Okay I know I've posted about my asthma.

But I need the research specialist. I'm looking for someting on Coughing
Asthma. I need to go to a new pulmonary doctor.

And I need to figure out how to explain my problems

Donna

Dear Donna,

I have a dumb question.
Why is your Coughting Asthma different from other Asthmas and what makes you think that a good pulmonary would not be able to understand what you are talking about?

Is it anything like what is described in this link?
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/cough-variant-asthma

Have you been seeing a regular mdoc for this in the past?

Sorry for all the questions.
Mari

I looked this up on the link provided and this sounds exactly like what my 6/7 year old has been suffering from for the last 4 years and no one would diagnose him with asthma. They kept telling me to give him cough meds and cold meds and they never worked and being an asthmatic myself I knew better. He would reach a point where he would cough like 10 -15 times a minute and I would wind up taking him to ER clinic and they would give him a treatment and off we would go. They said there was no wheezing or major shortness of breath but the coughing would get so bad he would vomit and couldn't catch his breath. Finally Easter before last a new doctor at the ER clinic asked "why hasn't this child been diagnosed with asthma" she wrote me a scrip for a nebulizer and some prednisone and we have been treating him ever since. I got rid of his original pediatrician. I never knew there was such a thing as cough-variant asthma. geez thanks you guys.

I didn't realize when I was diagnosed with asthma that there was a cough variant either. I really thought the wheezing I do sometimes, made it asthma.

I've always had a cough too, and at times its really bad. But it will go away usually, or the medicines that my primary used to prescribe would work.
But I'd be on a prescription most of say 6 months. So it bothered her to the extent she finally sent me to a asthma/allergy doctor. ANd I also have some allergies. I at first thought maybe my allergies made me have asthma, but they just make my asthma worse, so to make sure my treatment of shots for the allergies is very much current is very important. Is all that I can do.

I also know that at times I have to wait for my treatments, because of the degree my asthma is out of control. But I just recently saw a thing that said, there was a cough variant, and realized there was a good chance this is what I have. It then made much more sense to me.

I also have seen a pulmonary doctor, but he treated me like I was a idiot and then also through his nurse scheduled test, but they came out normal and he then didn't want me to come back for the answers or to get more answers.
So I did go back, but he acted like I was crazy to go back. So I just don't feel good going back to him. So my asthma/allergy doctor sent me to a heart specialist and all those test are normal, but she really checked me good.
I had some other issues that made me be checked really strongly for other things, and then to a reflux doctor. I have some reflux things, and I'm being treated, but its still the breathless, and out of control asthma. And its not being helped to the degree it needs by the asthma meds.

I've been on as many meds as my asthma doctor feels he can prescribe, I'm
on advair HFA the inhaler, singulair and claritin, and benedryl for the help for my allergy shots, plus a nose spray right now. Plus my stuff for the Ulceratus
colitis and my neuro things. But my asthma/allergy doctor says I need to
go back to the pulmonary doctor, and I refuse to see the one I have seen,
and I don't know if the partners will see me, but I'm going to find out.

And I just wondered what I need to ask that I didn't ask before.
I don't have a nebulizer, but I have a spacer.

This is long, but I am lost as how to help myself, I use the xopenox 4 times or more a day right now, and have for a long time.

And I'm really lost as how to help myself. I have no idea how to help me.
Anyone know what I can do, I drink hot tea, hot chocolate, water, and
diet coke. Because I need something to drink to keep from choking and
coughing all the time.

I drink the first three the most. I am trying to eat chicken soup once a day,
but I don't have any right now.

Donna

Hi, Christina,

I don't know why drs don't simply look stuff up like they do on the television shows.

Thank goodness that your son is getting proper care now.

Mari

Hi, Donna,

I am concerned after reading yours and Christina's posts about drs who don't get it. Actually it is rather frightening.

Yes, you need a new doctor and soon.

Oh dear. Please see someone other than that guy. He doesn't know what else to do for you -- and I'm not sure that he is motivated anyway.
Can you find someone outside that partnership?


Ask for a nebulizer.

Your post is sad. We are not supposed to have to figure how to fix things. We find the drs, go to the drs, explain things to them, and they fix us.

Do you have a take out restaurant that makes chicken soup? I used to have one but they closed. I miss them.

