I have been suffering with Asthma for the last 29 years. However the last 9 months have been awful. My doctor has put me on a rescue inhaler 3-6 times a day, Advair 2 times a day, Albuterol by way of a Nebulizer 3-4 times a day and Singular once a day. I have had steroid shots & taken prednisone through out all of this. I do get better but my Cough never goes away. And Yes, I have both the yearly Flu shot as well as the one for Pneumonia. My cough causes me to vomit from the intensity & leaves me completely breathless. Mostly I get lots of phelm out when this occurs, but lately a bit of blood, probably from coughing so much, which does alarm me. So yesterday I was so frightened by the shortness of breathe & constant coughing, that was causing severe chest & head pain, that I left work to got to the E/R. My Doctor was out of town and I believed I was possibly very Ill, so it seemed to be my only Option. My experience at the E/R was horrific to say the least. The Doctor either Could not or Would Not tell me why the cough was so persistent. Her main concern was getting me a shot of a "Narcotic Drug" for my head & chest pain. I repeated many times that "I was not there for "Narcotics or Pain pills" and that I was afraid something was wrong with my Lungs or Heart. After much discussion she did authorize a panel of Blood work & an X-ray. Even though, as she said, I had NO wheezing that she could hear, after a very quick listen to me with a stethoscope. When the test came back she completely dismissed me as if I were a Nut. I asked her if possibly the fact that I was On so many Asthma medicines could explain me Not wheezing and she said No. I did walk out with a prescription for Zithromax, since I pleaded with her to do "Something" for me until I could see my own Doctor. Can someone please tell me if they know why my Cough is not going away or what I might do the make it Disappear? Also have any of you experienced this type of treatment at the E.R.??? I have good insurance, not to mention a $150.00 co-payment, so my visit was not due to boredom and I am Not a hypochondriac. I appreciate any advice you all might be able to offer me.
Thank you,
Monie
Hi Monica,
Gosh, I so relate! I'm dealing with the same thing, vomiting and all! I've also had a LOT of other health problems and am trying to find a doctor who can put it all together. I've been doing a lot of research and there are many things that have cough as a symptom. My cough makes no sense, especially since xrays come out clear, but yet I go through what you described for about 10 months out of the year, for several years now.
I am looking into some more natural doctors now to see if we can locate any imbalances in my body that are causing so many problems. I used to see a naturopath and he did a great job of identifying things that western doctors would not have diagnosed, and helped me get some other things remedied.
I'm also going to check into an allergist. I've already been tested for a ton of allergens, but I've noticed a really high sensitivity to chemicals that can set off the cough in seconds flat and send me into a huge and long lasting episode.
Do let me know if you find anything helpful, and I'll keep you posted as well. I so understand what you are going through! Oh, and I do get the wheezing, but I so know the frustration of just wanting to find a solution, and not being able to find someone who can really get rid of it (without just pumping me full of drugs).
My heart is with you. I hope we both find our answer.
Michele
Monie,
I am NOT a doctor. It sounds to me like you are taking a lot of different medications for the same condition. Advair is suppose to make you cough to keep the lungs clear. Albuterol also is a stimulant for the lungs that makes you cough. The nebulizer is also a stimulant qhich could get your heart beating faster and a huge amount of a nebulizer could be causing the constant coughing. I know nothing about inhalers, but that too, could be making you cough as the side effect and the benefit. Once I was sick and used my child's albuterol because I thought I had bronchitis, it was a weekend so I wanted to wait to see my own doctor. The albuterol made me cough so much and my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest, plus the coughing never stopped, but got worse. I used to smoke so I was very scared. I had the same symptoms as you with the shortness of breath and the pressure on my chest. I would question your doctor about the albuterol and adavair and the nebulizer in conbination. All are good medications, but maybe they are not working well together. The increase in phlegm sounds weird, perhaps you have walking pnuemonia? Lots of additional coughing could mean that. Rest and antibiotics will help that go away, but you need to see your doctor and have everything checked. If you have that, you must rest and not over do it because it can relapse easily. Keep in mind many medications taken together do not work well together. I think when you started coughing so badly, you also panicked which didn't help either. I hope you find out what it is and maybe see an Ear, nose, and throat speicalist or someone who knows about your condition with the asthma and truly knows about asthma. There are specialists. I wouldn't eat a lot of dairy products such as milk and cheese as they are phlegm type producing foods. In fact I would cut that out right away to help ease the production of mucus. Don't stop any medications until you talk to and see your doctor first. They know more about medications and how to adjust them. If you get no results or feel it isn't working, find a new doctor and get more opinions. Hope you feel better. I know it is scary.
