Asthma can suck it!

[emily_in_nc]

My asthma is mild and I barely use my Albuterol. But, yes! I noticed the change when they switched to the new type of inhaler. I barely can get the stuff out. Since I usually only use one inhaler a year, I deal with it.

My experience also. The new ones are more expensive and you get less.

[emily_in_nc]

My grandmother had asthma. She eventually developed emphysema. She never smoked.

My father also has asthma. Although his lung function has decreased over time, medication has enabled him to be much more active than my grandmother was at the same age.

Point taken. However, all medications have side effects, particularly when taken long-term. I'd rather take the risk of not medicating my very mild asthma so long as I don't start having issues. My doctor, who is a runner and cyclist, agrees with this approach and thinks I am fine not medicating my asthma at this point. If I do start having any issues, then I will consider a control medication again. But it seems like overkill to take a pharmaceutical every day, when the side effects may well be worse than what it is curing in my case. Not so with folks with moderate to severe asthma. In their shoes, I'd be on whatever meds I needed to be on.

In my case, I can cycle and run and hike and use only one rescue inhaler a year, so I'm not that concerned. I am incredibly healthy compared to most people I know. I have had one cold since 2007, and no bronchitis or sinus infections. My most common asthma trigger is cats, but since I am rarely around them except when I visit my mother (infrequent), it's something I can deal with. I take Claritin in advance of cat encounters and use my inhaler as needed.

[SuperRunt]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

[jordanpattern]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

Thanks for this, especially the tip about the symbicort website. I just went and signed up, so I can print off the discount card on Monday and hopefully get my first prescription for free (fingers crossed).

I saw my doctor on Friday, and yes indeed, my lung function is not good! The clinic was able to give me 3 weeks worth of Advair samples, which was really nice, and then I'll be saving my pennies to buy symbicort every month, which should take care of my problem if it works the way it did last time I was on it.

I will definitely try the pursed lips thing, and I'm also hoping that getting back into playing french horn (I was a music major who has since moved into other fields) and doing yoga will also help me regain some of the control I used to have over my asthma.

[jordanpattern]

I have very severe asthma and allergies, but stubbornly keep running and biking. I have a few tips, take'em or leave'em :-)

If you take Symbicort and/or Singulair: Go to their websites and download a pdf of their coupons. I get a big discount on the Symbicort and a smaller one on the Singulair. (Not sure how they work if you don't have insurance...)

If you have not looked into vocal cord dysfunction: Please do! Especially if you have a lot of post nasal drip. Breathing through pursed lips and swallowing 'just so' every now and then can make a big difference! And it's free.

If you take Xolair, you should look them up online. Give their patient line a ring. They might be able to hook you up with some financial help.

If you're located somewhere reasonably close to Denver (it's worth a short flight!), check out National Jewish Hospital and their Lung Line. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'please wait for further research category', but they were still able to help me out a LOT.

Hope this can help someone....

Thanks for this, especially the tip about the symbicort website. I just went and signed up, so I can print off the discount card on Monday and hopefully get my first prescription for free (fingers crossed).

I saw my doctor on Friday, and yes indeed, my lung function is not good! The clinic was able to give me 3 weeks worth of Advair samples, which was really nice, and then I'll be saving my pennies to buy symbicort every month, which should take care of my problem if it works the way it did last time I was on it.

I will definitely try the pursed lips thing, and I'm also hoping that getting back into playing french horn (I was a music major who has since moved into other fields) and doing yoga will also help me regain some of the control I used to have over my asthma.

[ehirsch83]

Hope everyone is doing better!

I ended up having to go to urgent care Thursday after work b/c I wasn't getting any better. Received a Nebulizer treatment and a steroid injection. Now on prednisone. So far, still coughing and the bronchitis is still there, but it is getting better slowly! Taking another week off of training There goes this race year probably, oh well.

[zoom-zoom]

Emily, I am really sorry. These lung issues just really suck. I am no stranger to the nebulizer. It's why the flu scares the crap out of me. It's a guaranteed trip to urgent care. Be good to yourself. Don't push yourself too hard while your lungs are healing. They can be such a delicate organ.

[jordanpattern]

Emily, I'm sorry to hear about that. I hope your lungs feel better soon, and you're back to your usual breathing self!

