:confused: I am 40 years old. Since 5 years old, I was told that I have Asthma. Now, we know that Asthma is a constriction of the bronchial tubes, but can a person that TRUELY has Asthma be just sitting somewhere and all of a sudden, their breathing feels tight? We are talking just sitting! It's so hard to go to the Dr. and say that you feel tight in your breathing and then they listen to your lungs and they don't hear a bit of wheezing. What then? Sometimes when I get that tightness feeling and I use my pulmonary machine, it seems to almost make it worse a little bit before it seems to start getting better. Sometimes when I am just sitting and watching television or sitting at a desk at work, and my breathing will feel "tight", I just sit there and lean forward a little bit and sometimes it goes away on its own. Do you think that this is truely Asthma? Anyone with Asthma experience this?

I feel so frustrated going to a Dr. (which I have) because they don't know what to do. If I see an Asthma Dr., he assumes it's Asthma. If I see a regular Dr., he sends me to a Pulmonologist. Could this be something else that the Dr's are missing? I have had a sonogram of the heart and it was okay and I THINK an EKG which was also alright.

:confused: I am 40 years old. Since 5 years old, I was told that I have Asthma. Now, we know that Asthma is a constriction of the bronchial tubes, but can a person that TRUELY has Asthma be just sitting somewhere and all of a sudden, their breathing feels tight? We are talking just sitting! It's so hard to go to the Dr. and say that you feel tight in your breathing and then they listen to your lungs and they don't hear a bit of wheezing. What then? Sometimes when I get that tightness feeling and I use my pulmonary machine, it seems to almost make it worse a little bit before it seems to start getting better. Sometimes when I am just sitting and watching television or sitting at a desk at work, and my breathing will feel "tight", I just sit there and lean forward a little bit and sometimes it goes away on its own. Do you think that this is truely Asthma? Anyone with Asthma experience this?

I feel so frustrated going to a Dr. (which I have) because they don't know what to do. If I see an Asthma Dr., he assumes it's Asthma. If I see a regular Dr., he sends me to a Pulmonologist. Could this be something else that the Dr's are missing? I have had a sonogram of the heart and it was okay and I THINK an EKG which was also alright.

That happens to me, and from what I understand, it happens to a few others on this board as well. Intrinsic asthma sometimes does not have a cause, whereas extrinsic asthma is usually from an allergen.

Are you on controller meds, like Advair?

I used to get quite tight for a few minutes after just sneezing!!! Apparently the forceful expulsion of air set my inflammatory sensors off! Little things like this can all cause asthma. U should really explain what medications u are on. Do u take a reliever when it happens? Does it work etc etc..?

:confused: I am 40 years old. Since 5 years old, I was told that I have Asthma. Now, we know that Asthma is a constriction of the bronchial tubes, but can a person that TRUELY has Asthma be just sitting somewhere and all of a sudden, their breathing feels tight? We are talking just sitting! It's so hard to go to the Dr. and say that you feel tight in your breathing and then they listen to your lungs and they don't hear a bit of wheezing. What then? Sometimes when I get that tightness feeling and I use my pulmonary machine, it seems to almost make it worse a little bit before it seems to start getting better. Sometimes when I am just sitting and watching television or sitting at a desk at work, and my breathing will feel "tight", I just sit there and lean forward a little bit and sometimes it goes away on its own. Do you think that this is truely Asthma? Anyone with Asthma experience this?

I feel so frustrated going to a Dr. (which I have) because they don't know what to do. If I see an Asthma Dr., he assumes it's Asthma. If I see a regular Dr., he sends me to a Pulmonologist. Could this be something else that the Dr's are missing? I have had a sonogram of the heart and it was okay and I THINK an EKG which was also alright.

I'm in your position exactly. I don't normally wheeze unless i'm doing really really badly. That's hard b/c doctors don't seem 2 think it's really asthma if you don't wheeze. But my pf's are constantly below what they should be(although some doctors have different ideas for what is "normal" for my height/weight), I'm constantly coughing, and I wake up out of breath and/or barely breathing/not breathing. But my nebulizer really does help, much more than an albuterol inhaler does now. I have allergies to several things, so just sitting around in say a dusty room will get me coughing and my lungs tight. I also am anemic, and have some kind of deficiency with my pulmonary valve(it's very mild..although I suspect that has to do with some of my breathing problems) so that doesn't help my situation. I've got a great PCP who helps me a lot, but I'm really still trying to find a specialist who can help me get to the bottom of all my allergies and will take me seriously.

I get like that all the time. When I was admitted in December I would be tight and ask for a neb and they would ask me what set it off. Well, gee...I have no clue! I was just sitting there! Argh. You deal with a lot of dumb doctors. Sometimes they are like, "You're not wheezing..." But then a nurse listens and says, "Yeah, but she's not moving any air so how can she be wheezing?" LOL Then the doc says, "true..." LOL ERs are no fun. :( The only time I ever wheeze is if we open up my lungs enough to allow a wheeze to pass. That is usually documented at around 70% of my lung function and I usually breathe at about high 40s.

