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Do I have asthma?

Posted , 3 users are following.

anne91595
anne91595

I'm new to this forum and need some help. I'm 21 years old and see an allergist for food allergies and sports induced asthma. When I was younger I was constantly getting sick and on nebulizer treatments for coughing and wheezing but it was always pneumonia and never heard it could be asthma. Once I started sports I had issues with shortness of breath and coughing a lot which is when I was diagnosed with sports induced asthma. I was given a inhaler when I was 16 and told to use it before exercise. I'm a college athlete now and have been doing ok with it. My allergist did a lung function test then gave me a neb treatment then did the test again and he said I don't need daily control medicine which I'm so thankful for! 

I got sick a week ago with a viral infection and it's starting to ease up but about halfway through I was coughing a lot but it was a dry cough. Like every time I took a breath in it would make me cough. I took my inhaler and it took the cough away almost immediately. However after 4-5 hrs it would be back so I'd take my inhaler again and it goes away. It's been 3 days now of taking my inhaler every 5hrs or so. I'm absolutely fine if I take it but if I don't I can't stop coughing. I woke up coughing last night and had to take it again. Is it ok to be taking it this much? Is this asthma? I don't necessarily get tightness or wheezing but the coughing is definitely there. 

Also If it is asthma is it possible to only have asthma during exercise and when I'm sick. Is that why my lung function test came back normal? 

Thank you in advance, sorry this post is long! I really appreciate any input!

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Aschm32186
    Aschm32186 anne91595

    Posted

    I would discuss this with your doctor you may still have a infection so you might still need your inhaler, but then again you might need some more meds like allergy meds etc or maybe prednisone or just takes time to recover from the viral infection. 

     

    • anne91595
      anne91595 Aschm32186

      Posted

      Thanks for your response! I'm currently taking allergy meds and my inhaler. I just wanted to make sure it's ok for me to be taking my inhaler this often (every 4-5hrs). I don't have regular asthma like I'm not on daily preventers or anything, I just have issues with exercise and getting sick. My doctor actually gave me prednisone to keep at home but I have to call and he will tell me whether or not to use it. I feel like my inhaler is keeping it under control though and I don't want to take the prednisone if I don't have to. As long as it's ok for me to keep using my inhaler I'd prefer that. Is there a timeline for how long I can continue this until I have to call? Like is a week of constant inhaler use fine? Sorry if that's a weird question haha I just really don't want to have to call.  

      Thanks again for taking the time to respond! 

  • green881
    green881 anne91595

    Posted

    Anne,

    "My allergist did a lung function test then gave me a neb treatment then did the test again and he said I don't need daily control medicine which I'm so thankful for! "

    This can be misleading.  It means you weren't symptomatic at the doctor's office a common situation for asthmatics.  What he was probably trying to say is that if you have been symptom free for 1-2 weeks you can gradually taper your daily preventers as long as you stay symptom free.

    It sounds like you have some kind of cough variant asthma.  It's typical for respiratory tract infections to aggravate asthma.  On and off over the years I would go on ICS preventers during an infection for that reason, to prevent it getting worse.  It doesn't do much for the infection that goes away on its own.  It depends on my general asthma state at the time.

    So it sure sounds like you need to go back on preventer - if you still have enough prescription to get through a normal course of it I would go back on.  Maybe a quick call to your doctor's office to check.  But if they are hard to reach I would go on preventer first, questions second.  Just don't go off suddenly, always good to taper and gradually reduce dose.

    Also don't forget to work on allergen triggers as well if they are avoidable (eg. dust).

     

    • anne91595
      anne91595 green881

      Posted

      Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. I just wanted to clarify I never was on preventers, he was just doing the test to make sure I don't need to be on them. The day he did the test I felt absolutely fine and wasn't having any issues which is true most of the time outside of exercise and being sick. I am still taking my inhaler every 4-5 hours today, but I'm afraid that it's bad to be taking it this much. I could call and ask him. I have an appointment with him in November so if this cough goes away soon then I'll just wait and discuss what to do next time I get sick when I see him. If it doesn't get better in the next week should I call him? He gave me prednisone to keep at home and that if I called with a problem he'd instruct me when and how much to take.

      Again thank you for your response! 

    • green881
      green881 anne91595

      Posted

      >I just wanted to clarify I never was on preventers, he was just doing the test to make sure I don't need to be on them.

      Whether you are on preventers or not does not matter, you could be asymptomatic that day.  It does not mean you will not need them in the future.  Most of us go on and off the preventers in cycles. Do you have a peak flow meter?  That can help you visualize but how you feel is just as important.  If you need albuterol so often you should go on preventers now (if you have them) and not wait for November.  You don't want to open yourself to a more serious crisis.  Call in to doctor if you can, or start them and call later if not. 6 puffs a day of albuterol is a lot.  Normal well-controlled is considered less than 3 puffs a week.

       

    • anne91595
      anne91595 green881

      Posted

      I don't have any preventers so I'm not able to start them rolleyes I also don't have a peak flow meter.  I'll give him a call either tomorrow or Monday. Hopefully it'll go away on its own before then because I have a feeling he'll start me on the prednisone and I really don't want to take that. Thanks for your advice!

    • green881
      green881 anne91595

      Posted

      I have seen pred given after persistent respiratory infection for non-asthmatic, and Ventolin/Pro-air given for good measure.  But this was for someone else that clearly is not asthmatic.

      The flag I see with you is that you are still young (21) and have gone to see an allergist for all kinds of allergy, and you had some history of wheezing.  So it's possible you now have a little asthma triggered by the virus.  If you do they will give you a preventer like Qvar or Flovent.

    • anne91595
      anne91595 green881

      Posted

      Ok I'll definitely give the doc a call Monday if it doesn't get better. Thank you! 

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