Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

So we are back on pulmicort. He is back in the pool, limiting it to every 2 days for now. All is okay there. Cough is gone.

New thing going down...it has been crazy hot, I am sure you have noticed
I pay attention to bad ozone days.
How badly does it effect you?
I have been doing indoor things with him. Making playdates with people at homes. Tuesday and Wednesday though we were in and out of the car, library, classes, groceries.
Tuesday he tells me he can't really breathe. I do albuterol in the spacer.
Wed was even worse, like a dense air. He tells me when getting in the car he can't breathe, that his carseat is too tight. It wasn't even buckled in yet... did albuterol.

Do you pay attention to ozone? is that a silly question? I would not take him to a park on a bad day...but to not go in and out of the car? Then he comes home and passes out, he is a non napper so this is very strange behavior.
Ozone wasn't bad today, took him to the park and he did fine.
Is orange really bad, or do you save reactions for red? tia!!
i don't "wish" i had asthma, but i really wish i understood.

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

I have had asthma since I was a young child and 25+ years ago the meds certainly were not what they are today. I don't remember having acute reactions to bad ozone days but it was slightly harder breathe - just as it is for a normal person - the air feels thicker and you are tired quicker...hence his recent napping. As an adult my asthma has improved GREATLY and even more so with my pregnancies - I remember being extremely worried when I was preg with ds b/c I was concerned that the meds would affect the baby and as it turned out I barely needed any.

Sorry I don't have too much to add but HTH a bit...feel free to FM with any specifics!

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

Hey Janice,

My asthma has been pretty bad for the last two weeks. On Monday and Tuesday I pretty much was indoors all day with the A/C.

However, once the humidity broke, I was out and about. I pay attention to the high allergens because that is really what triggers my allergies which in turn, trigger my asthma (and of course humidity)

What I have done to make my asthma more manageable is to eliminate carbs from my diet. My doing this, I have decreased my potential to create mucus. When there isn't a large mucus build up, you are able to breathe better.

I also drink room temp beverages or hot ones. A trick I learned from a nurse was instead of using albuterol, if you can try to do a shot of coke (the soda) because the caffeine can cause the same reaction as the medication.

I know this is difficult for you and Josh. Have the drs. tried to add advair or pulmicort in addition to the albuterol? What about a mixture of an allergy medication and an asthma maintenance medications? Because albuterol is only to be used in an emergency situation it is the maintenance that is most important.

Message edited 7/11/2010 9:39:03 PM.

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

I have been asthmatic for over 15 years. On days when it is really humid I have issues breathing...On bad ozone days, I try to stay in the a/c....

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

My asthma is really very mild, I am lucky but what usually sets me off is going from cold to hot or hot to cold, like what you are describing with the car.

I hope he feels better soon

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

Posted by BigB

Hey Janice,

My asthma has been pretty bad for the last two weeks. On Monday and Tuesday I pretty much was indoors all day with the A/C.

However, once the humidity broke, I was out and about. I pay attention to the high allergens because that is really what triggers my allergies which in turn, trigger my asthma (and of course humidity)

What I have done to make my asthma more manageable is to eliminate carbs from my diet. My doing this, I have decreased my potential to create mucus. When there isn't a large mucus build up, you are able to breathe better.

I also drink room temp beverages or hot ones. A trick I learned from a nurse was instead of using albuterol, if you can try to do a shot of coke (the soda) because the caffeine can cause the same reaction as the medication.

I know this is difficult for you and Josh. Have the drs. tried to add advair or pulmicort in addition to the albuterol? What about a mixture of an allergy medication and an asthma maintenance medications? Because albuterol is only to be used in an emergency situation it is the maintenance that is most important.

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

i haven't had much of an asthma issue (i was diagnosed as an adult)...until Em was born...then all bets were off. i now deal with it as a regular thing...

the brutally 'humid' days are REALLY not fun ones for me anymore (not that they were ever TRULY fun, but you get my point). Saturday was particularly difficult for me (i had an outdoor party) and i regretted not having my inhaler with me (i'm still learning to carry it at all times).... today i didn't make that mistake (another outdoor party), but i didn't use it until after i was done outside. my chest is still 'tight' now and i've been indoors for awhile now...

i never truly paid attention to the ozone forecast - but i'm thinking that maybe i should...

Re: Asthma people, please, again...parents, non parents anyone

thanks everyone!

I have him on a mostly dairy free gluten free diet. (if we are somewhere with pizza, he will eat it)

we go to a ped. pulm. problem is we can only get in every 6 months. appt is in aug. going to ask for meds to be switched up then.

duoneb is his emerg med for wet coughs, just albuterol for dry.

thanks for replying, esp the diet advice. it is a pita since he really isn't allergic to it, it will keep me going.