Can't Breathe

[IamSonya]

I'm 18 years old and have allergies to almost every animal with hair/fur. I smoke about 2 to 3 cigarettes a day and my fiance smokes about a pack. The first year or so into our relationship I would go to his family's house on a daily basis and I could breathe just fine. (his father smokes about 2 or more packs a day and they have a dog) Then they caught a rabbit and added that to their list of pets.. Now, every time I go to his house (a few months after the rabbit) I almost immediately am unable to breathe. My lungs feel itchy and my throat feels as if it's closing, also, I can't stop coughing up phlegm because it's the only way to breathe. They also have an air filter for their daughter (who has problems as well) and it helps, but if they shut it off for even a minute I can feel my chest get tight. If I go back home where the air is dander and smoke free I can eventually start to breathe again UNTIL I wake up in the middle of the night, for some reason it gets 3 times worse. When that happens I usually cough until it hurts to breathe (severely) in the morning. I have taken samples of Allegra D and it works like a charm, but I keep reading that I must have Asthma... My grandmother has Asthma so I usually ask every time I see a doctor if I do as well but EVERY time they have said I do not... Can someone PLEASE help me? I really want to know exactly what it is...

[theclansmom]

You can smell smoke on people who smoke, or live in a house with someone who smokes...its that simple. Its a toxic smell for most non-smokers.  As for Asthma, if you do have Asthma, smoke is suicide for your lungs. The question you need to ask yourself is why you smoke?, take a video of yourself smoking.

Once you stop smoking, and remove yourself from a smoking environment... I can almost gaurantee you will feel better.

[Tammy2009]

You should ask your doctor to send you for full pulmonary function tests to know for sure if you asthma or not.

Until that, you really should stop smoking.  It is very bad for you with or without asthma but greatly increases your risk of complications with asthma.  

Also, it may help to take an antihistamine before you go somewhere where there is animals.  Do take this seriously though, the animals and allergies may inhibit your breathing so much that you can die from respiratory distress.  

If your doctor refuses to help you, find another doctor.  He should atleast give you a prescription for ventolin or other rescue inhaler to stop the breathing reactions when you get symptoms.  Allergies and asthma is not something that can be ignored.  

Hope you get it sorted out soon, let us know.