Asthma?? or Something Else??

About 14 months ago I had a horrible sore throat, infection, and bronchitis.....I had shortness of breath and wheezing only on forceful expiration. I was started on albuterol, prednisone, and antibiotics. It took 3-4 weeks before I started feeling better but never felt great. I was then started on Advair 250/50. Over the last year I have been on Allegra, Advair which has been increased to 500/50, and prednisone a few times when I am actively coughing up mucous and really don't feel well. I have never really felt great though in the last year. It always seems as if I can't quite get a good deep breath and breathing has become something that I am always thinking about as opposed to being involuntary, especially during exercise. I feel as if now maybe this is all in my head because my chest x-ray was normal and my PFTs were normal. I am frustrated and not sure what to do at this point especially because my symptoms are so vague. Being a nurse, I have been trying to figure it out myself but haven't succeeded??

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

Was your PFT done when you were on the medications? Has a CT scan of your sinuses been done?

Do you smoke or are exposed to pollutants regularly?

You could talk to your chest specialist and get a complete PFT done again and you need to stop taking the medications you are on so that the test results are not altered in any way.

Let us know about any other doubts that you have and also about how you are doing.

Hope this helps.

Regards.