Cold air asthma anyone???

  • Thread starter Thread starter MountainReader
  • Start date Start date
I hate that I don't do my job - teaching - like a use to. It is so hard to talk. I can't quit early without giving up my pension. I will leave with the minimum but none is not an option. I have to hang in there 5 more years. Every year gets worse. I took some cough medicine with codiene - very low dose - just two teaspoons full and it gave me a stomach ache - but the coughing eased up. It was still nice to almost stop coughing - but gave up a nights sleep from the stomach ache. Can't win.
 
I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor. I know I am at a low point when I lose my sense of humor. Tried to act like a grown up this week-end. Got cleaned up and went to a party. BUT this time of year every party has a roaring fire or two or three. So I was literally smoked out. I find myself running from an invisible enemy. Makes you seem a little nuts.
 
I've experienced similar problems. I can go 2 years with no asthma symptoms or medication (except allergy shots) and then get a bad attack that takes weeks to get under control. This last bout just ended after 3+ months of prednisone, syrabicort, alvesco, & nebulizers. I was totally exausted - could not talk without coughing and then couldn't stop coughing - missed a lot of work & a lot of life. When the weather turned cold here, as soon as I stepped outside I'd start coughing & had difficulty breathing - wearing a scarf over my face helped some but drew a lot of strange looks from others. In prior years' episodes the coughing was so severe that the only thing that could stop the coughing was several days of Tussionex (made me fell like a zorabie) & no talking. My asthma doctor was baffled why it wouldn't get under control this time & tests by pulmonologist & cardiologist revealed no problem in lungs or heart. My doctor wants me to start Xolair injection which will begin in about 2 weeks. She says it may take 5-6 months to kick in so I'll need to stay on the inhalers but the prednisone will end later this month. Has your doctor suggested Xolair? From Sept to Nov I thought the asthma would never come under control but by early Dec it finally started improving and by Xmas was OK. I know it seems like it will never end but hang in there & continue working with your doctor and hopefully it will get under control soon.
 
With tons of begging, I finally got in to see my Pulmonologist today. I called and told the receptionist last week that my PCP told me he didn't know what else he could do for me to help with my cough. I'd been in almost weekly since early Deceraber. My asthma and the sound of my lungs has gotten better over the last couple weeks, but the cough has persisted. At this point, I think the asthma is back under control with my daily meRAB and regular use of Albuterol. Problem is that there is something else triggering my cough and bronchospasms.

I had an IgE blood test and it did show a high level of allergies, but my nuraber is down enough that I'm not in the extremely severe range anymore. I'd hope that to be the case after 2 1/2 years into my most current immunotherapy. My Pulmonologist isn't too concerned about my allergy nurabers. My ENT/Allergist is trying to qualify me financially for approval for Xolair allergic asthma shots. I certainly can't afford at least $600 per shot out of pocket.

I'm having another Pulmonary Lung Function (PFT) test again next month. This will be my fourth in the last 2 years. I'm also having another oximeter test. I had one done a couple months ago, but he wants me to have it done again. For this test, I wear one of those pulse-oxygen clips while I sleep for one night. It is hooked to a small computer on my wrist that recorRAB my readings for the night. I also go back for another Barium Swallow test. I haven't had one since my reflux surgery in October 08. I'm really scared about this one. Not about the test because it isn't that bad, but about the results. If it is acid reflux triggering my bronchospams, I'm in trouble. I had the reflux surgery because my asthma was out of control due to acid irritation to the point I needed emergency care. Reflux medication wasn't working anymore. Lifestyle changes weren't really working, but I've maintained them anyway, "just in case". I don't know that there is anything else they can really do. I asked my GI doc about the possibility of this happening at my last appointment and he wasn't very reassuring. I guess I'll find out after my test next week and take it as it comes. I'm just really really worn out from all the coughing...both physically and mentally. I just want that "magic bullet" to stop the coughing again.

Here's hoping the weather stays in the 30's or higher so I can just deal with my secondary coughing cause and not have to continue with the bad asthma flare.

