Asthma Diagnosis

For about 2 months, I have had chest tightness, phlegm production, localized chest pain, and chronic cough.  I first went to my primary care physician, and he first recommended claratin and prilosec, thinking it might be allergy or GERD related.  After 2 weeks with no success, he performed a breathing test and though the results were normal, he perscribed albuterol.  For the first week, albuterol definitely curbed the cough, but the phlegm and chest pain still continued.  I had a chest x-ray that came back completely negative, which I guess is a good thing.  

He referred me to a specialist.  I went through a barrage of breathing tests, and he put me on a trial of advair.  For the first week, it worked like a charm.  Unfortunately, during the past few days the symptoms are back.

Any advice?

[National Jewish Health]

Sounds like you are being treated for asthma.  However chest pain is not a symptom of asthma and raises doubts about that diagnosis.  Pain is common with coronary artery disease, pulmonary embolus that are clots to the lung, pleurisy for any reason and disease of the spine or ribs.  Laboratory examination of the phlegm might provide a clue as to what is going on.  The specialist should be able to better characterize your symptoms, especially the quality of the pain, and narrow-down the diagnostic possibilities.