posted
I'd been thinking about making this thread for a couple of days.. I got such good advice the last time I asked for medical help that I thought I could ask again. Still, I feel bad asking for things, when I don't feel like I give much in return...
Lately, I've been feeling pretty crummy. Slightly congested in the lungs, as usual, my throat has been tight, and I've been feeling a little more asthmatic and coughy than I usually do. Then a few days ago, I noticed I'd been having slightly more restless sleep than usual, and feeling a bit tired and dizzy. Then I realized that I was feeling frequntly very thirsty... I decided that all this stuff didn't necessarily point to something good, and I should talk to someone about it. I have a few other symptoms that aren't good as well.
I feel stupid posting this... (sigh)
I will do something nice for whoever helps me on this, if only to soothe my guilty feelings.
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posted
That sounds like what happened to me when my asthma was not under control. You need to see your doctor or allergist, sweetie.
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I haven't been taking my medicine lately... I'll call my parents and make sure they know that I need it.. (I left it at home) Thanks for the advice, ketchupqueen... Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
You're welcome. In the meantime, if you start feeling that way again, try a strong cup of black tea. Not green, black, and brewed really strong. It can sometimes help clear your tubes. You'll probably be too wired to sleep, but you'll be breathing.
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posted
I will. I do have albuterol, I just don't have my Advair. I've been using (abusing?) the inhaler, so I'm all right with that.
The thing that's really been causing me trouble are the other things, the dehydration, the restless sleep, and right now what's primary on my mind is the fact that there is an uncomfortable cramping in my bowels. :/ Sorry for the TMI.
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Dehydration and restless sleep came from uncontrolled asthma in my case; dehydration was a side effect of mouth-breathing, and the asthma was causing me to not breathe right while lying down. I'd suggest that tea during the day, lots of water, and prop yourself up at night to sleep better. As for the bowels, you might have an unrelated virusy or irritation type thingy. I'd try taking the medicine, and if it doesn't resolve (or if it gets worse), see a doctor.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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You have too many different sorts of symptoms for me to really know what is going on. You could see an after hours clinic today or, if you're in college they should have a clinic there. Do consider if you are overusing the inhaler that means a couple of things. First, that you should get the asthma under control. All your albuterol is doing is short-term staving off the symptoms. You probably need the steroid that is in advair, plus whatever else you are normally supposed to take. If you have allergies then adding anthistamines like claritin might help too. Seeing a doctor who can listen to your lungs and symptoms is a good idea. Second, what do you think overusing albuterol will do? It can cause jitteriness, shakiness, insomnia, dry mouth, diarrhea and lots of other things.
posted
However, when you get a breathing treatment, you're getting about 10 shots on the inhaler's worth of albuterol. So, as long as you're not doing it every other day, "overuse" of the inhaler might not be at the root here. As I said, try taking your Advair, and then see what happens.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I googled tea and asthma out of curiosity. I never heard of that helping asthma, caffiene is similar to theophylline in high doses but I was always taught that the dose in tea or coffee was too low to be effective. Oddly enough there were a lot of Mormon links on the subject of asthma and teas. Most were related to a specific tea, Mormon tea, which contains ephedra and was used by pioneers. How fascinating. In any case I thought black tea was off limits to LDS anyway. Aren't you LDS, ketchupqueen? How do you know it's good for asthma?
posted
It's the theofolin (sp?). And in an emergency, I would drink black tea if my inhaler was empty, I was far away from the nearest emergency room, no one else had albuterol with them, and I needed to breathe, as it would be medicinal. I am LDS, but I was not raised LDS. The strong black tea was told to me by my doctor, and also my father (another doctor) and my mother (RN). The caffiene can help a little, too.
And I did use it once in HS to keep me alive and breathing on the way to the emergency room, which was 20 minutes away, when my inhaler just wasn't working.
posted
My mom told me that, too. But she was under the impression that it was the caffiene. That's part of the reason I don't drink caffiene if I can avoid it, (or resist it) so that it would still be effective if I needed it.
I have other reasons, too, so I won't be going back to it if caffiene is not the thing that helps asthma. Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
The caffiene helps a little, as I said, but it's mostly this other chemical, which is a bronchodilator, I think.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Since there are so many knowledgeable people with asthma in this thread I thought I'd post a question as well. A week ago I went to the dr. about an asthma flare-up after not having *any* trouble and no meds for a year. My allergies had gotten worse, so we both figured that's what caused the flare-up.
