Asthma-guys. I'm totally frustrated (1 Viewer)

[glvsav37]

So I got adult asthma a few years ago. I had a few treatments and mostly its activity related. For a while I was getting allergy shots and I felt great. I was doing cross fit, running, looked and felt great. But after a while the shots started to wear off and were not helping. They prescribed some new asthma killer shot called Fasenra which it took. But I started having some bad side effects (very badly swollen ankles) that I couldn't tie directly to the meds but the timing was suspicious and when I stoped they all went away. I still do my daily Breo puffs in the AM and Montelukast at night. 

I'm back at a new allergist with a new cocktail of shots but I am currently having the worse time I can ever remember with attacks. I was out of breath lifting garbage bags into my truck the other day. My one activity I do is play ice hockey and even after taking some preventative puffs of my inhaler before the game, I had a huge attack on the ice last night and could barely continue. 

I'm sick of hearing "oh yea, its a bad time for asthma" or "I'm hearing lots of people are having issues" I've never had summer time issues. Fall and spring, yes, but not summer. 

Anyone out there living with and/or beating it well enough to keep active? I'm trying to be healthier but I cant even do basic stuff let along get worked up at the gym. 

Edit to add: I did see an ENT about some ear blockage a while back and she mentioned something called Samter's Triad where it a mix of nasal polyps (which I have), Asthma, and a sensitivity to Aspirin (which my parents always told me I was allergic to). Apparently thats my cause. I didn't seek treatment for it then b/c it would have required some hospital stay and it was in the middle of Covid, so I decided to hold off.  I might reopen the case. 

 

[gianmarco]

So I got adult asthma a few years ago. I had a few treatments and mostly its activity related. For a while I was getting allergy shots and I felt great. I was doing cross fit, running, looked and felt great. But after a while the shots started to wear off and were not helping. They prescribed some new asthma killer shot called Fasenra which it took. But I started having some bad side effects (very badly swollen ankles) that I couldn't tie directly to the meds but the timing was suspicious and when I stoped they all went away. I still do my daily Breo puffs in the AM and Montelukast at night. 

I'm back at a new allergist with a new cocktail of shots but I am currently having the worse time I can ever remember with attacks. I was out of breath lifting garbage bags into my truck the other day. My one activity I do is play ice hockey and even after taking some preventative puffs of my inhaler before the game, I had a huge attack on the ice last night and could barely continue. 

I'm sick of hearing "oh yea, its a bad time for asthma" or "I'm hearing lots of people are having issues" I've never had summer time issues. Fall and spring, yes, but not summer. 

Anyone out there living with and/or beating it well enough to keep active? I'm trying to be healthier but I cant even do basic stuff let along get worked up at the gym. 

Have you spoken to your new allergist about this?  You may need to increase the dose of your controller inhaler (Breo) or add another or switch to a different one.  The idea with those is to prevent symptoms from happening and then using your albuterol as needed as a rescue inhaler.  That should be used infrequently (aside from taking it before specific activities). 

You also could be having an acute "attack" that needs to get under control with a short burst of steroids if it's worse over the last couple days.  I would reach out to them and try and get in to be seen if you're struggling right now.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I have no idea but wish you the best! Sorry you’re feeling frustrated. 

 

[Redwes25]

I have asthma as well though honestly haven't had an issue for a couple years at this point.  I did the allergy shot thing as well but not sure that really helped much.  I do take Loratadine (Claritan but no D) on a regular bases and that helps more than allergy shots did.  I was hoping with allergy shots to avoid needing the Claritan but didn't work.

I actually think the best help for my asthma has been changing my inhaler to Symbicort.  It is a combined steriod and long-acting bronchodilator.  Haven't needed to use my rescue inhaler in like a year at this point (albuterol).  That worked alot better for me then just an inhaled steriod.  Might be worth talking with your doctor about a different inhaler or increasing your dosage if your current one is not helping much.

Also, do you have a rescue inhaler?  You don't mention one in your post and think you probably need one since Breo is not a rescue inhaler and won't help if you are taking that pre-working out, etc.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Man, this brings back some bad memories.  I've had asthma my entire life and treatments for it were horrible until around the early 1990s when ICS treatments came along.  These days, my rescue inhalers expire sometimes without ever having been used -- it's worth dropping a $20 on something I can keep in my glove box in case of emergency -- but my asthma is almost entirely asymptomatic now with just Advair.  I definitely remember needing to preemptively take a pull or two of albuterol before gym every day, and the seasonal fluctuations were never any fun either.  

