Asthma

[John_B]

I've had sports induced asthma for close to a decade now and I feel like I've been getting a bit worse in the last few years. Of course this matches with increased skiing and being even more active. I've had albuterol inhalers for this entire time and I'm starting to get frustrated with both the cost and the fact that I seem to only get ~70 (3 months) or so puffs out of one before it starts acting funny and not spraying out the drugs. I'm curious if anyone has experience with the daily steroidal inhalers and what you've thought of them?

[huckbucket]

YMMV, but I've had EIA for a long time and I find that if I do some pre-breathing it dramatically reduces the severity of any given episode. Specifically, I try to "stretch" my lungs by taking in as much air as I possibly can and holding it for as long as I can. Repeat several times. Then I work on exhiliation and blow out all the air I possibly can. Repeat several time. I'm then able to participate in some hard, hard cardio efforts that would otherwise leave me gasping. It's been very effective for me and I used to use albuterol inhalers too. Again, I imagine not everyone will see a benefit, but it's worth a try.

[HansJob]

Greatt tip HB. Run hot water over the cylinder. It extends the uses. Keep the plastic mouthpiece clean. Residue can gunk up the plastic. A hot water fix.

[Flounder]

I was lucky enough to get adult onset asthma as part of this freak ass disease I have. For the asthma I am currently on symbicort (lowest dose) twice a day as well as singular. I was on advair but the insurance costs went through the roof. I rarely have to use the rescue inhaler, pretty much only when I am fighting a cold and cough. For a while I was using my inhaler everyday before skiing but last year I didn't and I was fine. I am on and off prednisone so that skews things as well. I've been road and mountain biking a lot this summer and feel great so far.

I've been quite pleased with how well my asthma has been. It seems to be the easiest of my symptoms to control. Prior to diagnosis it was miserable and I couldn't sleep through the night because of the coughing and breathing. Hard to tell about side effects for me as I am on so many other drugs as well.

[montanagirl]

Welcome to the club! As a current donor to National Jewish, all I can say is uggg. I take symbicort due to cost and noticed very little difference from advair. When advair first came on market, it was a lifesaver. I'm hoping you never have to deal with the prednisone boosts, probably the worst for side effects. Neti pot on regular basis has helped with not getting sick as often. I get teeth cleaned at least 3 times a year, with inhaler use you are susceptible to trush as well as keeping inhalers clean. I take a neb treatment before exercise, have a dr write a prescription for a portable one that charges in car. If your aggressive about the asthma, you will find a team of pulmonologists that will keep you healthy! Good luck!!!

[neufox47]

I take a steroid inhaler and albuteral daily. It keeps it at bay. I have almost no symptoms when I'm taking it and without it I wheeze / can't take full breaths when I'm exercising at 85-100%. Never tried seperating the two to see what would happen, which one does more. The cost of the steroid inhaler is triple the cost of albuteral though. I have been doing stomach breathing exercises for the last few months, but I haven't been doing them enough. Not sure if they have benefited me or not.

[Shredhead]

My Asthma's seasonal. Hot and humid, like right now, is bad. I replaced Advair with Qvair. Same active ingredient without the long acting albuterol, but it's lot's cheaper.

[splat]

I recently got like the worst bronchitis I could have ever imagined. It hit every night and I was up all night coughing. I was only sleeping one to two hours a night. It got so bad I had to use an inhaler when I got to the point I couldn't breathe. Finally got some antibiotics and they kept it at bay for a while, but it came back. Ended up in the ER on respiratory therapy and was prescribed albuterol and advair along with costly antibiotics. I refused the prednisone they prescribed. Over it all now but y'all have my sympathies if you've ever had that panic attack when you couldn't breathe.

[neufox47]

Over it all now but y'all have my sympathies if you've ever had that panic attack when you couldn't breathe.

I'm pretty sure my mental ability to be comfortable and hold my breath in the water was permanently impacted by having childhood asthma. When I was trying to learn spearfishing I could hold my breath for 2 minutes and 30+ seconds while walking fast, get me underwater (deep) where I know I can't breath and I'd freak out after like 15 seconds.

[Skiwurrel]

What about inhaling snow? An avalanche would sure be freaky.

[Skihuckster]

Had the same problem with albuterol under dosing. Switched to brand name ventolin and the problem went away (turns out ins copay was the same). GSK must have better quality control.

Last year started using QVar. Changed my life. Have needed albuterol maybe twice this year (from many times a week). Crazy because Flovent, Advil, Proventil, etc did next nothing and were all more expensive.

Anyway good luck. It's a fickle bitch

[philth]

I was lucky enough to get adult onset asthma as part of this freak ass disease I have. For the asthma I am currently on symbicort (lowest dose) twice a day as well as singular. I was on advair but the insurance costs went through the roof. I rarely have to use the rescue inhaler, pretty much only when I am fighting a cold and cough. For a while I was using my inhaler everyday before skiing but last year I didn't and I was fine. I am on and off prednisone so that skews things as well. I've been road and mountain biking a lot this summer and feel great so far.

