Help me! I am a 16 year old girl and I have asthma. I wake up at night and my chest is really reallly tight it hurts and I can't breathe then I get really dizzy and scared!! Sometimes I am scared my chest will get so tight I will stop breathing. It feels like drowning but not underwater.

Sometimes I don't want to sleep because I am scared that I will wake up and it will be too late. I have 3 different medicines and none of them work. well I have ventoln inhaler but I take it 12 times a day I heard I should only use it 6 times a day.

I have been to the emergency room 3 times this year so far, I thought I would die. I only want to think about having fun like other girls my age but instead I worry about people making fun of me wheazing and I'm scared I will die in my sleep!

Can somebody help me!??

Luv,

Mary

Hi Mary,

I really feel for you and don’t know what to tell you except you need to see your doctor. You sound so frightened and not being able to breathe is truly a frightening thing. I KNOW! I too have a fear of dying in my sleep. I thought I had licked this fear, but it recently resurfaced due to something that is happening to me (asthma related) and I’m afraid to go to sleep at night again. A few things I’d like to tell you to try to help you.

Please check with your doctor on the use of your inhaler. The dosage that you’re doing - was that prescribed by your physician? 12 times a day to me seems to be excessive and unless your doctor prescribed it that way, the medication may be having an adverse effect on you physically, as well as psychologically.

Have you mentioned to your doctor about how extremely tight your chest feels at night when you wake up and can’t breathe? Is this why you’ve been at the emergency room 3 times this year? If you haven’t talked to him about it, you really should and be persistent about it and the effect it’s having on you.

A few years ago I had an incident happen to me that was probably the most frightening thing that has happen to me so far in my life that I really don’t want to happen to you. I had a *very, very* bad asthma attack. Woke up unable to breathe, started coughing uncontrollably, gasping and was unable to get enough oxygen. And then as I was desperately struggling to intake oxygen I stopped breathing - literally. I was unable to inhale or exhale - my chest felt like someone was sitting on it - it was so tight I could not believe it. My heart went into overdrive, and I freaked out, out of panic and my body was spasming. It happened during the night which didn’t help matters. I was very, very lucky that I was with someone who knew how to resuscitate me and knew CPR (although my heart never stopped). I survived it but I was afraid to go to sleep for a very long time afterwards. I kept thinking I was going to wake up having an attack and it was going to happen again.

When you visited the emergency room - what did they tell you? Did they give you a breathing treatment to help you breathe easier?

I know what you mean about wanting to enjoy your teenage years and not worry about wheezing and all that, but when you have asthma that’s a problem you have to face and learn to live with. I've had asthma for years and I still go to movies and have to worry about having an attack because of the dry air in the theaters or going to an amusement park and if the pollen, or excitement on a ride will set me off. But I learned to deal and with medication and treatment, you will too.

If you want to talk further, let me know. But, please, if you already haven’t done so, go to your doctor and tell him how bad your asthma is at night and how you are worrying about it and how it is affecting you. I’m sure he’ll try to do something to help alleviate your fears and help reduce your symptoms with proper treatment and medication.

I, too, understand how you feel. At least about the part of fearing being made fun of. I used to practically hide under my desk to use my inhaler. but asthma is so much more common, nowadays. There is nothing to be embarrased about. Aside from a rescue inhaler, you should be on some maintenance drugs (if you're not already). It took me years to find the right combination that really helped. I'm on two preventative meds, plus my rescue. It has made a big difference. Work with your doctor until you get the right combo, too. It's a hard and scary thing to live with, and you might not always be able to do the things that you want, but you just do the best that you can, and things will be great for you.

Hi Mary,

I've had some scary moments. Just a week ago I was about an hour away from home and was having a bad attack and my inhalers were not working. I also use a nebulizer machine. Which is what my mom was racing home for, so I can do a treatment.

We both realized that I needed a portable nebulizer. I ordered it that night and recieved it 2 days later. I feel more comfortable going out now. I always felt scared or insecure leaving my machine at home.

Maybe you should look into getting a portable nebulizer for when you go out. I really don't know what to say about night time. Luckily I haven't had a major problem sleeping. I wake up a lot to an asthma attack, but not that severe.

Portable nebulizers run around $250-399, but portablenebs.com sells them for $158.50 total cost with shipping.

I have felt more secure these last few days having it with me at all times when I'm out anyways.

Jeanette



[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 06-12-2001).]