bronchitis- could it be chronic????? :(

[rach923]

i wrote something about this on another asthma post, but it has not been getting many responses, so i thought i would post an updated topic

i went to the doc last thursday and found out that i have bronchitis. my allera dosage was corrected (long story) and i was put on the regular 180mg tab. i was given a z-pak antibiotic, and my doc also gave me TWO nebulizer treatments with albuterol.

now, the two nebulizer treatments did not clear it 100%, but the doc said it sounded "better". but after about an hour, my breathing was just as labored as before. my doc said he could here almost "no air flow in lower lungs" and when i asked my school nurse to check it yesterday, she said that my right lung sounded worse than my left, "the whole way through" and that both lungs sounded congested.

now, i'm getting kinda scared, b/c my breathing problems have always been said to be "in my head" so i ignored them...however, these past 4-5 mos they've been unignorable

i can't do strenuous physical activity b/c my breathing becomes to labored...i am dizzy alot, and i feel like i can never get a full breath...i was given albuterol inhaler for the chest tightness i described, but the docs said they could actually HEAR the wheezing and delayed exhalation of asthmatic patients...

since i have bronchitis, i was thinking, well maybe i have chronic bronchitis, so i did some internet searches on it...and it sounds EXACTLY like me!!! however, then i started to freak out, b/c then it talked about how the lungs deteriorated and how emphysema often resulted, and heart failure, etc if not cared for....aahhhh!!!! i know i'm probably worrying unnecessarily, but the symptoms sound exactly like me----eg.- irritating muscousy cough develops, persists for over three months with no other disease accounting for it, frequent infections, labored breathing----please, does anyone have any advice, ideas, suggestions or anything???? any response would be appreciated!!!!

rach

[wrin]

Honey, making a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis is entirely to do with clinical history. Have you sounded this congested for at least three consecutive months out of the year, for at least two consecutive years?

I get an allergic bronchitis every spring when the snow mould starts flying around. It lasts for about a month, and then goes away. This could very well be (and most likely IS) an allergic type of reaction, that will clear itself up, and if it isn't allergic, it's either viral, in which case it will clear itself up, or it's bacterial, in which case the antibiotic should take care of it, and it will clear itself up.

Get me?

I guess what I'm just saying is fretting and freaking out and worrying is probably doing nothing more than making you feel even WORSE, and making you agonize about your breathing even MORE. You know what you can do? Well, start with treating what's going on. Bronchitis mucus tends to be thick and copious, and the best expectorant is drinking lots of water by mouth. Hydrate yourself to the brim and the mucus will more than likely be easier to cough up. Trying to keep your lungs clear by coughing is the beginning of a set of good habits to start with your lungs. Lots of people are afraid to cough in public, like they don't want to make noise. If you have to cough, cough. If it's a chronic cough, tell your doctor, get to the bottom of why you're coughing, and then hopefully, it will go away, right?

That labored-type breathing occurring and persisting for longer than the course of antibiotics should have you running back to the doctor to find out precisely WHY. You sound FAR TOO YOUNG (Ie your reference to school nurse) to have the kind of chronic bronchitis you're thinking of -- which is a disease that most of the time happens to old smokers. Yes?

To recap;

If your antibiotics are done and you're still having this same bronchitis and it hasn't gotten better, a good idea would be to GO TO YOUR DOCTOR. If it gets a lot worse, especially to the point where you're starting to panic, a good idea would be to GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. If you're getting scared, talk to your doctor about maybe carrying around some albuterol since it seems to help you. I know when I have bronchitis that thing never leaves my side. You might also find it makes it easier to cough up the phlegm.

Putting up with this for so long without seeking treatment is not a great idea. Honestly, the emphysema-changes and things like that usually happen in people who've got chronic bronchitis from occupational exposure (think inhaling paint for like 20 years straight) or from a smoking habit. The two diseases are actually coupled under the heading of COPD, because they so often occur together. Some part of me doubts highly that your doctor thinks you have chronic bronchitis. But don't be afraid to be a bit of a jerk with regards to your treatment -- ask for testing, ask for something to help you feel better, if it doesn't get better after he says it's supposed to, hound him a bit. Sitting back and feeling sick isn't exactly a proactive way to make sure your problem is taken care of.

[rach923]

wrin, thank you sooo much for your reply...i know i'm probably too young and don't have the exposure to certain elements like most chronic bronchitis people do...but i am a bit confused....i'm trying to figure out whats going on...

to answer your q- i do have problems breathing for more than three monthes...its been since about the beginning of the school year (sept.), and i've always complained about having problems breathing since sixth grade (ie...i will be a freshman in college next year)...b/c i do not have the characteristic delayed exhale of most asthmatics, my docs are hesitant to label me as such...

however, EVERYONE who listens can hear the congestion in my chest and the lack of airflow in the lower part of my lungs, which makes me feel better, ironically, b/c now i know its not mental problem-which would be very hard to treat....