I've been quite pleased with how well my asthma has been. It seems to be the easiest of my symptoms to control. Prior to diagnosis it was miserable and I couldn't sleep through the night because of the coughing and breathing. Hard to tell about side effects for me as I am on so many other drugs as well.

This sounds freakishly familiar to my situation. Just curious but would that freak ass disease be Sarcoidosis? I'm sorry if its TMI but was just curious. Its been kicking my ass for 12 years and the asthma is just starting to kick in

[Flounder]

This sounds freakishly familiar to my situation. Just curious but would that freak ass disease be Sarcoidosis?

Not sarcoidosis but Churg-Strauss Syndrome. Although it has a new fancy scientific name of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Lucked into a great doctor who was able to catch it at the end of the second stage and before too much damage was done in the third stage.

Coworker has sarcoidosis so I feel your pain. His has impacted one of his eyes pretty badly. Hope your treatment is going well.

[Tuckerman]

I'm going to have my kids dr switch her to QVar today. She uses Flovent which seems useless. Last Friday she had a soccer game and I could tell by the way she was acting on the field that she was having an attack. Thing is she will not pull herself out of a game because she is not will to jeopardize a win for her team. At the half I went to see her and her eyes were bugging out and bright red she said she had a head ache and her toes wee numb. After the game (she played the 2nd half) we called her Dr they told us to bring her to the ER. This is the 2nd trip to the ER because of Asthma the first time was scary this last time was less scary.

I don't have Asthma but I don't think most ppl with Asthma are going to the ER all the time. She has a game tonight I bet it happens again. I practiced with her on Saturday and she had an attack. Maybe I should get her referred to a lung Dr.?

[neufox47]

Not at her age. I'd definitely go see a doc asap. Did she take albuterol before and during the attack?

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[Tuckerman]

Not at her age. I'd definitely go see a doc asap. Did she take albuterol before and during the attack?

Yes........

[Skihuckster]

Soccer is a big trigger. Yes she should see an asthma expert. I've had docs that didn't know shit about it but acted like they did and gave me the wrong stuff. Also an allergist. Not sure how nationwide they are but national Jewish in Denver have basically erased my son's asthma and that after he was in the ER twice in 6 mo.

And tell her to leave the game when she has an attack!! She'll be slower because of lack of O2 and a different player will pick it up. TEAM!

[Tuckerman]

She had another attack at last nights game. Took her to the Dr this am gets a 3ed medicine. Two hours later (today) I get a call that she had an attach in class but she is ok. 20 mins ago I get a call she is having a attack on the practice field, now she in on her way to the hospital again. This is getting out of hand. Could it be our two dogs?

[detrusor]

Yes, pets can be a trigger, air quality as well.

[neufox47]

Nebulizers are more effective. Is she using only inhalers or does she have a nebulizer for home? When I had pneumonia, an inhaler of albuterol barely budged my peak air flow but a nebulizer bumped it up 75.

But uhh, what does the doc say? It's facking 2013, we've had Olympians with asthma, I don't understand how they can't get this under control.

[Flounder]

It's facking 2013, we've had Olympians with asthma, I don't understand how they can't get this under control.

All depends in the doc. When I was getting sick I relied on my primary care doc and he turned out to be a complete hack and I was headed for sure death until one day I saw a different doc because he was out. Things improved once I went to an allergy and asthma specialist. Also it does take time for the systematic drugs to take effect and then you still have to tweak doses or even switch meds. Everyone reacts differently to different drugs.

Good luck OP, if you haven't already get to a specialist ASAP.

[Shredhead]

It's been hot, humid and mold counts are through the roof. I ride every morning and I see a hot asthmatic marathon babe most days. We've both been dragging this week.
Sometimes you just have to tone it down and we both know when. Time to take your daughter to a specialist and figure out what her triggers are.

[Skihuckster]

YES to the dogs but her attacks weren't at home so that's not the only trigger. Could help to keep the dogs out of her room. Also we bought a Dyson and were able to suck up a disgusting amount of crap our old vacuum missed.

The ER docs just treat and release. Get that girl to a specialist. Worth sitting out the fall season too. When your body is weakened the next attack is easier to trigger. She needs to heal up and ease back in. Think of it as a knee injury.

This can get better. I suffered the same as a kid. Better with time.

[Tuckerman]

Dr thinks she might need a sports shrink. Dr thinks my kid is getting so upset about getting beat or her D giving up a goal in soccer or lax that she is having a anxiety attack which induces the asthma. My kid wants us to give her two weeks to get it under control.
We can see her stressing, throwing her hands in the air and rolling her eyes at her teammates if they screw up back there so maybe that's it.

[neufox47]

Did they hook her up to the treadmill / breath measuring machine? Sounds like the doc passing the buck to me. Does she have the other signs of an anxiety attack?