Thanks for "listening".
 
Thanks for your support. It gets lonely sometimes as well as wearing.

I spoke to my ENT about the Xolair. I get my allergy shots at his clinic. He is willing to move forward with them and gave me a script to get the IgE labs done. I'm not planning on going that direction right now though. I can't afford it. I spoke to my insurance and they are not covering it at all yet. The estimated cost the doctors office gave me was about $600 per shot. Way out of my budget, especially with all my co-pays for the other stuff. I'd love to hear how it works for you if you can keep us posted through your process. I still plan on keeping it in mind as it has been on the market longer. It may eventually make my insurance list.

I did the Tussionex before. I understand the zorabie thing. I'd just space out some on it.

I've gone through the coughing thing for 3-4 months at a time before also. One year it was a sinus infection that flared my asthma. When they were both bad, I was so worn out that I ended up with Pertussis (100 day cough) on top of them. About 2 years ago, I went through an 11 month period that was so bad I ended up having surgery. Evidently in addition to my environmental triggers, I had "silent" reflux that was irritating my lungs constantly. I ended up needing emergency treatment during that time. After the surgery, I did well for about 6 months before the environmental stuff really kicked in again.

I'm due for another follow-up with my Pulmonologist in a few weeks. Just haven't gone in earlier because the co-pay is higher and he won't do a lot more for me. I did have PFT testing each year for the last several years.

I've tried some hot tea and cider in moderation. Have to stay away from the coffee due to reflux. Should stay away from the tea too, but seem to do a bit better on it. It is soothing mentally, even if it doesn't do a lot else.

Here's hoping things get better sometime soon.

Thanks again,

MountainReader
 
MR, sorry you are going thru this. Wish I could offer you a "magic bullet" to help. Am thinking about you.

Oh, and I bought a humidifier today. Will let you know how that works out.

Titchou
 
Dear Mountain Reader,

I was happy and sad at the same time upon reading your thread. Happy to see that others have similar problems, but very sad to hear that the doctors can not cope with the fight against your asthma.

My son, who is 3 years old, also has constant caughing due to his asthma. His main triggers are viral infections and cold air. He has been constantly caughing for 7 weeks now. We haven't been sleeping for so long now and my frustration just keeps growing. I am truly angry and frustrated! It is really tough not being able to do anything and seing your child suffer.

We live in Hungary and am in a "lucky" situation as there are many pulmonologists whom I can take him to. 3 different specialists and two pediatritians have seen him in the past weeks, but neither have been able to find a solution for stopping his caughing fits. His caugh is really hurting him, he shows me that the pain is worst in his neck. He hasn't been attending kindergarden for 7 weeks now. I really do not know what we will do if his asthma remains the same in the school years.

The idea with the face mask seems good! I will get him a ski hat, may be that might help.

Keep us updated on the reflux topic. My son is said to have reflux, which might have been triggered by all the asthma medication he has been taking. He now takes medication for reflux too. All sad stuff, but if at least the medication would help...

Hang in there!

All the best!
szn
 
Welcome to our board Colinette,

It is good to touch base with others who have similar problems. Others just don't seem to understand what we are going through.

It has taken months, but I'm finally starting to have some relief. Just intermittent coughing now.

It sounRAB like you have a good plan to start tackling your asthma. Singulair doesn't often work that well on asthma by itself though. I find it really helps in corabination with my Advair, but on its own, it didn't do much for me. Hopefully it will work well for you.

I understand the bladder thing. The more I cough, the more trouble I have with that. Best advice I have for that is to stand when coughing and really really tighten your core and bladder muscles. I have to do that anyway or I pull stomach, back and rib area muscles anyway.

Good luck.

Mountain Reader
 
I'm right there with you. I haven't been around a fireplace in the last couple years. I think it would be torture. I'm positive it would be a bad trigger for me.

