybe I should do that. I do not want a yeast infection in my mouth or anywhere else!!!

Some great news: About 30 mins. after my dose of Advair this morning, I tried my peak flow meter. I blew a 390, my highest ever!!!! I blew 320 this weekend, and my norm is around 350. Wow wow wow! My doctor was right, and I am loving this already!

I can hardly wait to go mountain biking tomorrow night!!!

I find it makes me feel a tiny bit jittery, though. Anyone else?

Emily

[eclectic]

The instructions just say to rinse your mouth out after use, not gargle, but maybe I should do that. I do not want a yeast infection in my mouth or anywhere else!!!

Some great news: About 30 mins. after my dose of Advair this morning, I tried my peak flow meter. I blew a 390, my highest ever!!!! I blew 320 this weekend, and my norm is around 350. Wow wow wow! My doctor was right, and I am loving this already!

I can hardly wait to go mountain biking tomorrow night!!!

I find it makes me feel a tiny bit jittery, though. Anyone else?

Emily

Hooray - it feels great to breath doesn't it ? ? ?

I don't notice anything w/ my advair and he jumped my dose to 500/50 but I do notice it quite often on Albuterol.

Also I just rinse I don't gargle and haven't had any problems but again each mouth is different and sensitive to different things

[GulfCoastSwim]

Side benefit, I no longer get heartburn. Apparently heartburn is a side effect of asthma, go figure

I think it's the other way around...the acid gets into your throat and irritates your upper respiratory system, causing asthma. I'm getting checked for EIA in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking that my years of reflux aren't helping!

[eclectic]

I think it's the other way around...the acid gets into your throat and irritates your upper respiratory system, causing asthma. I'm getting checked for EIA in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking that my years of reflux aren't helping!

since I have started on my asthma meds I haven't had any heartburn and I never had heartburn prior to my asthma flaring up again a couple of years ago, in fact I didn't even know what heartburn was 'til I got pregnancy induced asthma
but in that case was the heartburn caused by the asthma, or was it being pregnant? all I know is I was miserable for 8 months and had to sleep sitting up in the recliner

A tough pregnancy - the best type of birth control

[Bikology]

Hi. I have a different idea that might be worth looking into. This might sound strange... but I experienced something similar in the spring and early summer. I really thought I was getting asthma, especially since I also seemed to suddenly develop allergies (the two can often start at the same time). I have since realized that the allergies and breathing problems are probably completely unrelated. When I tried to exert myself too much I would hit this point where I just felt like I could not get enough oxygen. I would try to gulp back air as fast as I could, but my whole body just felt like it couldn't get enough. Do you have any other symptoms when this happens? I would get this feeling of breathlessness not just in my lungs, but in my leg muscles too (hard to describe). And my heart rate would be up at 197 bpm. And this was happening at a level of exertion that I didn't think was THAT intense. What I finally found out was that I was very iron deficient and very anemic. I always thought iron deficiency was no big deal really. But if you think about it, when you exercise your muscles rely on oxygen that is being delivered via red blood cells (with iron). So really, my muscles really couldn't get the amount of oxygen that they needed and so I was getting really out of breath... the bodies response when it needs more oxygen. This problem has gotten SO much better after a few months of iron supplementation. I can ride at levels that I used to be able to ride at. Does this sound like a possibility for you? Do you have any other symptoms of anemia? Just an idea.

[eclectic]

Hi. I have a different idea that might be worth looking into. When I tried to exert myself too much I would hit this point where I just felt like I could not get enough oxygen. I would try to gulp back air as fast as I could, but my whole body just felt like it couldn't get enough.

Do you have any other symptoms when this happens?

I would get this feeling of breathlessness not just in my lungs, but in my leg muscles too (hard to describe). And my heart rate would be up at 197 bpm. And this was happening at a level of exertion that I didn't think was THAT intense. What I finally found out was that I was very iron deficient and very anemic. .

This is very interesting.

When I get short of breath because of asthma my legs start to give out very quickly also

How anemic were you? I don't think I am anemic - I give blood on a regular basis and have never been refused because of low iron - but maybe this not a good measure (also the doc checked it and I was very good)

interesting interesting interesting hmmmmm

[Pedal Wench]

I've just started a whole new round of treatments for my asthma, and I'm noticing that now that my breathing is getting better, my legs hurt more. I'm not sure if it's the medicine causing it, or if I'm just able to push my legs more now that my lungs aren't limiting me.

[ReneeLynne]

I have asthma, both allergy and exercise-induced, and use Advair.

Yes, it is the Reflux that exacerbates the asthma. But if you have allergies, a cold or sinus infection or whatever that causes a bad post-nasal drip (as I do), that continuous drainage down your throat can cause the reflux that makes the asthma worse...so it can be a big bad cycle!

