Hi,
I've posted in other forums, this is my first in the asthma one.
First, in regard to my question: "Is Orthopnea common with non-cardiac asthma?" (more difficulty breathing, lying flat on one's back - supine position, with regular asthma)
I'm not asking this to substitute a diagnosis. I'm actually seeing a doctor regularly under my BlueCross BlueShield coverage and also awaiting a review on a chest exray.
I have no heart symptoms (i.e. no pain, no swelling in extremeties etc...), in fact had a normal EKG/Stress test in year-2001.
My asthma symptoms manifested mildly for years and then at my current age-47, began to worsen but still is only moderate (no severe attacks). I've become a bit obese in my middle age - 20 to 30 lbs (i'm 6ft, 235 lbs) , which I believe to have worsened the asthma. I am treated for hypothyroidism that was diagnosed at the mild stage, caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Despite this, I've had ongoing symptoms similar to CFS and fibromyalgia (more-so CFS). I was also recently found to be vitamin D deficient (flagged low) and being treated for it, plus mildly B12 insufficient (lower normal) and being treated for it as well.
While the most obvious answer is that my asthma is due to my compromised immune system and is the common garden variety, my finding of med-sources that describe cardiac asthma caused me some anxiety, the main description on these sources being that of cardiac asthma (congestive heart failure).
Really the only similarity I found was that of breathing difficulty when lying flat on my back. I otherwise do not have fluid build-up in my lungs and I don't have foamy urine or sputnim. I also do not have swelling in my feet or ankles (no pitting edema). My blood pressure is normal, although borderline at times and I don't experience palpitations or arrhythmias.
What I did find hard to locate, are med sources simply saying that orthopnea was common with regular asthma.
While I welcome comments on the rest of my post, my main question I ask for your input-on is this (many of you may can answer this from your personal experience):
"Is Orthopnea common with non-cardiac asthma?" (Thanks much folks!)