Anxiety and Asthma

[shannonkg]

Jack,

The preventative medicines I'm on right now are singulair and Pulmicort. The Pulmicort is like prednisone only in an inhailed form. I haven't noticed any side effects besides a bit of a sore and dry throat.

The Singulair is for long term control and thus far I am also tolerating this very well. I would highly recommend this over the Advair cause if you look on this board there are a LOT of complaints about the Advair and it's side effects. It contains Serevent which can increase your heart rate and for me just made me feel really sick to my stomach.

As for the nebulizer that is like a beefed up version of your rescuse inhailer. Generally they contain something like albuterol. If you can get your ashtma under control with the short course of prenisone I don't see where you should need the nebulizer treatments but again that's all up to your DR. If your lucky you won't need it and can have a resuce inhailer like Combivent or Provental on hand in case of an attack.

Either way it's best to discuss all of these options with a DR who really knows something about asthma and not someone who just give out "the norm" cause this doesn't always work for everyone. I'm glad I didn't just take the advice of someone who said that we have to live with the side effects of these drugs because it helps our breathing. I was told by my allergist that we should be able to control our Asthma with no significant side effects from our medications. Hope your breathing easier soon.

Shannon

[rach923]

chemicaldreamer, i know you are entitled to your own opinion, but don't trash a medication just cause it doesn't work for YOU...i have several medications that have really reacted when i took them, and albuterol was useless for me until i went on long term dialators (advair and singulair). there are so many ways to treat asthma, and just b/c a certain med doesn't work for your specific problem doesn't mean that it doesn't help alot of other people...before advair and singulair my breathing was a mess, and i can always tell when i miss one or the other, so i know they're both playing a role in it all...

rach

[charleyhorse]

I think this discussion just underscores the fact that asthma is a very personal disease and everyone has to find their own 'coctail' of wonder drugs. Unfortunately, one prescription just doesn't fit everyone. Jack, the most common preventative meds are the inhaled steroids (pulmicort, flovent and the combination puffers such as Advair which contain one of these steroids plus a long-acting broncodialator). The other route to go is with Singular or Accolate which are not steroids and work in an entirely different way, although they also reduce the inflamation which causes asthma. These meds don't work for everyone but if they do, they give you an alternative to inhaled steroids. Prednisone, as you know, is the 'big guns' reserved for when the dr believes your asthma could become life threatening. Your 4-day course sounds quite appropriate.

The other (probably most important) step in prevention is to discover what your triggers are and try to reduce exposure. This will vary greatly depending on what your personal triggers are -- allergies, irritants, respiratory infections etc. It can take a while to put the puzzle together sometimes.

As far as nebulizers are concerned - I have an at-home nebulizer. I only use it when things get really nasty -usually just before and just after I end up in the hospital for two weeks Yuck! The nebulizer is expensive, time consuming and a nuisance ... but if your lungs are so closed up that you can't get the other medication into your lungs, the machine can help a lot. Most hospitals still use nebulizers when people arrive with a several attack. Researchers tell us that we get just as much medication out of a puffer with a spacer - but then most of these researchers have never had an asthma attack ... personally, when things get ugly, I appreciate the nebulzier. I would just hate to have to use it all the time. good luck

Barb

[jannywu]

Shannon, et al, I just can't wait to let you all know that I was /am also troubled by taking Advair. I was out on to this Advair by my doctor for a very mild Asthma (free sample from his office) on July 10th. I started to have anxiety / panic feelings about a week later which I did not pay attention. At the beginning of Aug., I felt a lot worse - more frequent anxiety attacks happened day and night, I also felt sick to my stomach and constantly warring about how ill I was and was near tears all the time…I called 24-hour nurseline and I was even connected to a consoler! Well, I know in my daily life, there had been no change which would cause such stress, so it got to be the medication. Two weeks ago, I went to see a different doctor and he suggested to only use once per day of Advair. But I could no longer stand the feelings / symptoms which mostly related to the anxiety attacks, so I went to see him again and he allowed me to be off Advair totally! At the same time, I carefully read the information sheet in the package and found out that the side effects are scary - Neurology: sleep disorders, tremors, hypnagogic effects, compressed nerve syndromes. Psychiatry: Agitation, aggression, depression!!! If my doctor would let me know these side effects, I would never ever try Advair. I don't even drink coffee!!!

Now I have been off Advair for 6 days, and am feeling much better. I do still have some light anxiety feelings daily but I know I can control myself. The drug is going to be in my body for few weeks and I hope I will be completely off such feelings soon. For all of you who have the same experience, please talk to your doctor, find the information sheet (you can easily find this 34 page long document on line by typing "Advair"), and point out the words to him/her - I doubt they read the information sheet completely and this drug is considered very new.

Good luck!

[Mary Grant]

Everyone: as a ten-year asthmatic, I've been around the block with meds. One thing sticks out big time: prednisone is nasty, no doubt about it. It can be prescribed in 5 and 10 mg doses. I suggest that you try the 5 mg first. With bad asthma, I take 40 mg (eight pills) but I've found I can get on my feet with 30 mg, decreasing the dosage to 1, then 1/2, nothing, next day 1/2, nothing, the last half, then nothing. I, too, have had intense reactions to prenidsone, chiefly in the anger category, and of course the jitters goes along with all this stuff-especially Combivent. So it helps me a lot to remember that if I do have to take prednisone, I make no long-term decisions; I tell my boss I'm on it; and above all, I try to remember that it's the medication, not me, that is the problem. This helps the anger and I know it will be over in a week. The doctors don't tell you younger and newer people to this dread disease what these meds do, but try the lower dose for a shorter period of time and see if that works.

After ten years, I'm still trying all sorts of med combinations with the ever-lasting hope that someday it will be under control. Don't despair. This disease presents so differently in most of us.

FYI: I've been on Advair for a couple of years--I have no problem with it and I am a type A personality with a very demanding job. If I'm having trouble med wise, it's because I've used too much.

Take care, each and every one of you.

Mary