slight wheezing that comes and goes.

CheerAngel

Hi there, I also tend to clear my throat quite often. Sometimes it takes ALOt of effort to clear it. nothing comes up too. If it's allergies, maybe you could have allergy testings, not sure about mild asthma. Someone with experience and clue might get to you soon. Some people just have coughing as a sign of asthma, while some only get it when they exercise, and others maybe have chronic asthma... There are childhood asthma and adult-onset asthma. Allegra and zrytec are usually used to treat allergies... Singulair is usually used by asthma patients. Are you able to go and see an allergist or pulmonologist(sp)?

hc85

Is the wheezing noticed by you or a medical professional? Sometimes when I feel like I'm wheezing or sound like it, I'm not. Also, wheezing can be caused by acid reflux. Have you had symptoms of heartburn or stomachache lately?

I would request a pulmonary functions test (PFT) and possibly a methacholine challenge. I do know that tricare is really good about covering some of this stuff, since I've got tricare. All you have to do is request from your primary care physician a pulmonary functions test and if you've got a military hospital near by and your PCP works there, they should be able to get you in. You can also ask your PCP to refer you to pulmonary if s/he can't figure it out. I know that "whycare" (I like it!) is a pain in the neck sometimes, but they are covering my IVIG treatments ($30,000 a month) with no questions asked and no copayment. All of my PFTs, methacholine challenges, skin testing, referral to a psychologist (because I have a chronic disorder), my three week hospitalization, my pv curve, my IOS, my eNO, my three pH probes, etc have all been covered without a word from Tricare. Of course, I am being seen at National Jewish, which is the best of the best, so it's kind of hard for whycare to question the medical necessity....When National Jewish says jump, tricare asks how high. The only problem I ever had with tricare and my frequent hospital visits (I see a doctor once a week, am on 13 different medications, have had frequent testing and hospitalizations, get IVs twice a month, etc, etc, etc) was that they wouldn't cover the day program because I was out of region. I had to transfer my insurance out here. I hope you get it figured out, but please do ask for a PFT. Your PCP should be able to get you in. Then you can know if it's an obstructive or restrictive thing, if your smoking has caused emphysema or what. Good luck!

PinkBanana

First of all, regardless of your reason for quitting, congratulations on quitting smoking! I hope you stay smoke free=).
Wheezing, theoritically, should be helped by albuterol..wheezing is the result of narrowed airways caused by 1. inflammation/mucus production and 2. tightened muscles around the airways. Albuterol helps the second one, by relaxing the muscles around the airways. You may have inflammation in your lungs that needs an anti inflammatory such as Flovent or another inhaled corticosteroid daily to prevent it.
It may not be allergies causing your asthma, a small percentage of asthmatics have "intrinsic" asthma and their asthma is not always triggered by something.
Back when my asthma was pretty well controlled I took Advair 250/50, Flonase, and Clarinex which worked great together. You can develop asthma, in my case I had a history of inherited Atopic Dermatitis, apparently I had a 75% risk of developing asthma/hay fever later in life. So if you've ever suffered from Atopic Dermatitis of any kind(skin allergies)..well..your chances are high that you have asthma.