asthma worsening

  • Thread starter Thread starter elmo1966
  • Start date Start date
E

elmo1966

Guest
Hi all new meraber here asthmatic for years. I was a smoker from about 20 to a year ago when I quit. I know bad idea an asthmatic smoking not one of my brightest moments. I have allergies as well and am now having to take reactin daily to help with that. I was diagnosed when I was 16 and am now in 40s. I have made a doctor appointment due to my asthma worsening and my relief inhalers not doing what they should be, I go on Jan 5(was the earliest I could get in) I am on ventolin and my steroid puffer ad vir.

I am overweight and have been doing light indoor exercising as well as dieting. I can no longer do that as any amount of exercise will bring on the wheezing and shortness of breath. My peak flows have dropped as well.

I am not sick so don't think it is an issue of me needing steroiRAB. I have been hospitalized before but never intubated(sp?) though there was once they thought I would have to be. I have also been on oxygen in hospital once during a bad bout.

Now that my background is out there, time for my question.

Does my symptoms sound like worsening asthma or should I be concerned about copd and euphuism (sp?). They do run in the family and I meet the criteria being I smoked and have asthma What should I ask my doctor to do? Should I ask for a referral to the asthma clinic or just ask for testing?

I have educated myself about my asthma but am just unsure of the worsening of my symptoms as they don't match on how my asthma usually rears its ugly head.

Thank you for all advice and suggestions
 
You should see a pulmonologist for a proper asthma diagnosis and treatment plan. You may just need an adjustment in dosage or a change to Flovent or some other daily med. You should have a treatment plan that tells you what to do in case your asthma takes a change for t he worse.

As an example, my asthma is very well controlled. I take one puff of Flovent per day. In August 2007, we had had 12 straight days of temps over 100 degrees. i woke up the second night with trouble breathing. According to my plan, I added a 2nd puff per day until the weather returned to normal. Then I went back to my 1 puff per day. it worked perfectly.Good luck.
 
I went to my doctor and he increased my advair to the 500mcg from the 250mcg. We are going to try that first if not better in two weeks or I worsen he is going to put me on predisone. He also mentioned chest xrays to make sure I don't have anything going on in my lungs.

I am not to excercise as in what I was doing to lose weight I can do normal activities. He said we need to get the asthma under control first. No mention of going to the asthma clinic yet so that is good.

Just wanted to put an update out there

thanks all
 
Back
Top