I deserve the "dummy" award!!!! - Asthma Message Board

01-18-2003, 08:32 PM

I have asthma.

Today my friends and myself organized a workday to get work done in my house.

We polyurethaned a floor last night, hoping it would be dry in time for this event today. With the windows open and the door shut off from the rest of the house, the smell still lingered.

I awoke this morning with a burning throat and short of breath. I couldn't shake the feeling for quite a while, even after using my rescue inhaler.

So I decided to work to distract myself the best I could.

We tore up an olde rug and installed a new oone, and did some other stuff. I had an asthma attack.

I feel okay now, but cannot get the polyurethane smell out, and it keeps aggravating my condition.

Duh.

What do you do when flovent and albuterol don't always cut it?

charleyhorse · 01-19-2003, 09:41 PM

Wow .. you really know how to push the limits

Actually it sounds a little dangerous. I know odors like that would send my lungs packing for a week. When the puffers don't work for me I swtich to a nebulizer. I know the researchers say that puffers and a spacer work just as well, but I find a nebulizer seems to get the meds where they need to be when things get nasty. Do you use one? The 'rule' I have with my dr is that if I don't get relief from three nebulizer treatments, its time to visit the good folks in emergency.
Hope your feeling better
Barb

wrin · 01-20-2003, 08:06 AM

I go to the hospital.

Doing what you were doing sounds like your house was not adequately ventilated. I know after having my house painted, everything was fine, even though we had the entire house (all walls and ceilings) painted, it didn't smell like paint. We had the windows open and everything.

Best time to paint is in the summer, when it's dry, because you can leave your house open all night.

As far as the tearing up the carpet thing goes, and even the painting thing, I feel like I should yell and say THOU SHALT WEAR A RESPIRATOR WHEN THOU ART EXPOSED TO TOXIC AIRBORNE PARTICLES.

And by "respirator" I don't mean the american word for ventilator, I mean a protective breathing apparatus.

01-20-2003, 03:02 PM

Well, you are both right.

I SHOULD have a nebulizer, but I do not, and DEFINATELY think I should get one.

Regarding the respirator, I actually did wear it, it is what I use at work, an OSHA toxic chemical protective respirator.

But the fumes lingered so long that I had to take it off and go to bed. The toxins were in the air for a long time, and still are....

You are right the ventilation in my house stinks.

Actually, an interesting point about painting in the summer,

technically, tradespeople are not supposed to paint when the weather is below 50. But I had to get this work all done since we are expecting a child to arrive in less than a month....

so... I wanted the house to be dust and fume free by then.

CAn I get my doc to precribe a nebulizer, or do I just buy one somewhere?

Blue

wrin · 01-20-2003, 07:12 PM

I don't think you can buy the equipment without a prescription...

Like, the hoses and mask and neb cups.

Besides, you have to get the medication somehow, may as well ask your dr. at the same time.