Coughing can really be tough on being out in public. I actually skipped out on two movies I had tickets for at the Sundance film festival a couple weeks ago because my coughing was so bad at the time. I missed a major premier that had a big name person at it because I didn't want to cough through the movie. I was out the money of the ticket and out the experience.

When I go to any thing with lots of people, I try to sit by the door just in case the coughing sets in.
 
I know what you been through. My 7 year old has asthmas and has had pnemonia 2 times in the last month, she is on advair 2 puRAB 2 a day ,singular, zrtex, 2muti vit, we are go to see a pulmonologist to make sure every thing is ok. now she is on 4tsp of predisone aztromax, nebulizer 4 times a dayfor the next 5 days, i am so use to the routine i could do it in my sleep. my poor baby, she was hospitalize when she was around 5 year for 4 of the longest days of my life. she was not getting enough oxgyen, she had pnemonia then too! i just pray please god watch over her she is just a baby! kat:(
 
I am using a proAir inhaler and taking singulair now, it seems to be keeping the cough under control. Hope you are doing better.

Sunny
 
Sunny,
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. They really help.

I developed asthma as an adult. I have perioRAB of time when I have it well contolled, but it is tough when it isn't. It has been just at the 2 year mark since I've needed emergency treatment for a bad asthma attack, but the constant coughing can really really wear on you.

I'm glad to hear that your current regimine is really working for you. That is as it should be.

Here's praying for that wind.

Thanks again,

MountainReader
 
The answer to whether there is anyone else who has your many symptoms is YES YES YES - all of them. That "sore that won't heal" makes me have a quick trigger cough too. I haven't checked for inversions lately but living an hour east of NYC probably supplies plenty of pollutants. My biggest trigger is colRAB and flu. I teach children so I am constantly exposed. The many attempts to calm the cough with oral and inhaled sterioRAB of various kinRAB may be weakening my immune system. I have an air purifier and humidifier and nebulizer that I use everyday. I was doing better until the next virus hit. This is the 4th one since Sept. With the addition of the nebulizer twice a day I'm feeling like I'll surface from this cold soon than the last 3. But I really do know the frustration. You can imagine how it feels when you first feel like socializing after laying low for months to have someone tell you you are too sick to be at a party because of a cough. Everyone's so worried about H1N1 this year - It's tough coughing for nearly 4 months.

I can't help wondering if there is a better place to live with Asthma? Anyone have an opinion?
 
well she is finely better for now. go to the lung doc, march 2, lets hope every thing is a ok, she is on her reg maintence stuff, advair singular zrytec 2 mutli vits, we need some warm weather and that will help. 3 more weeks i hope of this cold stuff.
 
I think all the months of coughing because of my asthma have resulted in a flare-up of my reflux again. The squeezing of the stomach can be pretty intense and constant with those coughing jags. The stomach squeezes, the acid comes up and irritates my lungs and throat, causing more coughing and asthma problems. It is a viscious cycle.

I have several tests in the next several weeks to confirm the reflux is back. The unfortunate thing is that I'm basically out of reflux treatment options. I've been on all the reflux meRAB and I even had surgery 16 months ago. Very frustrating.
 
Nsz,
Thanks for your well wishes. My cold air triggered asthma finally seems to be under control right now. It just took a really really long time. It is very frustrating and wears you out.

I feel for your little one. I works with lots of little ones that age and it is really tough to see them suffer, tough to see anyone suffer, but even worse with kiRAB I think. Seven weeks of constant coughing is a very long time. What types of treatments is your son receiving right now?

