Asthma...Allergy? Inflammation? Infection?

[Lori_L]

I am a 50 year old female with a history of allergy induced asthma since age 25.  I participated in allergy shots at National Jewish (I live in Colorado) for years and benefited from it to the point that I no longer needed asthma meds except during a viral or bacterial infection.  During those times I used Qvar for several weeks and albuterol PRN.  My general health is decent.  For the past year and a half I have started having more allergy issues (the shots were at least 10 years ago).  I saw an allergist in Feb. of 2008 and he did allergy testing on me.  Many of my usual allergies were no more, but I still had a strong reaction to grasses and a few weed reactions.  I have never tested allergic to any molds.  (Oddly I did not react to junipers, but while in Oregon 2 years ago I got really "sick" from the major juniper exposure.)

I've been keeping a compost pile for a couple of years now.  I've also been "sick" about 6 times in the past year compared to my average of one time per year.  I had not noticed a relationship until the other day.  I recently saw an ENT to try to figure out if I was having chronic sinus infections or not.  He treated me with Moxifloxacin and then I had a CT scan.  The infection had completely cleared but I do have a severely deviated septum that is not directly blocking the sinuses and enlarged turbinates.   I'm trying to manage my sinuses with twice daily saline nasal washes with a pulsating machine.

Because of the frequent illness, I have had to use my Qvar at the rate of four puffs twice daily and also Serevent twice daily.  I cannot manage without them.  My peak flows drop quickly.

We have a very small house and yet my husband hasn't gotten "sick" even one of the times that I've been ill.  Three days ago I raked leaves and removed the debris from my vegetable garden.  I was feeling great!  In less than 12 hours after working outside I was "sick" again.  My symptoms are a cough where I periodically cough up chunks of yellow to green mucous (especially in the morning and at night), a dry cough inbetween off and on, very swollen nasal passages  with a thick drip down my throat, difficulty swallowing some foods because my throat feels a bit swollen, lots of thick mucous coming from my nose that is at times clear, but generally opaque and yellow to green.  The color varies throughout the day but is generally yellow currently.  My lungs feel sore and tight, like I'm quite ill, and I feel tired.  I have to add albuterol in to keep my peak flows at a decent level, but even then they are down by 50-75 points.  

This same pattern (now that I realize that it might be a pattern) happened last fall when I turned the compost pile and added leaves I'd raked.  I was sick for a couple of months from that one and it finally resolved with the Moxifloxacin (after two 10 day courses of Doxicycline).  In July of 2007 we had our yard hard-scaped and the soil amended.  It was left bare until May of 2008 when it was planted and a mulch was laid down.  The mulch had to be kept very wet all summer.  It was constantly flushed with various fungi and I was out moving it around and planting all summer.  

I called my allergist 2 days ago and asked if there were any blood tests that might reveal whether this is an allergic state or not.  He said that the only thing it could be was a mold allergy and my test was negative.  He suggested that I add in Zyrtec, and I did, and it does help a little for about 12 hours but the symptoms are still there when it wears off.  He said to use my albuterol if needed. He also suggested a mask for working outside.   He didn't seem especially concerned but I am.  I am really struggling with this pattern that seems to be emerging.  I am an avid gardener and if I need to take precautions I will, but I'd like to identify the problem.  

Does anyone have any suggestions?  I have a very large lung capacity so it's very hard to anyone to detect that I'm not doing well.  I haven't had a chest x-ray in at least 5 years.  Would that be advisable?  Are there tests that could be run to see if I'm experiencing an allergy or increased inflammation?  Am I having an "infection" right now and should I be treating it somehow or do I just keep riding these out?  Over the past year I've lost about 5 months to feeling "sick" like this.  I'm really sick of it!

Thanks!

[hava]

The Yoga Pranayam (breathing exercises) will  help to control allergy and asthma  problems.Try it and come back to report your progress.
Build up your timing gradually. If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after 1 minute.

Bhastrika - Take a long deep breath into the lungs(chest not tummy) via the nose and then completely breathe out through the nose. Duration upto 5 minutes.

Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day. Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 20 to 30  minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

Bhramri Pranayam -Close eyes. Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three fingers on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in through nose. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 5 to 12  times

[Lori_L]

Hi Brenda,

I didn't get an email notice that I had received a response to this so I'm sorry about responding over a year later.  Now I'm here to read about endometriosis as I've just been dx (and it's bad!) :( . I wanted to see how you were doing now?  I found out that I likely have "farmer's lung".  If I wear a mask when I'm working outside with anything that is decaying I'm fine.  I haven't had a big episode since I started wearing a mask.  It's a pain!!!  But it's better than being sick all of the time!

Hope you are feeling better.

