Has anyone had a bronchoscopy

[Gabby2007]

They do it so they can actually look at the inside of your lungs, do biopsys (sp?) and lab tests as necessary. My asthma diagnosis was not a clear, easy one, so they did the bronchoscopy as a way of ruling out other disorders that could be causing the symptoms. It isn't a necessary part of every diagnosis.

[Vanessa74]

Thank you Gabby,

What were your asthma symptoms? What medications do you take for your asthma?

Thanks again!

[Gabby2007]

I had a chronic cough that got worse when I was out in the cold or talking (singing, laughing, etc). My chest felt tight. I didn't normally wheeze or have unusual breathing sounds, although my doc (primary care doc) heard it a time or too. I've also always had bad chest colds (or asthma attacks?) that last 2 months each time - when I was a kid, I was the only one in the family (6 kids) with my own vaporizer! Once I also had a collapsed lung from coughing - our family doc (at the time) called it "bronchitis". Now I wonder if that wasn't just childhood asthma.

I do NOT have allergy symptoms, so this has been a tough diagnosis. I am also the only one in my family to have this - not surprising, since it is nonallergic asthma.

I use Asmanex, Serevent, and Singular as controllers - the highest dose of each. I use Xopenex as a rescue med - both inhaled version and nebulizer. I know that use of the spacer is supposed to make the inhaler as effective as the nebulizer, but *I* think I get a bit more out of the nebulizer...at least when I use the nebulizer, I get side effects (shakiness) that I don't get from the inhaler w/ spacer...that's my theory - maybe a flawed idea?

Most of the time I feel pretty darned good these days, which is wonderful - seemed to take forever to get the right meds. I use Xopenex before I go out in the cold for more than a few minutes; I think it makes a big difference.

Do you have a good pulmonologist? I had to fire one doc - he said that I just had repeated bouts of "post viral cough" - that some people just had a long period of coughing after every cold, and that inhalers would help me! Hmmph. Sounds like asthma to me! Maybe he didn't want to slap me with the asthma "label"? I don't know. My life really hasn't changed now that I am considered to have asthma - it is NOT a big deal to me.

But I have a great lung doc now - he puts up with my wierd sense of humor and seems to know what he's doing!

Sorry to ramble...

[Vanessa74]

Gabby,

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing with me. I was diagnosed with asthma 5 years ago (had severe upper chest tightness after a reaction to a Calcium Channel Blocker HBP medication) - had a PFT that came back normal, but my Dr. started me on Intal as a preventative and gave me Albuterol for rescue.

I had it severe when I was a child and it 'went away' when I was 7 - I normally never cough or wheeze (do clear my throat sometimes) - I just get severe chest tightness (soemtimes upper, sometimes lower chest?). I was on Intal for 3 years and then switched to Flovent (2) puffs in the am. I was doing GREAT - until 10/2007 - when all of sudden my breathing went down hill. Found it difficult to take deep breaths and such severe chest tightness that I felt like someone had a belt wrapped around me PULLING and pulling, all day all night day in day out - HORRIFIC. Three trips to ER - O2 sats fine, no wheezing, no coughing, and excellent breath sounds - so they would not treat me for asthma???? Back to the Dr. multiple times then to a Pulmonolgist - did another PFT - again all findings normal and no changes since the previous one 4 years before - but Pulm. told me to increase Flovent to (2) puffs twice daily. Stop the Beta Blocker HBP medication I was (AM) on and add Prilosec for GERD.

Anyway, long story short - doubling the Flovent did not help - the Prilosec did seem to help a bit but gave me TOO MANY side effects. Went off the Beta Blocker for a while - but my regular Dr. (who does not seem to think I have asthma???) - put me back on it.

I am MISERABLE.... My breathing is horrid everyday - when I go in (frequently) to my Dr. for it - always listens and says you sound GREAT!! Peak Flows normal and O2 normal??? He wants me to DECREASE back to Flovent once daily but I am SCARED.... I frequently wake up at night from chest tightness - or gasping for air???

Also, sometimes the rescue helps - sometimes it does NOT???

I am so scared and desperately trying to figure this all out. Your sharing has helped me. You have such a GREAT UPBEAT attitude about it!!! Thank you.... I am so glad you found out what was happening with you and got proper treatment!!!

I am scared of mine (astham) all the time- wondering if before they figure out what is wrong - what if I just quit breathing - so terrifying.

THANKS for listening!!!!