Breathing problems

[evilGUI]

Hello I'm a 17 year old male, I've been having breathing/swallowing problems for the past 2 months I have really thick never ending mucus, the other night I was having extreme breathing problems once I woke up, I used a rescue inhaler and all was well, they gave me 2 epi-pens for a emergency. When should I use these? As soon as I start having breathing problems? or when I stop breathing? If I did this I'd need refills every few days and the ER doesn't do much for me, they tell me unless I'm blue I'm fine. I've been to the ER 6 times and they give me some epi then send me on my way and tell me to get a appointment with a allergy specialist. The problem with the allergy specialists is they can't get me in for weeks and don't seem to be taking me seriously. I can't live at the ER and am afraid I'm going to die after what happened the other night, any recommendations on how I can continue my life?

[kitkat777]

I didn't experience wheezing really unless I worked out, or during the tests when they were forcing me to do heaving breathing.

I have had a cat for 14 years now that has always slept in my arms at night.   I have never had a reaction to him before until that one day when my breathing became an issue.  I'm now allergic to him, and I never would have connected my breathing issue to him.  But now I notice it when he gets in my face.  Don't rule out anything!  

[kitkat777]

I too was having the same issues.  I woke up one day to suddenly not being able to breathe, issues swallowing, and a swollen face.  I never before had experienced anything like it.  Once I got into an allergy specialist I discovered that I was allergic to everything environmental.  Just walking outside caused my throat to close up, my face to tingle, go numb, and swell up.  I found out one of my biggest allergies is dust mites.  I had to clean my room from top to bottom, remove a lot of extra furniture, get rid of nick nacks that collect dust, and get a nice air purifier.  Once a week I go through and clean everything, couple that with taking 3 prescription allergy medications everyday and things are manageable.  I still frequently (everyday all day, but not nearly as severe) have shortness of breath, but the doctor doesn't take me that seriously.  They tell me I shouldn't have any issues with as many medications I'm on.  When I went to a pulmonologist they gave me an inhaler, but I find that sometimes the inhaler seems to do nothing for me.  In fact, sometimes it makes it worse.

I know for me cleaning out my room for dust mites made a huge difference.  I had to get some sprays for it, my mattress and pillows now have allergy barriers, and I have to clean all my linens including my comforter one to two times a week.  But doing that for me made the biggest difference.  And I guess the biggest clue for me should have been the fact that my breathing was normally worse in the morning when I woke up.  I would try to suggest trying to pinpoint when it's worse, or when it flares up.  After I found out my allergies I could look back and it made sense.  So when it flares up, write it down, you'll eventually find a connection.  If you have breathing issues all the time I would suggest cleaning your room from top to bottom for every kind of allergen, it's a good place to start for now.  If possible I would get someone else to do the cleaning, I had a few bad attacks doing the cleaning myself.  Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions!

[evilGUI]

Thanks for your reply, in some cases I have had some breathing difficulty after eating or after working out. Also after visiting a clients house I experienced shortness of breath recently, I think they may have had a air freshener and dogs, although we have a few dogs of our own and I have never experienced any reaction to them to my knowledge. I really haven't had any wheezing recently, although I have had a little in the past.

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
      Thanks for writing in. There are two possibilities in your case, one it could be post nasal drip and the other is asthma. Both these causes need complete work up and confirmation. Do you experience breathing difficulty after eating or being in a certain environment? Are there any accompanying symptoms like wheezing, fever, chest pain, fatigue etc?
You need to use the inhaler immediately after breathing difficulty arises. This treatment gives only temporary symptomatic relief. I would suggest that you visit a pulmonologist, if allergy specialist is been delayed.
Best.