Cough Variant...Provair/Pulmicort or Advair ? Opinions PLEASE

[Run262]

Hi all

I'm 40 yr old female with seasonal allergies, when if not treated right before the season starts, I develop cough variant asthma. I also get CVA if I don't treat with meRAB when I get the common upper resp. infection.

Anyway, I was stupid this season and didn't start treating ahead of time. I've been well controlled for about a year. So well contolled that I only take meRAB ahead of the coming fall seasons. I forgot/got lazy this season. I'M PAYING FOR IT NOW - this cough is horrible!!!

I've always been on Clarinex, Pulmicort and Albuterol (as needed only for the albuterol of course). I never really needed the albuterol in the past.

Now, as I understand it, the albuterol has changed, no more CFC's switched to HFA. I CAN TELL A DIFFERENCE.

As I'm in a serious bought of CVA just this week, I went to the Dr. to get my meRAB refilled - he gave me the usual Pulmicort and said to take the Provair HFA for the next 3-4 days until things get under control. I feel the Provair isn't doing it's job/just not strong enough/not lasting long enough. I even found an old Albuterol but decided vs. using it as it's way past expiration.

My question this morning, to the experts, do you think switching to Advair for this episode will help get my cough under control better? Seeing as how Advair has a long acting beta agonist in it as opposed to the shorter acting beta agonist in Provair? The provair stops the cough but only for a couple of hours - come 2am this morning - i was coughing again. Not as bad, but it was enough to keep me up. I didn't want to take the provair because of the jittery/faster heart beats at 2am. I figured I would wait it out until it was time to get up. I did get some sleeep but not as good because of the cough.

When I did see my dr. earlier this week - he did mention giving me advair, but then said, why change what has worked in the past and we stuck with the pulmicort/albuterol. BUT, this was before I realized the change form CFC's to HFA.

Thoughts?
Would advair give me a little bit longer control of the cough?
Everything is getting better, but if there is something out there that's longer lasting...I'm all for it.

One more question.
I take Clarinex once a day for the seasonal allergies, but now that Zyrtex is out - does that cover more? Curious that's all.

Thanks all for reading this.

Run.

 

[Titchou]

Since I have regular asthma, I'm not really in a position to comment on which is better for that particular form but would venture that if it is getting better under the current regimen, stick with it for at least a week. It often takes that long - or longer - to get things under control once they get out of whack.

I'm a jogger so I use a lot of albuterol (2 puRAB before jogging) and I frankly can't tell the difference in the CFC and HFA versions - other than the taste. Both work the same for me.

And I prefer zyrtec. You can buy it even cheaper from Canada - $30 or so for 100.

 

[MountainReader]

I have CVA as well.

The Advair is good for long-term treatment and as a preventative for the flares.

I'm still in judgement of the HFA's. I loved my CFC Albuterol.

When I have a bad flare, it is typically a short burst of Prednisone that helps me get things under control quickly. Depending on the severity, it is usually 5 days of a moderate dose or 15 days of a tapered dose. That in corabination with the Albuterol works best for me.

I also bump up the strength of my Advair for several weeks when I have a flare. In my case I go from 250/50 to 500/50.

I also have Singulair in the mix to help with the Asthma as well. I wouldn't recommend it alone, but as part of an overall plan, I do like it.

I am also sometimes prescribed Tessalon Perle to help with the cough as well.

Do you have an asthma plan in place? If not, it may be time to see a Pulmonologist to get an updated plan in place.

Zyrtec is good. I typically take Allegra so I can't help you on judging the Clarinex.

 

[HAAR]

Please know that chlorine tap water can cause endless daily coughing. I personally know because my children went through it when they were 3 and 6 years. Our 3 year old suffered the most because she was drinking more of the tap water than our 6 year old. After ten months of non stop coughs that would get so bad they could not sleep and needed antibiotics to clear up serious congestion, I found the cure. Other treatments from the pediatricians were also used but only worked a few days and the coughing would resume. I had taken a note and placed it in our kiRAB medical box as to when the coughs started, and one day ten months later we discovered through our water company (the water company had been chlorine free) the we had been getting chlorination into our water supply at the same time (dates were a match) the coughs started. we started using bottled non chlorine water for their juices etc. The coughs stopped within 48 hours. our kiRAB can't be the only humans in the world with this chlorine sensitivity/allergy. To this day even with my children being ages 22 and 19 if they start drinking chlorinated tap water at school work or a frienRAB house the cough comes back.
The most noted return of the coughs after having years of no coughing came when our 6 year old became Jr high age and went to school and started P.E every day and started drinking from the water fountain at school because he was so thirsty. The cough came right away and as soon as I heard the coughing I asked questions to him and realized what was happening. He started using bottled water and ...no cough.
I am so grateful for a cure if our children had tap chlorine water as newborns the outcome would of been much graver.
just in case you has the same sensitivity as our children. How easy it was to just avoid chlorine tap water v.s. all the hundreRAB if not thousanRAB of dollars spend on medications. Too bad our pediaticians did not have knowledge of this since it must be so rare. We could of avoided so many doctor visits and my kiRAB would not of been coughing for ten months straight.
Our pediatician was also suggesting our daughter was developing asthma. Shes 19 now and has never had any asthma.
Maybe this information can help you and others.