That happens to me, and from what I understand, it happens to a few others on this board as well. Intrinsic asthma sometimes does not have a cause, whereas extrinsic asthma is usually from an allergen.

Are you on controller meds, like Advair?

No, advair did not do well with me and neither does Singulair (Stomach cramps). Most inhalers that they have tried on my seem to "cut off my breathing" when inhaling an inhaler. I respond most of the time to the Maxair inhaler and to the Cromolyn solution for my machine. Other than that, that's about it.

Do you use a spacer with your MDIs? The propellant could bug ya'.

Do you use a spacer with your MDIs? The propellant could bug ya'.

Not on the machine of course and the inhaler is one of the auto inhalers. So, no, no spacers.

Since you're not getting much relief from standard medication, have you visited the possibility that maybe you have a disorder that MIMICS asthma? I would seriously ask for some testing to back up the diagnosis. IE spirometry (because that can tell you if you are below normal limits and/or have a restrictive rather than an obstructive pattern) but especially a methacholine challenge, maybe some allergy testing, possibly a chest CT. Instead of treating the SOB it is imperative that you find the reason as well.

i Get like that too... I mean, I could be sitting in front of my computer and all of a sudden I'm gasping for air. It's so weird. Infact, that delayed my being diagnosed with asthma. It's too bad that advair doesn't work for you because I swear by it. I also find that being in shape helps (of course you've got to be breathing well in order to get in shape!!), and for me avoiding cold air is a life saver.

AGREED! Being in shape makes an amazing difference! Doing regular cardio that is easier for a longer amount of time(as opposed to harder for a shorter amount of time) does wonders for the lungs when you do it regularly, and in a gym that is clean and allergen free..oh and as long as you are breathing alright and you premedicate! I did that last year when I couldn't do gymnastics and it amazingly built up my lungs, I had less attacks, and generally felt better over all. I cannot recommend anything more, this is the best "long term" cure I have found..I'm planning on trying yoga soon(hear it's lots of breathing exercises) and maybe that will help even more.
Exercise starts to get bad however when it's done outside(almost always a bad idea..it's either cold air or pollen that's gonna get ya), your sick, working in a dirty, dusty place, or doing more than you should.

i Get like that too... I mean, I could be sitting in front of my computer and all of a sudden I'm gasping for air. It's so weird. Infact, that delayed my being diagnosed with asthma. It's too bad that advair doesn't work for you because I swear by it. I also find that being in shape helps (of course you've got to be breathing well in order to get in shape!!), and for me avoiding cold air is a life saver.

Did the Dr. say that your gasping for air like that was all a part of Asthma?

Since you're not getting much relief from standard medication, have you visited the possibility that maybe you have a disorder that MIMICS asthma? I would seriously ask for some testing to back up the diagnosis. IE spirometry (because that can tell you if you are below normal limits and/or have a restrictive rather than an obstructive pattern) but especially a methacholine challenge, maybe some allergy testing, possibly a chest CT. Instead of treating the SOB it is imperative that you find the reason as well.

What kind of disorders are you referring to so I would know what to suggest to the Dr.? Like I said, I go to a regular Dr. and they refer me to a Pulmonary Dr. I do the breathing test to see what percentage I am at and most of the time they say that I am in range. Now there was a time that I wasn't in range and alls they did was to put me on a breathing treatment for about 10 minutes and when I was done, it seemed to have helped alot at that time. I do respond to my breathing machine at home and Maxair inhaler but there are times that it may take longer to respond, or I may be breathying way too hard that I respond to hardly anything. So, of course the Pulmonary Dr. treats me for Asthma because of the time that I was not in the normal range. Now, back to the original question of, how do they really know it's ASTHMA? What else should I be checked for to rule out?

As HC said a chest CT would show up any lung pathology, anything abnormal. I also thing the methlocoline (soory can't spell) challenge would be a step in the right direction. Keep bugging your doctor until you get some answers your are happy with.
Take care and I hope you get it all sorted soon.
x x x

I would definitely recommend a methacholine challenge. That is something that can rule in airway hyperresponsitivity. Many things can make you short of breath like that, including cardiac troubles. I would definitely have it checked into. Oh, and just for your information, my CTs AREN'T normal, but most asthmatics can have a normal CT. (Mine show scarring and airtrapping.)

I would definitely recommend a methacholine challenge. That is something that can rule in airway hyperresponsitivity. Many things can make you short of breath like that, including cardiac troubles. I would definitely have it checked into. Oh, and just for your information, my CTs AREN'T normal, but most asthmatics can have a normal CT. (Mine show scarring and airtrapping.)


What is Methacholine?

What is Methacholine?
It will induce airway narrowing and tightening in an asthmatic. Just enough to have a drop of 15% or more in pulmonary function. The average person wouldn't be affected by it.

It will induce airway narrowing and tightening in an asthmatic. Just enough to have a drop of 15% or more in pulmonary function. The average person wouldn't be affected by it.


Is this a breathing test?