Write down your history and symptoms on one page and bring two copies to the appointment -- one for you and one for the pdoc.

You will get a dr who understands and can offer help. Keep looking.

Mari

I don't know what to say beyond what Mari already did, but i still wanted to offer you a

oh... one thing:

cough, and spasming, in general: lavender infusion. you can get some lavender flowers (commestible - from health food store, pharmacy, etc - + ask to be sure), 3 ounces water, one teaspoon dried lavender flowers. boil the water. steep the lavender loose for a good 7 minutes. drain*. it is aromatic but slightly bitter. you can add honey if you want, but i don't, and i don't personally suggest it.

*don't use the tea-trap metal contraptions (for convenience i steep it in a mini-drainer sitting in a demi-tasse so i can just lift it out)

with a regular cough, it can have a small effect immediately, but a single dose is often not noticeable. for my empty cough that persists for instance beyond allergen exposure and becomes chronic, the lavender infusion takes a good week to really knock it down well. it must be taken twice daily, morning and evening.

also i will add what you probably already know, and may even be "dieted off" already due to the GI issues.

1. MILK and DAIRY products thicken mucous secretions in the respiratory tract. Don't use milk in your hot bevs, and check the hot chocolate package for dairy content (tho that shouldn't affect you as much - just don't add milk).

2. Also garlic and other gastric irritants (anything spicy) do the same... and cause coughing. Again you have probably been dieted off any such offenders due to general GI issues. I was amazed when i found out about the garlic - that in particular permeates tissues throughout the body incredibly.

Have you talked to either the GI or pulm specialist regarding the effect of cocoa ingestion on the respiratory apparatus?

Is your cough worse after eating?

btw i don't have asthma but have upper-respiratory allergies which in general are seasonal or no big deal, excepting acute exposure.

well... ehh ... another won't hurt!

~ waves ~ from across the ocean

My sis has allergies. She told me to pass this on to you in case it helps:

http://www.doctorndtv.com/news/detailnews.asp?id=2869

Thanks to you both. I had seen a article today about the Iron deficiency.

But I've had so many blood test for the iron deficiency that say I'm not.

But I'm wondering if maybe I should just take a Iron supplement anyway.

And I really am going to work on the Pulmonary Doctor after christmas.

Its been a rough day, and its not over. We are having christmas tomorrow,
here at my house.

But in some ways that will help my asthma. My husband is cleaning the living room floors today with a floor cleaner, and then hopefully will get to the dining room and kitchen floors. I just have no breathing ability to do that.

And I'm tired of hearing how much I'm no help because I'm not helping with
that. But I can't breath if I try. And I did clean the table pretty much off,
but then I almost lost something he left there that was important.

But was having trouble breathing, and tried to explain to him as soon as I could catch my breath I'd start looking for it. He got mad because I walked
into the bedroom to look in one pyle because it was to small to be there.

I was just trying to breath away from the prroblem. And I did find it after
I could breath, he just doesn't get it.

Donna

Dear Donna,

I'm so sorry your husband is so unsupportive of your condition, and unappreciative of your efforts. I wonder what he does think. Have you talked about it - what does he say? (so far, he is making me mad )

That is horrid about the can't breathe being constant like that. I read in your checkin that this christmas party is em, last minute, like just what you need. (another reason when i read this post, i was already not well disposed towards your DH i confess).

Mari, that is very interesting. I wonder what the mechanism is behind that... some overreaction due to the blood having insufficient hemoglobin to take in the needed oxygen i guess...

Like Donna, I am not anemic, in fact when i was taking a multivitamin & mineral supplement ONLY 2-3 times a week, and then came off for a week before tests, i came out high on iron. that in itself is not good. I forget what it causes sorry duh.

Donna, don't take iron sups, or sups with iron, if your blood tests show your rbc, hemoglobin and iron level are ok.

((( Donna )))

and hey. when you need to. BREATHE and do NOTHING BUT BREATHE. if someone intrudes... don't engage them. continue to do your thing. continue to breathe without talking or trying to at all, regardless if there are five chimpanzees pulling at your hair (btw i wasn't trying to call your family chimps, that was just a scene that came to mind literally with a bunch of Bonzo's eeep eeeping around you

Breathe, breathe in the air...

~ waves ~