Lynne
hi monica! i too suffer from later onset asthma. while i am not on as many drugs as you, i have had times where the inhalers weren't working and all i did was cough. i currently take flovent 200mg, 2 puffs, twice a day as a daily inhaler and albuterol as a rescue.
so, the first time i had a problem they gave me a 3 day dose of prednisone in pill form and some plain cough syrup. the problem with being asthmatic is that they need to get our asthma under control first, so you're gonna have to really push your doctor to work with you. when i get bad now, i just ask for cough syrup with codeine and skip the prednisone because you can't get the codeine if you are on steroids and the constant coughing doesn't let me sleep or even eat sometimes.
i've also found that doing a saline rinse in my nose helps as well as taking a nose steroid like rhinocort or flonase (this gives me nosebleeds, so i take rhinocort) help get the coughing to subside.
it is so not fun when you can't take a breath and everyone you do take makes you hack up a lung. also, i never ever wheeze, so i feel your pain when someone who isn't my regular doctor looks at you like your faking. it's awful. i hope this helps and i hope your cough goes away.
I am not sure but it could be do to your indoor air quality.
I am sure you have heard this before but the products you use in your home and on your body REALLY do make a difference.
What do you use to clean your home with?
Pledge?
Windex?
Tilex?
Launder with bleach?
These could very well be your offenders.
(there are safer alternatives - I sure hope you find the problem and that you are able to breath a nice heavy sigh of relief with out coughing)
Let me know if you need suggestions for safer alternatives.
courage2bwell at yahoo dot com
I think that it is now time to go to a good pulmonary doctor. It would also be good to have a CT scan to make sure that the asthma has not developed into something called Bronchiectasis which is a widening of the airways which causes a lot of coughing of phelgm, many infections, and coughing up blood. If your doctor cannot get your asthma under control, you need to set up an appointment at National Jewish Hospital in Denver, the best pulmonary hospital in the US. A GP is not adequate for your problem. She a specialist.
Please insist on a TB Teberculosis test- rare but sounds like it might be your problem. OR it could be MOLD -your simptoms could be aggregated by Mold- can clean mold in your house w bleach and water- (check under your fridge if you have no water damage but with the latest rain,it would explain your increase in symptons-
Best wishes for you to get better- and please post if you figure out what is causing your symptoms!!!
Monica,
So you are going to hear from someone now who no longer listens and believes that what doctors say and do are the best thing. It is impossible for them to stay up on the research but just to do what the pharmaceutical reps tell them what to use.
Take your health into your own hands. Do you have a computer or access to one? Start looking up these drugs to see how they affect the body. Another thing is to request and get a test that will test for food allergies. It is an IgG test and we use the ImmunoLabs in Florida. One you find out what causes the inflammation, you can reduce it.
Now for our story. Since my daughter was a baby she had terrible eczema, ear infections, asthma, and was sickly and skinny. At 18 months I insisted that they test her for allergies. They did the skin pricking test (this is not the one to do folks, it only tests the surface)and we saw a huge reaction to eggs and corn along with some environmental. Removed those and stopped ALL vaccinations (most are developed with eggs hence the egg allergy) and saw improvement. Over the years though her asthma kept getting worse when it would happen. On all these drugs to control it but they were only temporary.
Finally two years ago I found out that there were other methods to test for allergies (not from her doctor mind you who is a 'specialist' in allergies and asthma). We found 21 foods that are a major problem for her. I removed them immediately and she has not had a problem since.