I think I'm a little lucky that I have only mild seasonal allergies.  Before college, things like grain dust and very specific animal dander (dogs = fine, cats = bad, horses = insta-death) and cold air were my main triggers.  I was never on any allergy shots.  The people who I knew who had to go that route seemed to have a rougher time of it than I did.  

Good luck.  Asthma sucks, and I can't imagine it's any more fun when it intersects with the other stuff you're describing.    

 

[eoMMan]

Any pets/animals/hay/etc that could be triggering it?

 

[glvsav37]

@gianmarcoI have a regular appt with my allergist dr next week. I want to talk to him about the shots  not working, Agreed, maybe upping doses might be in order, but also wanted to see what else is out there there and go in with some ideas rather than just be passive. 

@ChiefD Yes, My primary is also my cardiologist and aside from just getting on high BP meds, he said everything seems normal. Is there a direct concern you have? 

@STEADYMOBBIN 22 thanks

@Redwes25 thanks for the info. Yes I have a rescue, Proair, the red inhaler. I used it before my game last night, but no luck. Might be time to change. 

@IvanKaramazov Glad to hear things are better fro you. Gives me hope that there is a solution eventually. 

@eoMMan nope no pets in the house. I am allergic to certain dusts and weeds but nothing thats a major trigger. Hence the Allergy shots. We did the test where they stick you with a bunch of needles and see what triggers before the shots. 

 

[ChiefD]

@ChiefD Yes, My primary is also my cardiologist and aside from just getting on high BP meds, he said everything seems normal. Is there a direct concern you have? 

Not necessarily. My father-in-law was having issues with shortness of breath and turns out he had to have bypass surgery.  

Not meaning to scare you or anything - just something I thought about. 

 

[glvsav37]

Not necessarily. My father-in-law was having issues with shortness of breath and turns out he had to have bypass surgery.  

Not meaning to scare you or anything - just something I thought about. 

appreciate it. we have heart issues In my family, so having and seeing a cardiologist regularly is important. I just saw him a little over a month ago, they did an EKG and check up and said everything was fine. 

I'm learning through a lot of this that things in the body are more connected to each other then we give it credit for.

 

[Redwes25]

@Redwes25 thanks for the info. Yes I have a rescue, Proair, the red inhaler. I used it before my game last night, but no luck. Might be time to change. 

I have same one and albuterol is basically the one they give everyone (though a few different brad names).  Wonder if you need a higher dose of it or a higher dose or different medication for your regular inhaler. 

 

[jobarules]

My son has been on Qvar almost his whole life. His asthma is worse in cold weather so we stop it in summer. He maybe needs his pump once a year.

Are you positive its asthma? Don't mean to scare you but asthma is usually easy to control.

 

[jobarules]

Are you only taking allergy shots and not a preventative pump?

I took allergy shots as a kid and suffered my whole life. They didn't do ####. 

 

[Terminalxylem]

In the absence of a new exposure/allergen (smoke, pollen, pets, any new soap/detergent/medication/etc - rack your brain here), asthma generally gets better over time.

As others have suggested, are you certain of the diagnosis? How was it made? Fortunately, you have all the correct specialists on-board for differential considerations: heart, allergy, ENT. But do you have a lung doctor (pulmonologist)? There are a lot of diseases which cause wheezing.

Hopefully it’s something simple like trying one of the bazillion steroid-LABA inhalers, or a short burst of prednisone, but don’t get fixated on one diagnostic possibility if routine stuff fails.

 

[Soulfly3]

I try to never take my puffer, but when I need it, I use Symbicort, which is contains  budesonide and formoterol... Always worked in a pinch. But, apparently very expensive in the USA (Ive heard 400+ for one inhaler, thought I cant confirm)

It costs about 100$ here, but thankfully my insurance covers it all

But definitely works.

 

[PlayaHata]

Just wanted to chime in to say good luck.  My wife has asthma and twice in the 25+ years we've been married she's had an asthma attack where she'd use her rescue inhaler over and over with basically no improvement.  I have never been more terrified in my life, basically praying that my wife would not just stop breathing in bed right next to me.

 

[Soulfly3]

the humidity absolutely ends me, so I dont enjoy summers here much...

i remember the last time i tried to step into a hammam, i almost passed out in 5sec from not being able to breath :(