Asthma that doesn't respond to medication?

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Carken630

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Does anyone have asthma that doesn't respond to any meRAB, except IV steroiRAB? Prednisone use to work for me (I'm on 40mg now) but it doesn't seem to help unless I get them through an IV, maybe because I'm getting a higher dose...I've tried Foridil, Advair, syrabicort, asthmanex, pulmicort inhaler, and pulmicort for my nebulizer, and a couple others but nothing works! Albuterol nebulizer treatments help but I'm taking them every 4 hours. I haven't made it through a night without needing one in over a month. I'm exhausted and wondering if this is asthma at all? I also get hives all over my body on a regular basis. I have memory loss, terrible leg pain, nausea and occasional vomiting, chronic diarrhea, sudden weight gain (I gained 50 pounRAB in the last year) and my latest symptom is uncontrolled swaying of my head. My head just kinda sways slowly and slightly back and forth. I have been to so many doctors, I've lost count. They just kinda dismiss what I tell. They say "well, I'm stumped..and reviewing your chart tells me I'm not the first dr. you've stumped...we can just treat the symptoms." Blah blah blah, NONE OF THE TREATMENTS WORK! If anyone knows what this could be, that would be a miracle :(
 
Have you had them check your heart? Don't laugh... I had a friend with a life long history of asthma and for several years, it was so bad, she was in the hospital a week, sent to her nursing home for 2 weeks, go home for a week.. then back in the hospital a week, nursing home for 2 weeks, home a week and continued that cycle for a year or better.. She kept telling the doctors the medications they were giving her was causing the problems but none listened.

I don't know what got her to the heart doctor but she ended up having to have heart surgery and he told her THAT was her problem all that time they were treating her for that asthma and that is why she never got any better... She has NOT had asthma problems since and is doing fine... but many times during that year of in and out of the hospital, we thought we were going to loose her (and would have believed she died with asthma!)
I want to add here that her asthma doctors knew she had a history of heart problems but never considered that could have been her problem!
 
Thanks for your reply. I have been to a cardiologist but they say my heart is fine. I've had palpitations and chest pain daily since I was a small kid. Doc says if it was my heart causing the pain I'd be dead by now.. I do get low potassium levels routinely on and off, not sure whats causing it. I have been wheezing every day for over two months, so I'm desperate to feel better. The dr is going to test me for TB if I can ever get of the prednisone, in the meantime I'm going to follow up with the cardiologist.
 
Seems to me the head-swaying thing could be related to all the prednisone.

I disagree that a heart problem can't exist because you're still alive. My mother, for example, has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy--a change in the internal structures of the heart that is potentially fatal, but often causes only minor symptoms.

I seem to recall reading about "cardiac asthma" or asthma symptoms caused a by a heart problem, I believe related to excess fluid.
 
Well, my friend IS proof the heart can cause asthma like symptoms in heart disease and that is the reason she lived on the edge of dying for a year or better. It took her moving to another state and getting all new doctors for the problem to be found and fixed.. I talk to her often and since her heart was fixed, she hasn't had anymore asthma problems.

This does not mean your doctor is wrong or that it is YOUR heart... It is just something to keep in the back of your mind and remeraber.
 
Thanks for the replies. I looked up cardiac asthma and it sounRAB just like mine. The reason I went to the cardiologist (who gave me a clean bill of health) is because my dr thought it sounded like I had congestive heart failure. I wake up in the middle of the night choking. After sitting up, I feel better. I can't walk up stairs or do any minor exercise, or I can't breathe. I'm on zegrid and nexium even though my scope showed no gastritis or ulsers. Also my legs swell huge, and I've been diagnosed with having edema. Yet my drs think my asthma is worse at night due to reflux, apparently reflux can occur without symptoms. I'm definitely calling my cardiologist tomorrow!
 
I looked up cardiac asthma and that fit her to a "T".. Like I said, she had to move to another state and get all new doctors to stay ALIVE. I'd never heard the term "cardiac asthma".. You educated me! LOL!
 
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