WHen my sister and I were children, we used to do this "thing" when we were angry with one another.

We would sit on opposite sides of the room facing one another with our arms crossed and our eyebrows scrunched, holding our breath with our cheeks puffed out like trumpet players, until one of us burst out laughing or turned purple from lack of air...lol.

I would do ANYTHING to breathe as easily as I did as a child.

I don't know about this anymore.

I was diagnosed with asthma... and have been taking albuterol and flovent for a WHILE now, but don't really feel much better than I did before I took it.

I mean, shouldn't I feel ANY different? Some relief?

I also take effexor for the anxiety related to my breathing problem, so I do not think it is an anxiety related thing.

What does one do when the asthma meds they are taking do not seem to be enough?

I have told my doctor, and this sort of phenomenon
seems to happen. Every time I go into his office,
my lungs sound clear, yet, as soon as I leave, I feel like crap again!
So he is reluctant to increase my dosage or add medication.

I almost do not remember what it feels like to feel good.... I have not had a symptom free day in over a year. I HATE it.

Anyone?

Blue

One goes in to have PFTs, one increases the dosage of their meds...
I used to think I had mild asthma, and 500/12 of symbicort later, I'm starting to realize my asthma isn't as 'mild' as I thought it was.

Talk to your doctor -- you aren't supposed to be having symptomatic days. Using your ventolin too much isn't horribly good for you. Increasing the dose of your flovent is likely not going to cause any side-effects that you're not already experiencing.

That's not good that you constantly have symptoms. Your meds should give you a break at least some of the time. Ideally, they should keep you almost symptom-free, but that's what 'the book' says and I haven't met too many people who's lungs have read 'the book.' Do you use a peak flow meter? Like you have experienced, the problem with asthma is that your lungs can sound fine in the doctor's office and be lousy a few hours later. Its the nature of the beast. A peak flow meter lets you chart your lung function over a period of time and then you have some solid numbers to wave in front of a doctor's face. They do seem to like numbers.

hope you get some relief
Barb

Blue,
What medication do you want upped? Is it oral prednisone or inhaled steroids? What about Xolair? Well, I'm not sure it's in the market yet.

He should by now believe you about you're feeling real bad alot of the time.

I just got back from a new pulmonologist appt and he put me on Advair and Rhinocort trying to reduce the inflammation in the sinuses and lungs. It might work--it might not.

But my breathing tests showed I had GREAT exhalation! So he mentioned that about 3 times during our conversation. And if I had asthma or emphyzema, my exhalations wouldn't be that strong. But I quickly said, "but this achy, burning in my lungs, esophagus and my VCD all happens."
Thanks to my ct scan of my sinuses which proves I have a very stuffed sinus cavity with gook. And this sinus problem can cause asthma or hypersensitive lungs to flareup. I'm thinking I might have very hypersensitive lungs as opposed to actual asthma. But I feel short of breath and I also wheeze. He heard the wheeze.
Can you change pulmonologists?

Hi, Blue.

When I was first diagnosed, the dr. gave me Aerobid (corticosteroid) as well as the Proventil (rescue inhaler). I was still using the Proventil every day (not good), even while I was on the Aerobid. He took me off the Aerobid and put me on Singulair. The Singulair worked well for a couple of months, then back to using the Proventil every day. He left me on the Singulair but added Advair. What a difference!!! I've been on that combination for at least 6 months now. I've probably used the Proventil once since I started the Advair. Advair has been such a life saver for me. I love it!

My doctor said that adult-onset asthma can be difficult to control. Just keep going back to your doctor until you find the right drug or combination of drugs for you. You have every right to expect to have symptom free days.

Cheri.

Thank you all so much for your replies....

I actually went to a pulmonologist last year, while
I was on prednisone, and not symptomatic. The doctors who set that one up also gave me a bunch of meds I didn't need and told me to see a psychiatrist.

I got off the prednisone and switched doctors quickly
after the psch told me I was fine, and he has since
reschedualed me for PFTs.

He did hear squeeking in my lungs, so there IS a problem....

I constantly have air hunger.

I am on Flovent, and Albuterol. No oral steroids,
just inhaled.

Sometimes I take Benadryl and it only helps some times, and other times it actually makes me feel worse.

I am about to go out of my mind though I am so uncomfortable ALL OF THE TIME!!!!

Thank you again.

Blue

Look at joining an asthma clinic and having consistent follow-up pfts. Asthma clinics are awesome because they do a really good job of every time they give you a new med, they bring you back in a month and make you chart flow-volume loops for them to see if it honestly does anything good.