You could do this on your own without the testing. Start by removing ALL wheat/gluten, dairy/casein, soy. These are the biggest offenders for most people. For a week or two remove all eggs then introduce it in a small amount. Do this for corn, then yeast....
And please, do not do the flu shot. It is so full of things that would make your head spin and having your immune system working correctly is so much better for you.
Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research:
(for you especially) Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders by Dr. Kenneth Bock
www.909shot.org
www.tacanow.org
www.generationrescue.com
The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave
Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby
I am sorry about the problems that you have been having. I can't respond specifically to the asthma, but I can say that doctors have ignored me when I knew something was seriously wrong. It is not a good feeling. It is almost like the dr. is overbooked or something. Very abrupt at times and every time you make an appointment for the same problem, they have the attitude like,"oh, it's you again." I am sorry that is happening to you and I hope that your dr. can find out something soon.
believe it or not try cutting egg and diary from your diet and see if your symptoms get better. Asthma and food allergies are very closely related.
take care
get an allergy test. They can do a simple one by blood called an "immuno-cap" which will test for the basics. You can ask for specific items to be added if you suspect you may be allergic. Usually (not always) allergies and asthma are related. My kids had an asthma cough (severe) and once we realized what they were allergic to and removed it from their diet and/or environment it pretty much went away.
Good luck
Monica....even IF your asthma experience is "normal" you need a physician who will listen to you and also be able to prove to you that your experience is normal. Personally, if I were you, I would be alarmed as well, especially if I were coughing up blood. I have fortunately only experienced the ER with one of my kids on three occasions and had great experiences. I don't know where you are...? We are in Altadena and have been both to Huntington Hosp and Arcadia Meth.
I think you need to find another doc. Perhaps you could call your ob/gyn for a referral? You are on a lot of meds and I will bet that there is "another way".
Good luck! Be bold and be your own advocate....just because they are docs doesn't mean that they are always right.
will pray for you!
K.C.
Hi there...I am so sorry to hear how awful you are feeling. I went through a period, when I began teaching, where I had a persistent cough for about 10 months. You didn't mention the type of doctor you are seeing. If it's a general practitioner, then I would ask for a referral to an ear/nose/throat specialist. If you are seeing a specialist, then I would look for a second opinion. I would also try and keep a journal to see if there are things that aggravate your condition. I'd also be a bit concerned about all the various meds that you are on...do a little research and see if you have a "cocktail" that causing more problems than curing. (For example, do your symptons improve when you are off one med or another? Journal it.) I'd also check your home for dust, etc. Check the heater filters, etc. We've also put the air filters (Ionic air type) in every room in our house and have noticed a difference. You can also upgrade the type of filter you put in your heater to filter allergens, etc. Finally, watch the foods you eat/drink...do you see spikes in symptons? Journal it. Use all this information with your doctor and be an active patient that asks lots of questions and brings new information to the table (if your doctor doesn't like this or cooperate, find another one). Best wishes and I hope you're feeling better soon.
Monica,
Asthma is a sign of food allergies. I recommend that you log on to site NAET.com. NAET is a group of allergist, the ONLY allergists in the world who treat and eliminate allergies.
Some of the other problems you mentioned are signs of allergies. 2 things to consider with regard to great health are 1. Allergies and 2. deficiencies. When both are addressed the body will normalize.
Should you have any questions, I can answer them. My email is [email protected].
Be Well. Nicole
HI Monica, I am so sorry for what you have been going through. Chronic sickness with no explanation or help is so frustrating. I haven't read all the responses, but I agree with Karen Y, below my response.
I also think you may want look at other options, as in homeopathic medicine. It seems that the medical world may not help you out, but hopefully they will. I also have been sick with a hacking cough since Dec. 1. I have mild asthma and that didn't help. My 2 kids and husband have been sick over and over and over again all winter. My husband just found last weekend that in our heat/ac units the filters had black mold spores all over them. He took them out and cleaned and bleached them. I can already see a difference in our family's health this week. No fevers, all of our coughs and body are getting better. I actually feel like the sickness is going to end. I couldn't believe that we had the mold in our house. I've heard dirty carpets can attribute to that to.
