I was just diagnosed with Asthma by a pulmonologist. This doctor, which has no idea about Lyme disease. Wants to treat me with steroids. I'm worried about using steroids, because it weakens the immune system. My immune system is already at a very weakened state.
I know he's the doctor, but I'm not sure it's Asthma. I have had Bronchitis and a sinus infection. There's a lot of drainage, and I believe the wheezing in my lungs, is from the infection.
I see my Lyme doctor in a couple of days. He wanted me to see him before taking any steroids.
Has anyone had this kind of experience? Anyone with Lyme induced Asthma, or any feedback on treating Asthma while in the chronic stages of Lyme?
Posted by cozynana (Member # 34270) on :
See if you can find info about air hunger and lung worm related to Lyme disease.
I believe I had both and now not a problem after being treated for Lyme and Babesia.
I don't know which treatment got rid of it.
Just know once I started treatment it went away.
I would not suggest you go on steroids.
Get to a LLMD and let him help you find a way to address this issue correctly.
Posted by terv (Member # 29410) on :
Yes my mom unfortunately has this and it is a constant battle between treating the lyme and breathing (steroids).
If you haven't done so get a baseline on your lung function so you can monitor whether the lyme treatment is making you worse. I think the herxing could have damaged my mom's lungs.
I wish I had more answers for you but we still are trying to find them out too.
Hopefully your pulmonologist will work with your LLMD.
Posted by twicebitten (Member # 5412) on :
My dd was dx with asthma during her lyme tx. Our llmd told her to take her asthma meds, and abx. Thankfully, since her lyme tx she hasn't had to use her steroid inhalers. Her immune function has improved even using the inhalers. You have to be able to breathe. Of course she is 12 and I believe her immune function was able to recover better than someone my age, (late 40's).
Of course, I don't know your situation, but for her, llmd said go ahead and use steroids until she's better then stop them. She hasn't used either inhaler in months.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
**moving to medical**
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Just to be sure the information is out there, for anyone with lungs, acetaminophen can spell disaster. Many are aware that it can damage the liver but the way it can do that - by robbing our bodies of glutathione - can cause trouble for the rest of the body, too.
. . . Even a single dose of acetaminophen can reduce the body�s levels of glutathione, a peptide that helps repair oxidative damage that can drive inflammation in the airways, researchers have found. . . .
Tiny overdoses of Tylenol can add up to deadly damage
By Rachel Rettner 11-22-11
Taking even slightly too much Tylenol over a period of several days can lead to an overdose with deadly consequences, a new study says. . . . -
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
I had SEVERE rush me to the hospital asthma for over 40 yrs with bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis. This was before I was dx with Lyme. 4 yrs of abx didn't alleviate it.
It wasn't until I started antiparasitic herbs and salt/c did I get rid of it. Lungworms are very common with Lyme and often not dx from mainstream docs. They really don't have a clue.
Parasites/worms play a HUGE role in Lyme disease and is now considered the number 1 co-infection. Google parasite symptoms and check out the Parasite Warrior Support Thread.
Parasite Warriors Support Thread -
Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
I have asthma as did my mother and my grandmother. Mine is allergy related and unfortunately when I get a cold or the flu it settles in my chest. The asthma may have nothing at all to do with Lyme or parasites as this is the case with mine.
Sometimes in the case of asthma steroids are needed and the benefit outweighs the risk. I take a daily steroid inhaler which my LLNP told me to definitely continue with. Just recently I got the flu which resulted in severe chest congestion and wheezing. My PCP as well as my pulmonologist insisted I needed a course of prednisone. My PCP reluctantly agreed to switch me to a different steroid inhaler, which fortunately has calmed things down.
If I had needed the prednisone my LLNP said to take it because if you can't breathe you have no choice. Asthma can be very dangerous if not properly controlled. My pulmonologist lectured me on the dangers of asthma and the subsequent death rates that occur.
My intention is not to scare you just want you to know that there will be many that say absolutely no steroids which is putting all of people in serious danger. Steroids used properly can save lives.
Posted by annxyzz (Member # 20404) on :
Steroids for a brief time during an infection can be a lifesaver. I personally would try to avoid them long term like advair.
These have helped me a lot : singulair , oregano capsules ( 3 at a time from vitamin shoppe or " Oregamax " which is costly ) and treating lungworm with ivermectin praziquantel .
There is also a GREAT product called clear lungs that is chinese herbs and works great w/ NO side effects . It is available at iherb .
The oregano capsules worked well for me and they are great anti oxidants . I would have never thought that oregano would be helpful.
Read reviews of oregamax at iherb - some say they got off advair with it .
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
I can think of a couple things you can do on your own to help improve your breathing.
The first is magnesium. Symptoms of low magnesium include muscle twitches and spasms. The tiny air sacs in the lungs, the alveoli, can spasm, which causes wheezing and asthma.
People in Europe can go down into old salt mines and breathe in salt ions, to help treat lung problems. You can do this yourself by inhaling through a tube filled with salt crystals.
After reading this article, you may realize that you have other symptoms of low magnesium. This is common in people with Lyme, as the Lyme bacteria use up the magnesium in our cells, where they live.