Question for those with asthma experience

[luvwinnie]

My asthma is worse lately. I can go months without needing inhaler (Xopenex)...this last week I needed it 3x. Maybe it's the humidity. I usually do worse in the cold. I have an appt for Aug 17 with dr. I use Asmanex 1 puff daily. I was on singulair but about 2 mths but stopped due to the new warnings. I take Zyrtec also. Has anyone had this happen and what is the usual protocol? WIll they do another breathing test? A chest xray? I can't get my peak flow meter over 250. Sad.

 

[TEENEE]

I use Asmanex too. One puff twice a day. One puff a day was ok but when they increased me to twice a day that really did the trick. I rarely have any symptoms.

 

[luvmy3]

Mold count is high in our area, ds has needed his inhaler almost daily this past week. I assume it is due to that. His allergist wanted him off his pulmicort after spring allergies to see how he responded during the summer, he was supposed to go back on it Labor Day. I am thinking he may need to go back on it now, so I'll be calling tomorrow.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

http://www.pollen.com/Pollen.com.asp?view=forecast&zip=02563&affid=0
I signed up for their pollen alert and it helped me figure out what my worst triggers were.

I am taking Accolate instead of Singulair and also take Advair, Xeopenex and Benadryl at the moment but am breathing well.

Good luck!

 

[maidenfairy]

My Son has asthma. He uses Flovent and when he is coming down with a cold or the weather gets cooler we up his intake to 2xs a day. 2 puffs in the morning and 2 at night. If that doesn't help we go to the dr and get put on an oral steroid. Good luck to you.

 

[georgina]

OK, now I have to go check up on singulair, as I haven't heard any new warnings.

All I can find new is that it may go over the counter in coming years.

 

[luvwinnie]

Thanks everyone. Here is a link about singulair.
http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/singulair-suicide-warnings-strengthened-4356/

 

[Disney Ella]

When that happens to me, my doctor bumps me up to the next highest dosage for two weeks. (I use Advair.) That usually works, but early this year I had to stay on the higher dosage for 3 months before I started getting better. I still can't figure out what caused the flare-up. Maybe a temporary change in dosage for a while will help reduce your symptoms.

 

[Aardvarks]

In the UK we have a way of adjusting dosages based on underlying inflammation.

A patients level of lung inflammation and therefore need for steroid preceeds a respiartory crisis that would lead to a GP visit or ER visit.

Over here we can take a combination of Budesonide and falmoterol in the same turbohaler. Normal dosgae is one inhalation twice daily, but if symptoms start to get worse, you use the same inhaler for recovery medication which also delivers an extra dose of steroid, hence your symptoms will flex up your steroid dose at the time your inflammation is starting to get worse. At other times you just take the normal one inhalation twice daily so over the year the steroid usage actually is much less, but targetted to the time when you need it the most. My good friend uses this and he has improved a lot.