Does anyone here use an inhaler?

[Kitty 34]

I "flunked" a breathing test the other day at the doctor's office so the Physician's Assistant decided I probably have Asthma.

Anyway......she gave me two different inhalers, Advair and Albuterol to use daily. This is day three and I have developed a horrible cold. Is that probably just coincidental or could one of the treatments be causing it?

Anything else I should know about these two inhalers?

Thanks!

 

[mommytutu]

Advair is an asthma preventative...it could take a couple of weeks of regular use to help start preventing asthma. Albuterol is for use while having difficulty breathing. My dh and dh use both. I don't think one of the inhalers could have caused it. Maybe you have broncitis (sp?) and it was just caught early, before you starting feeling bad. And instead of broncitis they thought it is asthma.

 

[Morganpics]

I use Albuterol for allergy induced asthma. I have never had any issues having a cold from the inhaler. If I didn't have Flonase and Albuterol I wouldn't have my furbaby and my horse! I know, I know. why do you have them if they make you sick? Because I just love them. I think I arrived on the planet loving horses.

 

[patsvette]

yeah ive had asthma for 3 years now,i take advair now and i have 2 inhalers also,flovent and proventil.Ive had some bad attacks where i thought i was done.I have chemically induced ashtma from painting cars without a mask for too long,yeah i was young and dumb.

 

[m&m's mom]

I have asthma as well. Pregency induced no less, except you get to keep it even after baby is born.
Anyhoo, I would certainly hope Albuterol is not a daily thing. Isn't that just a rescue inhaler?
I am lucky that I only have to use inhaler about once a year.

 

[chyam]

Originally posted by Morganpics
I use Albuterol for allergy induced asthma. I have never had any issues having a cold from the inhaler. If I didn't have Flonase and Albuterol I wouldn't have my furbaby and my horse! I know, I know. why do you have them if they make you sick? Because I just love them. I think I arrived on the planet loving horses.

This is me also.........I grew up around all kinds of animals, horses included and I would have taken the medicine too but at that time I did not have asthma, I developed it as an adult. But I still have asthma and I have 5 cats, a dog and 2 birds, but I have found that I very rarely use the inhalers anymore, I have no carpet in my house at all.......I bathe my cats once a month, and keep my house very clean. I have found though that if I start to gain to much weight I notice a difference in my breathing and have to use the inhaler. I never have gotten a cold using any of the inhalers either, I think it was just coincidence. But after having a bout of bronchitis in July you would know if that was it..........it was horrible, I never coughed so much in my entire life!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I have allergy induced asthma as well. I found out in the middle of the circus. That was not pleasant.

I take Flonase and Clarinex for my allergies. I carry the Albuterol inhaler with me everywhere. The asthma acts up when it's really cold out and when the mold count is high.

 

[Kitty 34]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

So having asthma, does that mean I'm allergic to something?? I don't know too much about it. I can't believe I'd get this at age 50 but I guess I'm getting everything else!!!

M&M Mom....the Albuterol is for when I feel my lungs are tight and before I do anything strenuous.....which right now is about anything I do NOT sitting!!!

Chyam.....I had to laugh when I saw you bathed your cats once a month because just this morning I opened an e-mail from my Mom on how to wash the cat supposedly by the Dog. It was hilarius!! I thought it interesting you notice a difference in your breathing with a weight gain.

 

[Pop Daddy]

I bet you breath sexy, dont listen to the Doctor

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by Pop Daddy
I bet you breath sexy, dont listen to the Doctor

LOL Jason!!!

 

[autochick]

i was just told I have allergy induced asthma. growing up i had 3 cats 3 dogs and house that was not very clean, and now I have 1 dog and I keep my house very clean, go figure.

I have also noticed that this year has been a really bad year for allergies. so your problem could be from allergies.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have used an inhaler for many years, though not too often. Cold air, allergy (grasses, hay, etc), excersise induced breathing difficulty. I always have an inhaler close by, home, office, car, pocket, as a 'security blanket'. Good wishes, Kitty.

 

[SeaSpray]

Allergies and asthma don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. You can have one without the other. If you have both, that's even worse. My DS16 has asthma, but fortunately no allergies. My DS13 has allergies, but fortunately not asthma.