Since seeing my doctor on Friday, I've been taking the Advair samples twice a day. It's not as great as I remember Symbicort being, but man, did I ever notice a difference when I rode to work today. I'd been thinking that I'd felt bonked by my commute because I wasn't used to it or something, but no, it just felt really hard because I wasn't breathing properly, so everything was working harder than it should have been. Now, it feels much, much easier, and the hills that had given me trouble (small ones!) are like nothing.

Man, that feels good.

[redrhodie]

Just as a side note, another plug for black elderberry extract for upper respiratory infections.

I didn't try the stuff for a good three years after I first heard about it, because I just couldn't believe the claims people made for it. Now, I'm an evangelist and I'm kicking myself for all the time I spent suffering with colds and bronchitis because I wouldn't take it.

I haven't had bronchitis since I started using black elderberry every time I catch a cold - and I used to get it almost every time. Colds and flu resolve much more quickly than they used to - and often, I can just not catch something if I feel I'm on the edge of getting sick, but get on the black elderberry right away. I had the flu last month with a bad cough - cedar pollen was through the roof, compounding the respiratory irritation - but with black elderberry, I had a fever for only two days and never got bronchitis.

Seriously, try it.

Dbf has a bad cold (sorry for the drift) so I'm going to get black elderberry extract (as much for me as for him, since I'm doomed). Can you recommend what kind you use? I assume I get this at the health food store?

[ehirsch83]

Emily, I am really sorry. These lung issues just really suck. I am no stranger to the nebulizer. It's why the flu scares the crap out of me. It's a guaranteed trip to urgent care. Be good to yourself. Don't push yourself too hard while your lungs are healing. They can be such a delicate organ.

Kirsten, it scares me also! lol. This all started because of a sinus infection. For me, a sinus infection= guaranteed bronchitis.

[OakLeaf]

Dbf has a bad cold (sorry for the drift) so I'm going to get black elderberry extract (as much for me as for him, since I'm doomed). Can you recommend what kind you use? I assume I get this at the health food store?

Any natural food store should have the Nature's Way brand Sambucus syrup. Not quite as easy to come by, but a better deal for your money, is the unsweetened Quantum Health brand in the dropper bottle. I've had good results with either one.

Jordanpattern, so glad you're feeling better - Emily, hope you feel better soon!

[zoom-zoom]

Kirsten, it scares me also! lol. This all started because of a sinus infection. For me, a sinus infection= guaranteed bronchitis.

Boy, do I ever get this! My lung/sinus issues all started with one bad bug maybe 12-13 years ago. DH and I both had some horrid combo of pneumonia, sinus infection, and bronchitis. We both ended up on a ton of meds. I have had fairly frequent upper and lower respiratory issues ever since.

[SuperRunt]

glad to help! I know WAY too much about this stuff by now :-D I get more relief from Symbicort than Advair. Hope it works out for you!

[Miranda]

OK, guys... I had my smart phone out in my asthma docs office pulling up this thread to find a name of a drug mentioned lol. How funny is that?! Wait, wait... I gotta input my cycling net buddies ops lol.

Omg, I am SO sick right now. Also, with doubling up my meds while waiting for my appointment, my blood pressure was high. Usually it's very low. I'm so looped out feeling. Whoa...

OK, my point now that the drugs have had their moment babbling is about this Qvar. I have some samples of some stuff to try again from the doc. This being one of them. However, it's an inhailed steriod same concept as Advair. I think the particles in Qvar are suppose to be diff somehow compared to Advair. Idk, be nice if it didn't have the same side effects. Hafta wait and see. Have some other meds I am suppose to take first. But, just wanted to chime back in about the Qvar a few were commenting about.

I hate being so sick like this *sigh*.

[FlyingScot]

I've had the worst year ever with my asthma. Finally started on Symbicort twice a day which has helped but have had at least 6 bad attacks this winter. Had one at work last week that scared my coworkers because apparently my face turned purple. It has seriously impaired my riding because on top of it I found out in December that I am pretty anemic too. Really bad combo but certainly explains why I'm having so much trouble riding hills and into the wind. The bad thing is that I can't take iron supplements because they really messed up my GI system, I'm not that fond of red meat and after eating about 8 bags of spinach a week for the last 2 months my Hgb dropped another half a gram! With the weather warming up and cycling season here I'm apprehensive about riding because I don't want to have an attack and I get so pi$$ed at myself for my poor performance.