Here is some of what I've learned with my chronic cough over the years:

- With the cold air asthma, make sure you use your rescue inhaler about 20 minutes before going outside. Then wearing a mask helps. It doesn't keep the attacks from happening, but I like to think it keeps them from being as bad.
-When an asthma flare is really bad, it takes me months to get my lungs back to their "normal" state. It seems that everything flares my asthma once the irritation has started, this includes things that wouldn't normally be a trigger when I'm "healthy".
-"Silent" reflux for me has coughing as my symptom. I also have the reflux irritating my lungs. It really takes a good pH test to tell for sure how badly the reflux is. The Barium Swallow test also gives me a good sense. Also, I think all the coughing from my asthma causes me to squeeze my stomach more. (Try coughing a lot. You have to tighten your core muscles or you pull them. When you do that, you often squeeze your stomach too.) I think that causes more acid to come up and irritate my lungs. It becomes a viscious circle. In the beginning, I was able to step up my reflux treatment. Lifestyle changes needed to be made as well. Now, I don't have anything left to really "step up" too so it is frustrating. If you haven't already, you might try raising the headboard of your son's bed about 6 inches. Sleeping on a slant is supposed to help gravity help you.
-Allergies can trigger coughing as well. If nights are bad, try using an allergen cover on his mattresses and pillows.
-Whooping Cough (Pertussis) can cause an extended cough as well. If nothing else is helping, you might have him tested for this. The cough for Pertussis usually lasts about 100 days. I got so worn down from a sinus infection and extended asthma flare several years ago, that I picked up Pertussis as well. It was about 4-5 months before I was cough free.

It sounRAB like your son is getting some good treatment and has a wonderful advocate in you. I hope he gets well soon.

Mountain Reader
 
I know it is not good for them, but my child is 7 and has gone through this alot. anyways the only thing that helps her stop coughing is prednisolone, it is a steriod but it does work, we have ended up in er alot with asthma attacks and guess what they always give her, that pred, she is also on advair 45/21, singular 5mg,and now zrytec. well i hope this helps you. i know how it is when the cough for days every min on the min, it does drive your crazy that you can not stop the coughing for them,Kathy (ash777)
 
Hi i am ash7777, can i ask how old you are. and when you went to the pulmonologist what kind of tests did you do, my 7 year old has asthma really bad and we are going in a couple of weeks. I got her the regular flu shot,but never got around to the h1n1 shot,she was sick when i schedule one, then they ran out, and then i just didn,t get her one. I feel like a really bad mommy cause of that. Her peak flow should be around 275 and we have been barely hitting 175, we go back to her doc on thurs, so lets hope they do not her anymore wheezing,considering she has been on 4 fing tsp of predisone for 5 days. I know that is the only thing that stops her coughing, but in the long term what effect is it going to have on her. She is growing boobs already and she is only 7. come on. i am willing to take in advice you might have. thank you. i just want her to have a healthy joyful life.just like any parent would want for there children. kat
 
Thank you guys for all the good advice. We visited the pulmonologist two days ago (once again), and she increased the volume of the medication (once again). Now my son is receiveing three times the recommended dose of Berodual. Which seems to be working, though I am not sure if this is the best for him, but at least he is not coughing every 5-20 seconRAB, 24 hours a day.

He actually was cough free for 5 hours last night:):):)

Which is an enormous result. He is still taking his regulars -flixotide (double dose as before), singulair, ventolin (rescue med) and losec for the reflux. We have had his bed elevated for months now, but since the doctors have told us that he probably has reflux, we have put him on a diet (no oily fooRAB, tomatoes, chocolate, etc.) and we make sure that he doesn't eat two hours before bedtime in the evening. During the daytime we can not make sure that he doesn't eat two hours before his nap, though. There are just not enough hours in a day to enable this :( We have been recommended to do a 24h PH test, but the doctors say that kiRAB this young do not tolerate it too well, so for now we just keep giving him the Losec and once he is cough free again, we will try what happens if he stops taking it. I find this is a better solution that haveing a tube pushed down through his nose for 24 hours.

The pulmonologist said that besides his asthma, he also has something with his sinuses and she recommended that we consult a specialist and that it might be necessary to have a CT done of his head to find out what exactly is "hiding" in his sinuses. If the coughing goes away with the mega dose of asthma medication I do not wish to have the CT done, as it can only be done in general anesthesia, which as far as I know, is not too good for asthmatics. A friend of mine, said that her son almost died from an extremely severe asthma attack after waking from anesthesia.

All the best to you all!

nsz
 
Back
Top