hello there- this is my first time posting on this board. i am 17 and have had asthma since i was about 2 or 3 because my mother smoked while she was pregnant with me. but anyway i used to live in a small farm town in northern indiana and my asthma was pretty controlled. but shortly after i moved to houston with my daddy my asthma seems to have gotten much worse, i went from being on abluterol, to adding singulair and flovent to that list. i m no longer able to play the sports i once loved to play (in fact i had to throw a way a awesome scholarship for soccer and basketball) but i always seem to have a "cough" where i cough every now and them, like i am about to have a asthma attack (my attacks consist of me coughing and coughing and coughing because i can't breathe and wheezing etc, the works) but it is getting me worried because if i laugh to hard i have an asthma attack, if i get to excited i have an asthma attack, heck if i get to upset i have a asthama attack. one time my friend accidently sprayed mace in her house (she sat on her keychain bottle) and i had to go the hospital. also sometimes i get "cramps" in my lungs (every once in a great wwhile). i was wondering if anybody ahad any advice for me as to how to help this, i really don't want to be on anymore medications. can asthma actually get worse?and if so how do i stop it? i m really concerned. any advice would be appreciated.
Meagen
ps- by the way, i have not lived with my mother who smokes or been around virtually any smoke in 3 years

Houston has a lot more pollution than a farm in northern indiana. I'll bet that's what's doing it to you.

Unfortunately you can't really control your asthma further without taking more or different medications if you're not currently being controlled -- which is how things sound. You're not in control.

Look into what's working for you and what's not working. Look into possibly switching from Flovent to Advair (adding a long-acting bronchodilator -- they work wonders) or switching to combivent instead of albuterol for a rescue inhaler.

also, how long should a albuterol inhaler take to work? after i take my inhaler it takes from 10-20 minutes for me to be back in business

I use Maxair and my doctor told me it should start to work in 2-3 minutes - but I have rarely ever had it work that quickly. Do you use a spacer? - I got better results with that.

Albuterol takes a full 15 minutes to work fully.

You may notice effects within a minute or two.

Redhead: Have you told your father? I think you need to see an allergist or pulmonologist. You definitely need to have your meds checked, and you may need to try a couple in different combinations before you find what works. The allergist may want you to do some tests to find out if your asthma is related to allergies, which it usually is. Also, try to "plot" your episodes: more in January than April? Or after you eat wheat or chocolate--you get the picture. Do you have frequent sinus infections? Colds? If so, your doctor may order a sinus cat scan. Perhaps your allergic to something in the house--a pet? New carpets? Wool? Do you live downwind from a refinery or chemical plant? A good doctor will ask you all those questions and perhaps adjust your meds.

Good luck. Get back to us and let us know how you are.

Mary

hey guys! thanks for the advice! i took it and my daddy took me to a new doctor to get me checked out this morning (he almost had to take me to the hospital last night because i had a superbad episode (lung muscle cramped up and was unable to breathe without extreme pain) but that episode convinced my stepmom that i did need something else (she thinks i fake it sometimes-but that is just her-whole different issue right there!hehe) but neway my daddy took me immediatly this morning and i told hime what up (i c an't afford to go see a asthma specialist right now) but he checked me out and said i was only getting 85% of the oxygen i was breathing in...i told her everyhting and that my asthma is substantially worse in the spring. so they prescribed me on this new stuff called "Advair" and i have to do that twice a day-plus i must get nebulizer treatments 3 times a day til spring is over-plus my singulair and my rescue-inhaler when needed. she also gave me a spacer and a peak0flow meter so i can monitor my levels( i m glad that she actually paid attention to me, my other doctors never checked my peak-flow or anything like that). i m a bit upset i have to take more medicine, but i m glad it is gonna make me feel better (hopefully). thanks again fro all of your advice-i will kepp u posted to tell u how these meds work out for me!
Thanks and God Bless!
Meagen

Redhead: I'm so glad you have some new medical input and new meds. I can't believe that none of your other doctors did the peak flow thing or oxygen thing. My allergist doesn't do the oxygen measurement, either, so what we are all learning is that we have to be our own best doctor.

Take care of yourself.

Mary

Meagen,

That's sad someone thinks you fake asthma attacks. Like you wouldn't rather be doing something more fun!
I'd also like to educate thoase who think asthma is "all in the head". Makes me mad!
Anyway, I'm glad you're finally getting the care you need. Your asthma was obviously neglected for a long time.
Along with your new medications, you should have allergy tests done. This will give you an indication of allergens that may trigger your asthma symptoms. Animal dander, molds, and dust mites are high level allergens that can be controlled. Seasonal allergies can be controlled as well. Bring this up to your doctor on your next visit.
If you discover that your asthma is staying the same or getting worse, call your doctor immediately. Some asthma patients can't tolerate Advair. Also, the nebulizer treatments may make you nervous or hyper. This is normal. Hopefully the Asdvair will work for you, as it does for most people. I was not one of the lucky ones as it made my life a nightmare for 6 months.
Good luck.
"Listen to your body."
Diana

[This message has been edited by Advair Sufferer (edited 04-07-2003).]

hey guys i just wanted to let u know how things are going. they are going great! i haven't been able ot breathe this well in awhile! i am so happy i m not nearly as limited as much as i used to be. don't get me wrong if i laugh till i can't breathe, well then i have an attack and if i push myself to hard, but that is all in itself http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif thank you so much guys for your help and support. i have actually gone about 3 days now and i have only had to use my rescue inhaler once! i went back to the doc for a checkup yesterday and they said that my peak-flow is up to 94% from 81% whern i first come in there! they had to put me on flonase as well though because my allergies are still goin whacky, but i could care less as long as i can breathe!i feel on top of the world! thanks agian guys u helped me so much! god bless u all!
~meagen~
p.s. please pray for all of our troops and my fiance who is fighting in the navy http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I'm happy to hear you're doing so much better....but I have never in my life heard of someone getting asthma because their mother smoked when she was pregnant with them. Smoking during pregnancy will cause alot of things, low birth weight among them, but I've never heard of it causing a baby still in the womb to come down with asthma once they have entered this world. If you're going to blame your mom, it would probably be a better choice of words to say her second-hand smoke had an effect on your lungs while you were a toddler, but smoke does not damage a baby's lungs while it's still in the womb.

Take care.

Actaully there is pretty good research now to indicate that smoking during preganancy predisposes the baby to be atopic -- which means the child is sort of pre-programmed to devedlop allergies and/or asthma if the right combination of factors takes place after birth (being exposed to second hand smoke is one of the big ones). Another good reason to quit, espcially if you're pregnant.

Barb

excuse ym phrase of words, i didn't mean to say that because of her smoking while i was pregnant gave me asthma while still in the womb...her smoking while pregnant with me caused my lungs to be underdeveloped and thus making me more suceptible to getting asthma (so my doctor said) my dad worries about taht most (my lungs being underdevolped and my love for being active)i do believe however that my mom's smoking habbits and other drug habbits did create problems for my asthma, like charleyhorse said, i do believe that it does affect the gene code in ones body for lung problems so that u don't necessarliy see them right away. but i m sorry if my previous statement offended anybody. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
god bless
meagen-