He put me on Pulmicort, plus I have the albuterol. I normally don't have any trouble breathing during the day - it's always at night. I lay down and can't get a deep enough breath to feel comfortable. So anyway, I began taking the Pulmicort and was improving until the last day or two. Last night I was up till 3:30am, so tired I was crying, but I couldn't breathe well enough to sleep (this was with 4 doses of the albuterol as well). I got up about an hour ago and my chest already feels like someone is sitting on it, and I'm wheezing on a lot of my inhales.
Should I call the dr. on Monday or just keep giving the new medicine time to work? And is there *anything* that will make me more comfortable in the meantime?
posted
That doesn't sound good at all, SO. I think you should at the very least call the doctor. Also, you might think about sleeping sitting up, to relieve a little bit of the pressure. If you had or have a nebulizer, I suggest you use it.
Edit: Also, try not to stress yourself out too much. The key to keeping yourself from being in too much danger can be summed up in two big, friendly words. Don't Panic. Stress and agitation and panicking just make it worse and can sometimes cause asthma attacks on their own. Just please be with someone if you're having problems, and make sure they know that if you start having difficulties, you need to go to the hospital.
Off topic, slightly, click here, ketchupqueen. Just a silly little thank you sketch.
posted
Space Opera: At home it sounds like you're going the wrong direction. I thought when you posted about your asthma last week you didn't sound good at all and it sounds like this isn't any better. The steroid inhaler should be working after 24-48 hours. If you are already on inhaled steroids, albuterol, and antihistamines, for a week, getting worse, then I don't know what else to suggest except oral/IV steroids and breathing treatments.
I suggest an ER. You could go to a walk in clinic too, they can do breathing treatments and give you an oral steroid prescription. If you look too bad to them they'll just call an ambulence and send you to an ER, so think carefully before you pick that option if you sound bad.
posted
Theca, please please please say you're not talking to me!
Part of the reason I didn't call the dr. last night was because I've sort of lost faith in this being all the way gone. I don't have the "typical" case where I get wheezy after physical activity, etc. And I always have a good score on that -grr, don't remember the name - slidy tube thing that you blow into. I went to the ER once a few years ago when it was really bad and had a breathing treatment which in all honesty didn't help much.
It's not like I get to the point where I'm taking rapid shallow breaths and "Oh my god - she's having an attack!" It just...hurts. That's the only way I can think of to describe it. I'd say I'm taking a breath that feels good (meaning I feel like I'm getting all the air I need into my lungs) maybe 1 out of every 5 breaths. Do you still think I should go? I don't want people at the ER to think I'm nuts.
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SO, if you can't take a deep breath, go in. Really. If a breathing treatment doesn't work, they may have to admit you, but at least they'll figure something out. If you get a good score on the peak flow meter even when you're not breathing, bring that up when you go in. You may just have good lung capacity or something.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I know how you feel. Sometimes people tell me I need to go in and I really don't feel like I need it. But obviously you're not feeling well, and if you can't sleep it's disturbing you. And wheezing is never a good sign.
I have that same problem on peak flow tests... I breathe about the same on the meter whether I feel fine or I feel like crap. But that doesn't really make me feel any better...
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
That sounds a little atypical. Have you had lung function tests that diagnosed your asthma? Or how were you diagnosed? And what flow meter score are you getting today/last night?
Also you sounded last week like you had a productive cough. Are you still coughing or congested? Did you get an antibiotic by any chance?
I'm really not very good at doing this online. My instincts say you should be evaluated but if you have a good peak flow and can speak in full sentences you will have to be the judge of whether you need help today or can wait.
posted
No cough, Theca. Maybe you're thinking of AJ?
From what I remember of testing, I went to my old dr.'s office and saw the breathing specialist there. I had to blow into a thingy several times - there were candles on a computer screen and I had to pretend that I was blowing them out. There was probably more to it than that, but I don't remember. She's the one that originally prescribed the albuterol along with a steriod inhaler to help the passages open at night - I assume that the Pulimort my new dr. prescribed is the same thing.
Even on the day that I went the dr.'s last week I blew a 350 on the peak meter thing. Maybe I'm just a weirdo. I just checked here at home and blew a 350 again.
Like I said, I dunno whether you need to go in or not. If you continue to worsen or the peak flow drops, then you should. If you don't go then you should call Monday.
posted
Thanks everyone. The congestion has actually gotten worse the last 2 days, so maybe that's why I'm having trouble again.
I guess I'll kind of hang out and see what happens. If I get to feeling worse today or can't sleep tonight I'll just go ahead and go to the ER. At worst, I'll have a good-sized bill to pay.
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I feel stupid posting this... (sigh) 
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