Do you sometimes get a "dead" or numb/tight feeling in your chest??
It literally feels DEAD sometimes. I'm not struggling for air, but am sure it's the asthma. well, kinda sure....
My Symbicort helped some. I avoid taking the rescue one because it makes my heart go nuts.
Just wondering if this is from asthma, or should I look elsewhere?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Don't make me put this in Medical!! I'm sure they'll throw it back over here! <sigh>
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Does your whole chest feel "dead" or is it a certain area?
How long does the feeling last?
How often does it happen?
Have you noticed anything that might be causing it?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
It's happened twice in the past 3 days. Feels dead over the midsection of my upper chest.
Lasts until I go get my inhaler!! Then still feels a bit tight.
I'm kinda new to the asthmatic scene!
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Lymetoo, I'm sorry, it sounds like you need to schedule an appt with your doctor.
You shouldn't be having these episodes if your asthma is well controlled. And it concerns me that your chest still feels tight after using the rescue inhaler.
Two episodes in three days is too much to ignore. You need someone to listen to your lungs and heart. Make sure that you are moving air well enough. Figure out what is triggering these problems.
Breathing is important. It is smart of you not to ignore these symptoms.
Posted by sk8ter (Member # 8671) on :
Hi I could never take Ventolin or albuteral due to racy heart stuff too. But they now have Xopenex and it does not have the med in it that causes the racy heart but does have the med in it to open airways. I have had NO affects on my heart with it. Maybe you could try this. Air hunger symptoms is Babesia ...have you been treated for this yet?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
That's what I was wondering, sammy. I wondered if I needed to make an appointment. I hope he doesn't have to change me from Symbicort, because I have 3 of them sitting over here.
Thanks for the info on the Xopenex, sk8ter.... Is it real expensive, like Symbicort?
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Lymetoo, Have you looked into the dry salt pipe/inhaler?
You breathe air in over a tube of dry salt crystals. The air picks up salt ions, and when these are breathed into the lungs, they reduce inflammation and kill bacteria and viruses.
Carol
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I heard about those many years ago.. before I had been dxd with it.
I'll Google it. Thanks for reminding me of it!
Posted by kgg (Member # 5867) on :
Yes, I would like to see you get an appointment sooner than later. Not only could they add an inhaler, but also Singulair which is a med for allergies and asthma. It may reduce your need for the inhalers.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks, kgg. Is Singulair supposed to be better than Zyrtec??
I have an appointment for Monday morning. I felt better today.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
I'm really surprised to hear that you are not on Singulair. You should ask your doctor about this.
Singulair works by blocking leukotrienes, Zyrtec works by blocking histamine. They both work together to decrease allergic inflammation.
Singulair, advair, and zyrtec are commonly prescribed together to control/help prevent asthma symptoms. Xopenex is used to treat symptom flares/asthma attacks.
If your doctor decides to try you on a different medication, ask for samples. That way you can try the medicine, make sure it works well before you have to pay for an RX.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well, I'm not seeing a pulmonologist or allergist...just my PCP. That may be why. I'll ask him about Singulair.
And YES, I will get a sample. Some inhalers jazz me up terribly. (the steroid type) Symbicort didn't do that to me.
Thanks again, sammy.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Are you haveing sudden attacks from Lyme or have you picked up something like I did-Histoplasmosis? I had nodules that went away on antibiotic treatment.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Sorry to hear that. I agree with many of the suggestions above; that the salt pipe is worth a try, and like Pinelady, I am wondering if you picked up a bug that could go away with antibiotics?
I had asthma for years but it went away with babs and lyme treatment, mostly with the babs treatment.
Could this be a babs flare-up?
You are going to have to visit your doctor soon! I hope it goes away quickly.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
No, I've had asthma off and on for quite a few years. It would usually come back when I would get a cold, then go away and I'd be off the inhalers.
About 2 yrs ago it came back and never left.
Will research histoplasmosis though.
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
Toots,
I had very bad asthma for over 50 yrs. It is completely gone since I got rid of the major parasites.
You might want to consider some antiparasitic herbs. The CFS doctor, (can't remember his name) says he has found tiny roundworms in the lungs when he did sputum samples.