Lori

[brenda959]

I would like to apoligize for my recent post. I read after posting instead of before and realized that my post had numerous errors. Not to mention the fact that I repeated myself on at least two occasions. In my defense, I had a rather challenging night, the last two nights actually, due mainly  from shortness of breath causing extreme exhaustion. I'm obviously not only depleted physically but mentally as well.
Hopefully tonight will be a better night for all.
brenda

[brenda959]

I've tried to post on here three times and it just changes to another page. I'm going to try one more time as this is very important. I read this story aloud to my husband and his exact words were, 'she didn't post that comment, you did. our symptoms are remarkable. i bought a bird 10 yrs. ago and my husband says i've been sick ever since. coincidence or not, i don't know. i've been to dr's office numerous times in emergency situations, also hospitalized repeatedly. in all this time, not one dr. has ever mentioned referring me to an allergist. i've been sick pretty much constantly for the last three yrs, been on every kind of med you can think of, told to increase use of inhaler to 6 x daily. i got a christmas present about 4 yrs. ago and it's been a God send. an air purifier. it's unbelieveable to me how much of a difference it has made for me. i keep it in the b.r. with the door closed. but as soon as i open the door to enter another part of the house, especially in the a.m. i have to use ALL of my many medications just to breathe. i have a cough almost constantly, but i can't cough anything up from deep down. i have recently started waking up with an almost out of control runny nose and i also have that thick mucus down my throat. i also am very sick but not my husband. the fatigue is debilitating. in fact, i've been consistently sic for  the last three yrs. i have had to give up my job and as i live in a very small town, it was a job that paid well, and had excellent benefts. my husband bought me an air purifier app. 4 yrs ago and it's been a life saver for me. a real honest to God life saver. but as soon as i open the door to enter another area of the house it takes almost every medicine i have just to get any air in the mornings. i was also told to wear a mask while gardening, something i have a passion for. but i can't wear a mask, it makes me feel as if i'm suffocating. and if i wear it in the house i get so hot that my hair gets wet. i can not cough anything up for deep, where i feel it needs to  come from, on the days when the mucus is constant and i rattle all day, i can cough that up easily. my chest feels tight and sore constantly, i also wheeze constantly. in fact app three weeks ago, after being in the hosp. for four days, my dr. couldn't believe after all the i.v. steroids and breath. treatments that i was till wheezing. this last episode has completely depleted me. a shower almost kills me. literally. it was the catalyst for my last hospital stay. the steroids have been a life save and a killer as i have osteoarthritis. usually, after spending almost a week in the hospital and getting i.v. steroids i can control thing with just my basic inhaler. not so now. i never get over being sick. i've has to apply for disability, something that's just now like me. i have recently started waking with a runny nose that is uncontrolable. i can't tell you how many antibiotics i've been on. and after taking penicillin for 48 yrs. i am suddenly allergic to it. you dont mention lori that you have ever been given either a steroid shot, pill or God forbid, i.v. i would recommend a three day regimen and i'm thinking you might be surprised. but i'm thinking you might already have. also, i have taken all medicine known to man. mainly because my sis in law is my drs nurse. and i can tell you that spiriva has gone me more good then any. i'm lucky that i get samples. i've also been put on breathing treatment four times a day.although i try to avioid that as i'm afraid my lungs will get dependent on them. i'm very glad that i stumbled on to this page today. and i wish you all the luck in the world as well as all the prayers. i will be checking to see your next post. i'm very interested about the mold situatuion. i know that it can be deadly in some cases. sorry, but that is just being honest. and maybe you could see an m.d. in the meantime. God bless you Lori. as my husband thought, i could have posted your comment it is so simular to mine. hope to hear from you soon. brenda

[Lori_L]

Thanks so much for your thoughts and ideas!  I'm sorry that you are going through something similar.  Thanks for reading my "book" on it!  I keep thinking that if someone could just hear the whole story instead of the few minutes the docs have time for then maybe I could get a tip to get to the bottom of it.  

This morning my peak flow was down by 100 points and albuterol, Serevent, and Qvar didn't help at all.  What finally helped was a cup of coffee.  It got me coughing and I got rid of a sort of mucous plug that brought me up by 50 points.  It's so weird to get so sick from messing with dead leaves and plants when I've never had a problem with it before!  My doc is a good doc.  My only gripe is his lack of willingness to help me get to the bottom of this.  He has a great personality!

The duration of each of the these episodes is quite long..measured in weeks.  I've gone on antibiotics 4 times in the past year which is very unusual for me.  I avoid them like the plague normally.  The Zyrtec is helping me to sleep and that right there might make a huge difference with how long it takes to get over this.  I'm not sleeping well in perimenopause.

Take care and thanks again!

[treebranches]

I completely know how you feel right now.  My allergist tested me for pretty much any tree or plant local to my area and said they came back negative.  I ignored these test results and maintain that I'm allergic to basically everything.  Why?  If I test negative for trees and plants in my area, then why do I get watery, itchy eyes, hives with rash runny nose and sneezes when I'm out hiking?  That sort of thing doesn't happen on its own, so I take allergy medication and the problem goes away.

Asthmatics are prone to allergies, rashes, dry skin and all sorts of fun stuff you're no  exception.  I believe you when you say you're allergic to something.

My thoughts are to start getting allergy shots again if you haven't already and see if the problem goes away.  I also take Zyrtec for my "non-allergy allergies" (NAA?) and mine also wears off, so I take it twice a day and I'm fine.  If I forget, my body reminds me with allergy symptoms.  Yet... I tested negative.

Your doctor might not seem concerned but he sounds like a good doctor and the tips he gave were very helpful and no different from what I'd say as a NAA Asthmatic myself.  That being said, tell him you want the allergy shot again just to see if your condition improves.  If it does, great, you've proven your point; if not, then you know there is probably another factor -- perhaps mold?

Hope that helps.  :-)