Asthma/Allergies...can you guys give me some information.. - Asthma Message Board

Midget · 08-27-2004, 11:54 PM

Edited to add: I'm 17, 18 in November...found out about my allergies in March...never got tested, but basically I feel lousy year round. Some days are better than others, though. So I think I'm allergic to a little bit of everything. I seem to feel the worst in the winter...congested and all. Doc says that's because of mold and dust. I asked him if I could get a med with a decongestant in it since I'm so stuffed up some of the times, but he said he didn't think I needed it. Should I ask him again when I go back or what? Or should I just get a life-time supply of Sudafed? :P

OK, I went to the doctor on Wednesday, and I was telling him about how I don't think my allergy meds were working...so he switched me to Aller-Chlor, and he was like I don't think these are going to work either. So far they seem to be working, but I'm not getting my hopes up--it took a few months for the other stuff to stop working. But anway, while I was there I mentioned to him that some days I just cough so much and feel short of breath and stuff...he said it sounded like the fine line between allergies and asmatha...and he could put me on an inhaler right now...so I was like what do you think we should do? So he was like OK just come back next month...see if my allergies are working and stuff. I tink that *might* be too soon to tell, but I'm not sure. Also, I think he's probably gonna investigate the asthma stuff some more...and maybe put me on an inhaler or something. I'm not sure. What do you guys think he's most likely going to perscribe me? Any general information and stuff, etc, any helpful information you have would be apreciated! I just hope we get all thise stuff sorted out before Winter, because I seem to feel the wrost then.

Plus...the doc said if I was asthmatic, my insurance would pay for Zyrtec...I think that's what he said anyway...does that make since?

Anyway...just give me some info, if anyone has any helpful sugestions, guidannce, etc..Thanks!

Kime · 08-28-2004, 09:03 AM

For my husband for asthma and for a friend of our sons for mold/dust allergies vitamin C works great to get rid of symptoms and it's cheap and easy to try. My husband has gone off or lowered the amount of C twice and both time his asthma symptoms came back so we know it is the C that is helping him. You just have to take enough to almost get diarrhea to find our what your bowel tolerance is. You have to take it nearly to the bowel tolerance level for 2-3 days to see if it helps you. You may have to take as much as 10-20 grams, twice a day. I have discovered that if you take it on an empty stomach you can avoid the bloating which occures with large doses on a full stomach. If you take it on an empty stomach the worst side effect that you can get is diarrhea, but it isn't painful and doesn't last long, and your stomach will rumble. A good side effect is that if you take enough it will cure cold symptoms, too. It works for allergies mainly because it clears the histamine out of your body. My husband takes 15-20 grams twice a day and our sons' friend takes 6 grams twice a day, because everyone is different in how much they need. You can look up vitamin C bowel tolerance on the internet for more information if you are interested.

If your stomach is bothered by ascorbic acid you can use a buffered form such as sodium ascorbate. We use ascorbic acid powder mixed with water or juice with stevia sweetener. I like to use part sodium ascorbate with a little ascorbic acid because ascorbic acid by itself is too sour and bothers my throat, but the sodium ascorbate by itself tastes like salt water so it needs a little ascorbic acid too make it taste better.

I think that if you continually take Sudafed your body adjusts to it and it is no longer effective at the proper dose.

Midget · 08-28-2004, 01:16 PM

Thank you for your reply.

reader1 · 08-28-2004, 01:43 PM

Your post confused me, b/c it doesn't sound like you are getting reasonable responses from your doc.

Zyrtec is an antihistamine and is normally prescribed for allergies, so I don't know why your insurance wouldn't cover it if the doctor reports you have allergic symptoms.

Standard protocol for what you describe in terms of your nasal symptoms would be an anthistamine like Zyrtec either in combination with an oral decongestent or with an inhaled nasal corticosteroid - flonase, rhinocort, or nasonex usually - which helps treat the inflammation of the sinuses caused by allergy.

With your possible asthmatic symptoms, some doctors might prescribe an albuterol inhaler for you to use when you have symptoms to see if it improves your symptoms and ask to see you again in a month. If the albuterol worked and you were only using it once or twice a week, they might not make any changes, but if you were using it daily they would probably prescribe a long-acting form of albuterol in combination with an inhaled steroid to treat the inflammation in the lungs. Other docs might go ahead and prescribe the long-acting albuterol in combination with the inhaled steroid to start with. Another commonly prescribed drug for allergies and allergic asthma is Singulair, which if fairly safe and can help both nasal allergies and allergic asthma. However, Singulair doesn't work for some people at all.

Take care.

Blondee15 · 08-29-2004, 09:20 AM

Sudafed is just fine to take on a daily basis, my doctor has told me many times to take it daily. Sudafed Severe Congestion is the best you can buy, OTC or prescription. He told me there really was no difference between Sudafed & prescription decongestants. You sound like you would benefit from a nasal steroid spray, like Flonase or Rhinocort. I love Flonase, it keeps me from being stuffy as long as I take it very consistently. You can then use Sudafed as needed. You also sound like you would benefit from a daily antihistamine(another key part of treatment for me), Zyrtec isn't the only one. You can use Claritin if your insurance doesn't cover antihistamines, or Zyrtec, Allegra, Clarinex(Claritin's prescription sibling), Benadryl, really a prescription antihistamine is no better than OTC, it's about finding what WORKS FOR YOU. I know my friend has horrible hay fever & never found much relief from antihistamines but then one day she tried my Clarinex & it worked soo well for her, she asked her doctor for it & is on it daily.
I agree w/ reader about the asthma stuff. Talk to your doctor about that.
Also, try to get allergy testing. I got it done & truth be told, most of the results didn't surprise me, but they gave me definite answers to prevention.