All: I finally got my asthma under control after a year of complaining to my allergist by seeking another medical opinion; i.e., a pulmonologist. To my current daily med regimen of advair, flovent, singulair, theophylin, and albuterol (if needed), he added Intal and combivent and I've had two full weeks with no symptoms, sleeping like a baby.

My advice is: find out what the meds are (I suggested singulair to my allergist, and she agreed); find out if both your big and small airways are affected, then take those meds created for that particular (or both) condition(s). You have to experiment. I should add that I've been taking shots for ten years for my allergies (it takes two years for the "juice" to kick in) and I had sinus surgery to remove polyps, which were contributing to my constant sinus infections and exacerbating the asthma. Get a flu shot every year and if you're "older," get a pneumonia shot--I think you only have to take the latter once in your life. Above all, don't smoke. Just don't. Easy to say, but I finally quit after the tenth try.

Good luck to all of you. This is a very limiting disease until you finally get it under control.

Mary

I agree with you, if you're wheezing, you have a problem. And you sound really uncomfortable all day long.
Sometimes I have found the inhaled steroids cause me to dry out alot. Even my lungs feel very dried out. And at those times, I esp. feel very hungry. I think the feeling is very similar to when we have hunger pangs. I think!
Good for you. Go take those tests. And take any research info. you think might explain what you have. I have a feeling you might surmise what you have?
We all seem to know before our doctors these days because we do research on the web.
I've been telling my allergist, ENT (2) and GP for the last 3 months that I have a fungal sinusitis problem. I even asked for anti-fungal medication 2 months ago. I was told NO. It's not that! Today after my new ENT saw my ct scan of my sinuses and could see the congestion in my frontal sinus, he put me on anti-fungal medication & prednisone for 6 days only. I also took my serum cortisol test results to him so that he would see that my immune system is compromised.
I'm hoping this will do the trick. But if not, I'm ready to research where I can the best Otomyologist to perform surgery at a hospital. I already know of someone at Emory Clinic, which is nearby.
I won't let just anyone do surgery. Not until I'm certain there's no other way. And that will be a year from now.
What are your symptoms anyhow? I'm curious about your condition?

Well, a VERY sudden onset of air hunger on December 15 2001. No warning, nothing. I was outside and suddenly got the sensation that I needed to take a deep breath but when I tried, I couldn't get a deep breath. No pain, no discomfort.... just air hunger.
Over three days it progressed (became constant) and I would feel like I had to yawn and couldn't....

Then I became anxious about it... which compounded my problem. I went to my doc and he listened to my lungs and heard a squeek at the end of the breath....
HE said reactive upper airways disease.... he thought maybe a reaction to something. He gave me Albuterol,
and sent me home. I went home and took it, and it didn't do anything but make me more anxious, and I had a panic attack.

(Ididn't even know what a panic attack was at the time)

But I thought the albuterol would make it all better and when it didn't it freeked me out.

I went to the ER, and they took xrays which were clear.
They gave me oral steroids for the wheezing and ativan to calm down.

I took steroids and albuterol, and was scheduled for a PFT series. I was 12 days into treatment on the day of my PFTs and they came back normal.

I had a feeling I should not have taken the test while on steroids that would mask the problem... but....

I knew NOTHING about any of this stuff when this all started.

They sent me for a psych consult then, telling me it must be anxiety.

I went through this bouncing game for a while and in the mean time I was taking 60 mg of prednisone a day.
I had BAD side effects from them that I did not know was from them.....

I would cry for hours. I was convinced I was going to die. I had physical effects that made me feel like I had a huge gaping hole in my back.

I was in and out of this doctors office for this phantom breathing problem, and eventually I changed doctors.

I am an artist for a union restoration company, and do work with chemicals, but.... I wear respirator and gloves....etc.

I thought maybe it was asthma, and I do have problems with my back.

My new doc says asthma.... but also found some other weird things.... a granuloma in my lower right lobe of my lung.... inconclusive.... an ovarian cyst....
and h. pylori virus, (treated) he is now sending me for pfts and to have my stomach and back checked.

I was put on so many meds by that bad doctor that
I think it contributed to my stomach aches....
but bottom line I think asthma but pray it is something that will go away.

Blue

Blue, glad you are finally getting some better medical advice. Sure sounds like asthma to me - perhaps triggered by the chemicals at work in spite of your protective gear. 60mg of prednisone for more a few days can send a person for a serious mental rollercoaster ride. Albuterol and the other reliever meds all work through our adrenal system, so they come packed with side effects too - including increased anxiety. If the pred doesn't have you bouncing off the walls, the other stuff will. It comes with the territory sometimes. Once you know that however, you can take steps to counteract the side effects - or at least you know where these feelings are coming from.

hope you get some relief
Barb