Might be worth a try,
Gael
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks, namesake!!
histoplasmosis... don't see how I would have been exposed to that??
Posted by Treelady (Member # 23506) on :
I have had asthma all my life. I think my lyme was "activated" when my doctor gave me prednisone when I had a bad bout of asthma. What happened after the prednisone was definately NOT asthma...it was air hunger. After that I went for years to asthma specialists and pulmonologists and repeatedly told them it was different than asthma. Of course they did not listen. I still get the air hunger when treating for bartonella but have had asthma in between these times and it is definately different. No standard asthma meds seem to work on that feeling. You just have to get rid of the lyme and co-infections.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I have also had asthma all my life. It would come and go; but since getting lyme, it mostly stays.
I did not know this until my LLMD told me, that asthma is an autoimmune disorder. But that makes total sense to me now.
Hope you feel better soon!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Allicin helps my lungs wake up. Partly, that is probably from how it helps to increase circulation but also it breaks up mucous that can be like "glue" in the respiratory system. -
Posted by BugBarb (Member # 210) on :
Recently, I got some virus that attacked my respiratory system and settled in my lungs.
On the way to a regularly scheduled check up to my doctor I started having a weird feeling when I would breathe. Air hunger is a perfect description. I got to the office and he gave me a breathing treatment and a prescription for an inhaler. I relly hate breathing treatments because I feel like I've drunk six pots of coffee and downed ten sudafed pills. He prescribed COMBIVENT It is a mix of albuterol sulfate and ipratropium bromide. Really worked wonders to help me breathe It also stopped me from coughing I would wake up having a couging attack,take a puff or two off the inhaler and go right back to sleep. Without the inhaler, I would have kept coughing and had to sleep in the spare room so my husband could sleep. It speeds me up a little bit, but not too much.
Combivent is much more expensive than the generic things. My copay was $38. I figured I only need it rarely and it works well, so it was worth it to me.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Barb.. is it a rescue inhaler then?? not a steroid?
My dr agreed that taking the rescue inhaler "could" trigger my A-fib. I told him I'd rather have trouble breathing than trigger that! I went on to say that if I couldn't breathe, all bets were off!! He laughed!
The Xopenex mentioned above is only available with a nebulizer. I don't have one, and probably don't need one. ( I hope!)
He changed me to Advair for now. I've taken it before and I think it did work OK. We'll see how that goes.
Keeb... Garlic is one thing I just can't tolerate with my IC. I think it also bothered my acid reflux .. I've tried it several times over the years. I know it would be great for candida too.
Thanks for all suggestions, gang. I do feel better than I did last week. We have cedar trees in our area and they are blooming...always a bad thing for me.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
TuTu,
xopenex is available as an inhaler. It was rx'ed to me because albuterol made my heart race. xopenex does not cause heart to race.
Fwiw, i had the heavy chest this morning. I do not have 'classic' asthma symptoms...no wheezing, coughing etc....but man this a.m. hard to breathe.
It was different from air hunger. I did my flovent and then the xopenex and downed some liquid benedryl...I could breathe again...
Pollen is heavy right now in FL. and I *think* that this has something to do with it?
anyway, xopenex def comes as an inhaler.
Feelfit
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Dang! Thanks for the info... the dr even looked in his PDR!!
I'm like you.. no wheezing. But I do cough when my steroid inhaler "runs out".. meaning it's close to the time to use it again.
Very different from air hunger.
We have cedar pollen here that is just beginning to get revved up. I dread when it gets bad!!! Then spring will follow with more. UGH!!!!
Posted by kidsgotlyme (Member # 23691) on :
Tutu,
You might want to go to an allergy/asthma doc to make sure you really have asthma.
I thought I had it for years. When it seemed like it was getting worse, I finally went to specialist and he tested me and I didn't have it.
I was having acid reflux problems. I stopped doing my inhaler and started taking prilosec and got better.
At first, I thought the doc was crazy, because I truly felt like I couldn't breathe, and the inhalers were seeming to help me.
But I tried the prilosec, and it took the pain away. I don't take it everyday. Also, I started getting allergy shots too. I feel much better.
Hope you get the answers you need....
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks, kids!
I do take Nexium for acid reflux.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Lymetoo, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
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