I am going to give you a number of a Medical Intuitive. You can call or not. Terry Hides is his name and his number is (801)372-8380. You'll talk to his wife, Pam, when you call, she is his secretary. You can ask all the questions you need and ask what he does. Terry helped me with my post-partum depression, my son's colic when he was born. He has also helped my friend with cancer. You can also email me to ask me any questions about it.
Good Luck!
Monica I feel so bad for you. Please make an appointment with my doctor, who is NAET certified (Dr. David Karaba with East West Medical Group in Fullerton). Or with Dr. Devi Nambudripad in Buena Park, or someone else who is NAET certified. With NAET you can have your allergies cured, and asthma is generally a symptom of allergies. It has done wonderful things for me, and for my daughter in law, and grandchildren.
Best wishes,
Margaret
My brother was diagnosed with asthma last fall and immediately got tested for food allergies. He eliminated several foods from his diet and within a week the cough was gone. All he has to do is be around the foods that affect him and the cough comes back. It has helped with environmental and animal allergies as well.
I'd find a good doctor and get tested for food allergies before anything else - just thought I'd reinforce what the others had said... :)
Good luck to you - I hope you feel better soon!
Dearest Monica,
There are lots of good ideas here from the other moms. I know you are under a lot of stress from all the work of a big family! I had 7 kids and have been through the wringer, too!
My daughter used to have horrible asthma and it went away permanently after she started drinking more water and taking vitamins regularly. I had horrible pneumonia with an awful cough and my doctor told me I wasn't drinking enough water to loosen up the phlegm. Once I did start drinking at least 2 qts of water each day it want away and I never get coughs now.
The main thing is to be proactive, and strengthen the body to fight disease, and you won't have to always be reacting to the attacks from the environment. I have always found that there are many things that enough liquids and a healthy diet will prevent and cure that most doctors don't stress enough.
1- LOTS of water is needed by the body to clean it out on the inside when you are sick. (Just like the outside of the body needs a bath when you are dirty!). Congestion is a common symptom of dehydration. See:
http://www.watercure.com/faq.html
2 - Vitamins A,C, and E prevent Infections in the body. Are you and your kids taking a good multi (and vit. C a few extra times extra during the day? Twinlabs has a GREAT balanced Multi called "Daily one without Iron"for adults, and kid vits too, available at the best price at www.iherb.com)
3 - Pro-biotics are the GOOD bacteria in the gut that kill the BAD bacteria naturally (like those in quality yogurt, and you can also buy in tablets at Trader Joes). If you have ever taken an antibiotic,they KILL the good bacteria along with the bad. You NEED to follow it with PRO-biotics to replenish what the antibiotics have destroyed, or your natural immunity will take longer to come back.
These two doctors have a lot to say, too:
They are Brenda Watson:
http://www.brendawatson.com/
and Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, who said, "You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication."
http://www.watercure.com/index.html
http://www.watercure.com/wondersofwater.html
Hope that helps!
Best, Ruth
Oh my Gosh, my 3 yr old son is going through the same thing since Oct.! He is on Clarin, a nose spray twice a day, saline with the nose sucker 4 times a day, Flovent twice a day, breathing treatment 4 times a day and ear drops 3 times a day!!!! HE IS ONLY 3!
There is no wheezing either, just the cough. We had x-rays done right before Christmas, but on Monday I am going to call to request x-rays of his sinus.
I have been very patient, but at this point I am getting very very mad. And they don't want to see this Mama mad.
I have no advice for ya, since you and my son are going through the same thing and pretty much doing the same things.
But, please keep me updated on you and if I find anything that works for my son I will let you know.
Best of Luck and a Speedy Recovering,
Megan
After reading all of the responses to your request, I agree with the diet info. Look at what is the staple of your diet. Believe it or not we usually crave what we are allergic to. Both my twins had asthma and did really well after dairy was eliminated from their diet. And do check for mold in the house. Check out Dr. Grumlich #310-337-7315 in Westchester. He is a homeopath and MD. My twins never had any symptoms of asthma again after he gave them one single homeopathic remedy.
Deborah Merlin
Mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com