As far as the inhalers go, be sure to rinse your mouth out after each time you use the Advair because it can cause thrush (a yeast infection) to grow in your mouth

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by SeaSpray


As far as the inhalers go, be sure to rinse your mouth out after each time you use the Advair because it can cause thrush (a yeast infection) to grow in your mouth

Ewww.....thanks for the heads up, SeaSpray!! My oldest DS told me that Advair can actually lower your immune system. That doesn't sound too good, especially at my age!!

 

[ahutton]

I have pregnancy inflamed asthma... It is usually slight, but when pregnant I have all kinds of breathing problems. The Albuterol can be used as a daily inhaler for a short period of time (a week or two), especially if symptoms are very flared for one reason or another. I used Advair for 2 weeks to get me through a very rough spell, it contains a long acting Albuterol and anti-inflamitory to relax the airways and open you up. Because of the pregnancy they switched me to something else for the duration that is considered a class safer for the baby, hopefully it works, it is Pulmicort. I keep an Albuterol inhaler on my nightstand, as my worst attacks usually start when I'm sleeping, and keep on in my purse that goes with me everywhere. I was not diagnosed until I was 32, although when they did and we talked about the night coughing it was then I was told those were asthma attacks, not just coughing/choking spells. I always though I was inhaling something that caused me to choke, it wasn't the case.

 

[sk8belle]

As far as the inhalers go, be sure to rinse your mouth out after each time you use the Advair because it can cause thrush (a yeast infection) to grow in your mouth

Since you have to take the Advair twice a day, try doing this: Take it right before you brush your teeth. That way, you'll be immediately rinsing your mouth out. I've made this part of my routine and never had a problem with the Advair.

 

[BethanyF]

Originally posted by sk8belle
Since you have to take the Advair twice a day, try doing this: Take it right before you brush your teeth. That way, you'll be immediately rinsing your mouth out. I've made this part of my routine and never had a problem with the Advair.

Thats what I do now.
I thought I was rinsing well enough....I wasnt. I ended up with thrush and it is not pleasant. The roof of my mouth was raw and it hurt something fierce. Explains why babies are so miserable when they get it.

 

[shelbyjosh]

There are many asthma triggers. Exercise, animals, allergies, cold temps, etc. can all trigger an asthma attack. DD9 has it. She was diagnosed at 5 and we have had our ups and downs. We really noticed it when coming home from Florida. Leave there at 80 degrees and get off the plane and it is almost 40. On the flip side...she figure skates. She is in a 52 degree rink quite a bit and that doesn't set her off. Back in 2002 she was hospitalized after coming back from WDW. She went so fast. She could not talk in full sentences, she was turning blue. I got her to the hospital within about 12 minutes. They immediately took her into the trauma room and you can only imagine the swarms of staff around her. They were ready to tube her. They had her on 2 IVs. Her sats were around 84. Acceptable is 96-100. She almost bottomed out on me. This past weekend she had a relapse. We could not get in under control with her breathing treatments at home using Xopenex. She came to me and told me it was time to go. Again, they got her right in. Got an IV (an ordeal in itself) in and pumped her with salumedrol--a steroid. They did 3 treatments of albuterol and she wasn't responding. They kept her overnight and did treatments around the clock. She currently takes Singulair and Advair 250/50 as her maintenance meds. She is still on prednisone and will finish that Tuesday.
Asthma is something you don't want to mess around with. Things can go bad very quickly as I found out. She has to carry her inhaler with her at all times. Also, for those of you that have to carry one around all the time...here is a link for Breathe Sleeve. It is a neoprene cover that goes over the inhaler and it has a clip on it for backpacks, keyrings, purses, etc. DH has one and keeps it on his belt loop. The website is: www.breathesleeve.com

 

[momof2inPA]

You probably caught a respiratory virus at the doctor's office.

 

[judi]

If you go to www.advair.com you can get more info on asthma. I also have received things in the mail from them such as a travel case for my advair, toothbrush and discount coupons. While reading some info I received with my advair stuff I found out that a cold could last twice as long while you are taking advair. Good luck.