i am worried, but i try not to get to anxious about it, b/c i know that that does make it worse, so i try very hard to not get uptight, if i find myself thinking about it too much- i just change whatever activity i'm doing so that i am distracted from the problem...

the albuterol does work, but it is VERY temporary...i don't remember if i said....i had a nebulizer treatment twice at the docs office, which cleared it up somewhat, but its benefits were completely gone in an hour!!! and the albuterol makes me really shaky, so i'm not fond of the idea of taking it when it only works for like, 1/2 hour, but makes me shake for about 2...any comments or suggestions????

yes, i'm working hard on clearing up the bronchitis i have right now...i have taken all the pills in my z-pak to date- i have about two left, and i am very faithful about taking my nasonex and allegra, b/c i'm on many meds, that "take pills in morning" becomes a permanent "event" on my agenda...i am making all the efforts to change my lifestyle to compensate the problem...i dance, so i get exercise, but i do not purposefully exhaust myself...

also, every day i go to school i take a 1/2 liter water bottle, and i make sure to sip even when i'm not thirsty, b/c the water helps with the thick mucous as well as my digestive problems...

also, i have had wheezing twice to the extent that anyone within talking distance could here it, and the albuterol clears that up immediately, however, the effects of it on my ability to breath deeply are extremely limited...

here's my concern now....the docs can hear the problems in my chest, but they are not typical of most asthmatics...would i be better off with a long term bronchodialator such as advair...would that keep my airways open longer than albuterol???? could it be that i just don't respond very well to albuterol, and that another short term such as maxair would be better??? if anyone knows of any effective meds....please let me know!!!! thank you!

rach

[wrin]

For starters, Advair is not a long-acting bronchodilator, but it CONTAINS one.

There IS a way to get what you have under control -- the 'asthma triad' is known to be inflammation, constriction, and thick, tenacious whitish mucus. The delayed-exhalation thing is something that not every asthmatic has. The fact that the albuterol helps tells me that there's some bronchoconstrictive component, but the fact it only lasts 1/2 hour to an hour also tells me that the situation is very serious and that you should be ON THE BALL about getting this under control. Something that asthmatics are told is that if the albuterol doesn't last at least for a few hours then there's something serious going on.

I think you might benefit from a long-acting bronchodilator but that doesn't mean you'll get a prescription. There are potentially reasons why you won't be prescribed one -- since they're supposed to last 12 hours and Albuterol doesn't make much of a dent in you for very long, what's the point in medicating you with things that won't work like they're supposed to? I'm far from certain but your doctor will know more.

One thing that I think might help is if you got your allergies under control. The allegra sounds like it'll help with this. Another thing is that a different kind of bronchodilator might help -- atrovent is one kind that doesn't make you shaky and has the added side-effect of drying up secretions. I wouldn't be expecting to be getting this one right away either -- let's not mask the symptoms before we know what you've got, right?

And if your doctor does want to try you on a bronchodilator, you might want to see if berotec or maxair or bricanyl makes you less shaky, though they're supposed to have more side-effects to do with your heart (like increased heart rate) than does albuterol.

[rach923]

wrin, thank you for your informative responses to my questions...as i am not definately diagnosed with a lung problem, i am not very aware of the exact uses of all the medications, although i am familiar with the names of most ones you mentioned.

i am very concerned about myself, because the mucous in my system has decreased dramatically since i started the nasonex about 2 mos ago and since i started the allegra about a week ago...the antibiotics did NOTHING...well, (sorry to be so graphic) it did clear the colored muscous from my nasal passage, but as far as breathing goes, no go.

today i was in english and my chest felt really tight, down in the lower parts and right at the front area (like, right below my neck). this was scary, b/c i was getting dizzy b/c i could not take in a deep breath, so i took the albuterol, but it didn't really do much.

i have easy access to the school nurse, and so i was talking to her about this, and she was like, i wonder what your peak flow is...i was feeling really bad then, and it stated on some chart that i should get around 450, and i reached 400, so she said there wasn't much in that area to complain of.

this makes me kinda frustrated, b/c its yet another thing that appears "normal" when there is definately something wrong...i went three years before i got any diagnoses for my digestive disorders, and i don't wanna go through that again.

today when i was walking through the hall, i was getting very winded, and i literally thought i was gonna fall on my face...when i checked my pulse, it was 108! which the nurse said is not all that much high than the average for my age, which 80-100. but usually my rate is around 80-88, so this was alarming.

i'm going back to the doc on thurs (i requested and recieved the same doc i saw last week, thank goodness), and i'm hoping to check some things out...in all the years i've had problems, this is the only time that i know it CAN'T be in my head cause it is such torture...i feel like i'm being slowly strangled!

you made a very good point about the long term bronchodilators...if a short term one doesn't, then i may have less success with long term ones...does that fact that albuterol doesn't work possibly imply that this problem is symptom of another underlying problem?? i agree, i would be concerned he put me on a long term dilator without thoroughly checking other stuff out...

any more comments, suggestions, or ideas to what might possibly be going on?? i appreciate any and all responses!!!!

rach