Lifetime asthmatic in trouble..please help. - Asthma Message Board

byrdwoman · 02-21-2004, 12:06 AM

I been to the doctors 2 x's this week. Im so frustrated. I feel like im not getting any air at times. Then i panic. I have been asthmatic for 30yrs. On theodur,advair 500/50 daily. Now that i got this cold i have been started out at 120 mg from one er doc. I seen my allergist today and he doesn't believe in big burst of predinisone. My peeks are running 250-300 (not to bad). Some wheezing in the left lobe. My conjestion is in my chest and IT HURTS. It feels tight as a drum. Had xrays they were clear. and thats where it is out Now im also on 2 antibotics zithromax and septra. Zithromax i was started on a few days ago. The asthma doc isn't sure whether the zithromax is working, but wants me to stay on it with the septra. I need some advice on how i can get some relief of what feels like a inflamed bronchial tube in my chest. .I feel like im pushing air. I got a croopy cough that sometimes brings up green and yellow mucus. The taste is awful. The doctor also prescribed the mucus thinning med starts with a gul.. and a gel pill for the cough. Its been about 4 days and still battling. If anyone can help this lifetime asthmatic that has tried everything to get out of this hell. If you have any advice on what i can take to lighten the load in my chest and get that feeling breathing normally. Im sure someone out there that has this happened to them. It would be nice take anything that will relief this tiring run. Thanks to all that take the time.

hc85 · 02-21-2004, 01:06 AM

Have you tried nebulized saline? Or maybe even ask your doctor for an acapella or flutter valve? Does the mist help? You could also add supplemental flovent....

reader1 · 02-21-2004, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byrdwoman

I been to the doctors 2 x's this week. Im so frustrated. I feel like im not getting any air at times. Then i panic. I have been asthmatic for 30yrs. On theodur,advair 500/50 daily. Now that i got this cold i have been started out at 120 mg from one er doc. I seen my allergist today and he doesn't believe in big burst of predinisone. My peeks are running 250-300 (not to bad). Some wheezing in the left lobe. My conjestion is in my chest and IT HURTS. It feels tight as a drum. Had xrays they were clear. and thats where it is out Now im also on 2 antibotics zithromax and septra. Zithromax i was started on a few days ago. The asthma doc isn't sure whether the zithromax is working, but wants me to stay on it with the septra. I need some advice on how i can get some relief of what feels like a inflamed bronchial tube in my chest. .I feel like im pushing air. I got a croopy cough that sometimes brings up green and yellow mucus. The taste is awful. The doctor also prescribed the mucus thinning med starts with a gul.. and a gel pill for the cough. Its been about 4 days and still battling. If anyone can help this lifetime asthmatic that has tried everything to get out of this hell. If you have any advice on what i can take to lighten the load in my chest and get that feeling breathing normally. Im sure someone out there that has this happened to them. It would be nice take anything that will relief this tiring run. Thanks to all that take the time.

So sorry you are feeling so badly. Everything you describe sounds appropriate (except the 120mg pred...I agree with your allergist and personally don't think you will get any more benefit from 120mg than 60mg but what do I know). Are you taking albuterol by nebulizer? If not, that might make a big difference. I know when I've got bad bronchitis, it will open my airway AND break up a little mucus that I can cough up within the first 30min of dosing. Mucus thinner is probably guifanesin, which is the main ingredient in robitussin, et al. I sometimes get liquid guif with hydrocodone in it, which dulls the pain but it's up to your doc. (the hydrocodone may not mix well with the theodur--I don't take any theophylline meds any more). Coughing is a good thing, although it's tiring and can certainly make your rib cage hurt.

Good luck. Let us know how you are doing in a couple of days!

byrdwoman · 02-21-2004, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the advice. I am using my neubilizer w/albuterol every 4hrs. Has anyone else used 2 different antibotics at the same time? Thanks for your responses. I have had to pull some new tricks out of my hat on this attack. In my earlier years of having asthmatic as a kid and teenager. I was hospitalized every month just about. Then i went into somewhat remission. Just managed asthma with all the inhalers and pills. This recent attack has been a battle. The dr. usually lets me call my own shots. Except this time im all out of suggestions. This makes me nervous.
If anyone reads this post that has this stubborn cold. So far what has helped me to move my lungs is try to throw up. Sorry sounds gross, but its survival. It also helps when i exhale hard and try to break it up that way.
This nasty cold is a bugger for asthmatic. Unless i am out of remission with mine this is the hardest i have had to work in years. Thanks for all you post and i really apprieciate it.

jerrie97 · 02-21-2004, 11:10 AM

I've been on two antibiotics at a time - Rifampin and Ceftin. The rifampin was not for TB, by the way. It was used for it's bacteriostatic properties, meaning that it prevents the bacteria (haemophilus influenzae in my case) from colonizing further. The ceftin was to kill it.

I agree with hc about asking about a flutter to help you. My doc recently gave me one, and it has helped a bit, along with chest pt. The mucus thinner that your doc gave you was probably guaifenesin (sp?), which I hear helps a lot of people, but personally, it gives me more trouble. A repeat chest xray would probably be a good idea, considering that a lot of your symptoms sounds like pneumonia, especially because you had wheezing confined to your left lung. Asthmatic wheezing is usually heard throughout both lungs, all lobes. I'd have thought that the antibiotics would work though. A sputum culture would probably be a good idea too, to see if the antibiotics you're on right now are appropriate for the bacteria ... or if it is a bacteria that you have. 120 mg of prednisone is a bit ridiculous, considering that after 60 mg, you'll still get the horrible side effects, but it does little else for your lungs. Maybe you could ask about Medrol/Orapred, whatever your doctor calls it. It's the same thing as Solu-Medrol that you usually get in the ER...in pill form. Maybe you could even ask about Duoneb (via nebulizer), it's albuterol with some atrovent in it. The atrovent could help dry up some mucus. Do you have a lot of allergies? Have you ever been on Singulair? Have you come in contact with some major triggers lately besides a cold (cigarette smoke, perhaps?) It might also be that because you're panicking when you can't breathe, the anxiety makes you feel like you can't get any more air in. Have you had a pulse oximetry taken lately?

Wow, that was long...sorry, lol.

Make sure you drink a lot of water. Water is the best expectorant. Drink water even when you're not thirsty. Avoid milk.