yeah...I think I have asthma!

eemccracken · 03-04-2004, 01:14 PM

I know this sounds weird but for years I have been feeling so sluggish, yawning constantly with a tightness in my chest. I always contributed it to my weight. But then it started getting worst. I would yawn and yawn without being tired. I didn't sleep through the night and always felt tired. I finally went to the doctor because my chest started feeling really tight and I thought I might be having a heart attack (only 29). My peak flow reading was a little low for my hight and my doctor thougth my lungs sounded slightly constricted. So she gave me some asthma meds for mild asthma. In one week, the constant yawning has stopped and I am starting to have more energy. Although I never had an asthma attack of wheezing I have had this constant restriction that just wouldn't go away. what a relief to finally feel like I am on the right track. I never thought I would be happy to be diagnosed with asthma but it is a relief to be getting results.

Sorry to go on but just wondering if others have had a similar experience of having persistant mild asthma symptoms without ever developing into an actual asthma attack. As I said, for years I have had this problem and only now did it start to get worst.

jp3892 · 03-04-2004, 02:01 PM

Its always hard to tell if u have asthma or not. Just because albuterol works doesn't mean its asthma. My sister took my albuterol one night when she had a cold but then became 'addicted' to it for 3 months whereby she couldn't go to sleep without taking it. I presume its because she got used to having fully functioning lungs (not because its addictive per se!). Eventually she had to wean herself back off it again.
U should get a proper asthma test done for yourself like IgE levels or methacholine etc.

PinkBananaz · 03-04-2004, 07:24 PM

Well I always suspected something wasn't right. Even as a child a simple cold or any kind of sickness went straight 2 my chest and would leave me coughing to the point of needing codeine every single time I was sick. When I was 12, I had a tight painful chest and was diagnosed with asthma, given inhalers, and then after that never had an episode until I was 16 again. I had always been a gymnast, I was built strong, so stamina was never a problem for me. However running was a real problem, I never could keep up with the other kids, despite my years of gymnastics. When I was 16 my stamina seemed to crash, and running/doing routines would leave me coughing for days, even weeks.
So I saw my doctor who gave me an albuterol inhaler 4 exercise and said exercise induced asthma. It worked great for a while, I could run, do whatever I wanted 2. Then the actual attacks started coming. I'd wake up, walk a few steps and get so out of breath I would nearly stop breathing. I was needing albuterol 8-10 puffs a day to get through the day and one day during an allergy attack I made a stupid decision to see if I could go w/out albuterol. I did stop breathing and had 2 be rushed over 2 the ER where I was diagnosedw/ Allergic Asthma. Not a big surprise 2 my doctor~ I have had severe skin allergies since I was born and had recently developed hay fever. I started on Advair 250/50 & felt great for about 6 months.
Gymnastics season started up again and every practice brought me home coughing, every practice we ran I got out of breath. Then the tightness turned into a pain, a sharp chest pain that left me unable to take half of a normal breath. That was the beginning of my asthma becoming a full blown, everyday event. I had a few ER visits, saw the doctor every week, if not twice, had to get a nebulizer, did steroid bursts, had severe chest infections(bronchitis 3x, last time turned into pneumonia) & I couldn't lay down w/out coughing until..well..it didn't stop. I coughed so much I injured my cartilage in my ribcage. My parents would have had me admitted had things not resolved when they did. However until the end of my gymnastics season, my lungs didn't go back 2 normal.
It wasn't until a few weeks after gymnastics did I realize that I must have been allergic to something in the gym. Think 10 year old mats that are collecting dust, getting wet and then under heat(MOLD)...horrible isn't it?
So it wasn't surpring that a few weeks after it ended my pulmonary function tests came back normal.
I'm doing alright right now, still my peak flows are pretty low 4 me(290-350 on a good day), but then again i've never been able 2 hit very high. Advair & Flonase have been lifesavers 4 me & my asthma..so until spring hits(allergy season! ahhh!), i'm alright.
so that's my story. Same thing that happened 2 you..cept 4 the downfalls I have hit recently. But I hope you never do experience a full asthma attack or it worsens..just remember to keep u pwith your medicine!=) When you don't that's when u have problems!

SweetPuff · 03-04-2004, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eemccracken

I know this sounds weird but for years I have been feeling so sluggish, yawning constantly with a tightness in my chest. I always contributed it to my weight. But then it started getting worst. I would yawn and yawn without being tired. I didn't sleep through the night and always felt tired. I finally went to the doctor because my chest started feeling really tight and I thought I might be having a heart attack (only 29). My peak flow reading was a little low for my hight and my doctor thougth my lungs sounded slightly constricted. So she gave me some asthma meds for mild asthma. In one week, the constant yawning has stopped and I am starting to have more energy. Although I never had an asthma attack of wheezing I have had this constant restriction that just wouldn't go away. what a relief to finally feel like I am on the right track. I never thought I would be happy to be diagnosed with asthma but it is a relief to be getting results.

Sorry to go on but just wondering if others have had a similar experience of having persistant mild asthma symptoms without ever developing into an actual asthma attack. As I said, for years I have had this problem and only now did it start to get worst.

I've had asthma all my life, but since I have started working out so much over the past 8 years it has improved greatly. I ran track in HS and had problems especially with the pollen seasons and windy days. Like you I yawn a lot..still do. I don't take my medication unless I really really need it though b/c it makes me shaky. I don't have many wheezing symptoms unless the weather is bothering me and it's been years since I've had an actual attack. Warning......don't run at very high altitudes...I found that out when I about blacked out. I also recently had an experience with a gymnastics mat...it was left out wet and didn't dry and I was performing on it with all that mold underneath... I ended up in my hotel room coughing extremely badly and feeling terrible. It was pretty scary, but atleast now I know how strongly mold, etc.. can affect my lungs!

jp3892 · 03-05-2004, 08:05 AM

Sweetpuff: u obviously don't have bad asthma if u are only on reliever medication (and u don't even take that often!)

PinkBananaz: U say u were diagnosed at 12. What medication were u given? Then u say u were 16 and given inhalers again. Whe did u come off the last inhalers? Were u just given preventative ones his time?