As far as the ADVAIR is concerned, I tend to rinse after use and spit out, then gargle, then drink a glass of water. My logic behind this is that I want to rinse out whatever powder is in my mouth without swallowing it if possible, but then I also want to cleanse the back of my throat of whatever's gone down there when I inhaled that the gargling won't get out...

[cherinyc]

So - I am still not completely clear what's wrong with me, and the doctor has prescribed a bunch more tests.
The first thing I did was breathe into this machine - which gave me a "Spirometry Report". The # that the Doctor was concerned about was my lung exhaling output (or something) which was only 55%.
He also heard a heart murmer - and wondered why no one had told me that I had it until now (I'm 31).
So he wrote Rx's for Albuterol, Asmanex, and a Peak Flow meter.
He wants a chest X-ray, an echograph test, and a halter test done.

I quoted the above, just as a refresher, and 1 1/2 mths later, here's my report. The Asmanex seems to doing what it's supposed to for me. My lungs seem to be healing, I guess. I can blow up to 430 on my peak flow meter (w/o any Albuterol). I went back to the doc last week to take that Spirometry test thing - and the report showed an overall improvement. One of the lung power measurements actually went from a 55% before up to 99%. Basically doc said he was happy that I could begin treating somethimg that has been slowing me down for a long time (without me realizing it). I was a competitive gymnast growing up, and have always had this problem, I just thought it meant I needed to train harder. I paced myself according to my breathing. Doc said he is upset that no one ever caught this with me, or tested for it. It's a simple test to do but not all doctors find it necessary, so....he said it would've really made a difference in my athletic ability and most likely held me back.
As far as the tests though, clear chest x ray, and I have some kind of tricuspid regurg in my heart (no big deal - small murmer) and one of the ratio's w/in the cardiopulmonary tests was way off. Something to do with the pressure in my lungs and how the blood flows into the small chamber of the heart? I think. Doc says possibly off due to damge in my lungs caused from untreated prolonged asthma. Hmmmm. vicious cycle.
I am to stay on the Amanex. Blood work came back fine except for raised cholesterol.
Anyone out there have a really high HDL? I read that the avg HDL for women is about 50-60, yet mine is 91. The doc said my LDL was too high, 114, but I thought that the HDL's were supposed to be pushing the LDL's out. I seem to have some HDL to spare, how do I get them to go to work?

Yes - I am hoping to learn 12 yrs of medical training through sporadic websurfing and forum threads. Is that bad?

[Duck on Wheels]

The instructions just say to rinse your mouth out after use, not gargle, but maybe I should do that. I do not want a yeast infection in my mouth or anywhere else!!!

Some great news: About 30 mins. after my dose of Advair this morning, I tried my peak flow meter. I blew a 390, my highest ever!!!! I blew 320 this weekend, and my norm is around 350. Wow wow wow! My doctor was right, and I am loving this already!

I can hardly wait to go mountain biking tomorrow night!!!

I find it makes me feel a tiny bit jittery, though. Anyone else?

Emily

Yes, whenever I've needed an inhaler, it does make me a bit jittery and sends my heart racing shortly after. As I recall, though, the jitters pass after a few more minutes.

[Kano]

Anyone out there have a really high HDL? I read that the avg HDL for women is about 50-60, yet mine is 91. The doc said my LDL was too high, 114, but I thought that the HDL's were supposed to be pushing the LDL's out. I seem to have some HDL to spare, how do I get them to go to work?

I don't know much of anything about it, but as I recall, my father-in-law was once in some sort of research thing for high cholesteral. Nothing could ever bring it down, and apparently it's a family thing -- turns out his whole family has higher than normal numbers, but apparently the doctors eventually determined that in them, it's not something to worry about. Maybe you're one of that sort of person? It will be interesting to learn what happens with this too!

Good to hear the rest of it all!

KAren in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Blood work came back fine except for raised cholesterol.
Anyone out there have a really high HDL? I read that the avg HDL for women is about 50-60, yet mine is 91. The doc said my LDL was too high, 114, but I thought that the HDL's were supposed to be pushing the LDL's out. I seem to have some HDL to spare, how do I get them to go to work?

I had my cholesterol checked recently. It's a bit complex to understand.
My overall chol. count was 263...my husband said "That's TERRIBLE! Call your doctor!!".
But my doctor said no it's FINE, because:
My GOOD HDL was 108 (desirable= more than >60, borderline=40-59, At risk= <40)
My BAD LDL was 115 (desirable= <100, border line=130-159, and High risk= >160.
Thus, my bad LDL was not even in the borderline area, and yet my good HDL was sky high, that is what made my overall chol. count so high. My doctor said the higher your HDL, the better protection it gives you against heart disease. She said whatever I was doing, to keep doing it!

So perhaps that will lessen your fears over your test results.