Allergies, asthma, shortness of breath

plm · 08-13-2003, 11:03 PM

I have been feeling short of breathh for 8-9 months. Just a constant shortness of breath. Had chest x-ray which showed hyperinflated lungs (too big). PFT test was good except FEV25%-75% was low, which shows restriction in lower airways. Methacholine challenge test for asthma was positive. DLCO was 127% of norm, which indicates asthma. Pulmonary doc said asthma.

I've been on Pulmicort (inhaled steroid) and Foradil (bronchodilator) for 3 months, and Singular for 6 weeks. Still feel exactly the same, no change.

Went to allergy/asthma clinic last week and doctor said this sounds like odd behavior for asthma. Just a constant SOB, no asthma attacks, no wheezing.

Today I had allergy tests and was positive to almost all 56 things he put on my back. So I'm going to start the shots.

I don't have a runny nose or watery eyes or any of the usual allergy symptoms. Just a constant mild shortness of breath.

I know my lower airways are restricted, but it is odd that the Pulmicort, Foradil, and Singulair haven't made a change in this feeling.

Has anyone else felt like this and taken shots? Did they help?

Puckerupxox · 08-19-2003, 11:04 PM

I have sob alot but i dont take anything, mine is more when i am exercising, does it happen when your exerting yourself? I dont wheeze nor cough either. I think alot of might be just out of shape but I dont know. It never got that bad that i needed to take medication.

sheisherself · 08-31-2003, 07:49 PM

Hello, for the last two years i have had problems breathing. I got pluresy (probably spelled wrong) and it just hurt to breathe (i just wanted to die) and i should say i was in great shape before this happened (exercising at least 2 hours every day, most days 3 or 4 hours). then i was told i had allergy induced asthma on the fourth of July (it hurt to breathe and even though i was not wheezing i felt like the air i was taking in wasn't making it all the way in. The inhaler seemed to help, but when i exercise or go up a flight of stairs i feel like the only thing i hear is my breathing. This really brings me down because i don't feel like exercising. Today i feel like **** again. I feel like the air that i am taking in is not going in all the way, maybe like something is stopping it. I seem to smell mold a lot from outside and it is irritating. also when i cleaned the bathroom the fumes were really bothering me from the cleaners (i had the window open). Have you found out anything new? Have you noticed any changes? I think i need to go to an allergy specialist too.

plm · 08-31-2003, 09:34 PM

My suggestion is to go to a pulmonologist and get a pulmonary function test done. Find out if you have exercise induced asthma. You could be having "mild" asthma attacks. But they could get worse and you could have problems with your lungs if you don't get this treated. Doctors used to just treat the asthma attacks when they happened with inhalers like albuteral. But in the 90's the medical community changed their thinking. Now they feel that you should be on broncodilators and cortico-steroids to PREVENT the asthma attacks. The idea is to keep your lungs open and reduce the inflammation.

Personally, I don't believe in "guessing". I don't like it when doctors say "maybe you have asthma, here try this." I think you should get proper testing so you KNOW what the problem is and then treat it.

I have just started my allergy shots. I did notice on my results that I am extremely allergic to dust mites (it's actually their poop that you are allergic to). So I'm trying to do the things you should do - encase bedding in dust-mite proof covering, I'm getting new carpet (which I was going to get anyways), I'm going to buy some mitacide for the furniture, etc. I'm putting my bed pillows in the freezer for about 12 hours each to kill the mites before putting on the pillow coverings.

So far, I feel about the same. But allergy shots can take 6-12 months to start working. And even the corticosteroids for inflammation can take that long. So I'm plugging along hoping all this helps.

ALuv4Labs · 09-10-2003, 07:05 PM

I do have asthma (was diagnosed a few years ago), and I have pretty much the same symptoms as you are describing. Originally, the preventative medication I was on was Intal. However, after trying it (and a few others) for a while, it didn't do much good. About a year ago, I switched to Advair and could tell a huge difference from the start! I highly recommend Advair for anyone with asthma!!! The fast-acting inhaler that I use is Albuterol. Good luck with everything!