PLEASE HELP!!! :'(

[JB1429]

I have been having breathing problems & feeling extremely fatigue ALL the time....along with having dizzy spells & feeling as though I am going to faint. This has been going on for the past 8 weeks or so & I don't know what to do anymore. I am getting very frustrated with my situation & I don't know where else to turn. I will try to keep this as brief as possible...but I am losing faith in our health care system everyday & I don't know where else to turn!! I have gone to several hospitals and have even followed up with my Family Doctor...they all had originally told me it that my issue was "anxiety"...which they claim had also been triggering my asthma. At first it sounded absurd to me...because I felt that, if anything, it was my ASTHMA that triggered this so-called anxiety.......but as I did some research online...I decided to give them all the benefit of the doubt....besides...they're the one's w/the PhD, right?? Anyway, the ER gave me a few Ativan's to hold me over until I was able to get in to see my Family doctor & a 5 day course - decreasing dosage of Prednisone. After seeing my family doctor...he had prescribed me Celexa 10mg & Ativan .05mg to start. I took these drugs faithfully, everyday for a little over 2 weeks. I did notice that I had been a bit "numb" to my situation...but my symptoms of having trouble taking deep breaths, fatigue, dizziness, faint and feeling like an elephant was sitting on my chest was STILL occurring. However, at this point, I also started feeling as though my throat was closing up on me and I felt like I was swallowing razor blades. Knowing this was not normal...I had to head back to the ER. They ended up doing a throat culture and found out that I had strep throat...to which they prescribed me Penicillin 500mg over a course of 10 days. I also took this faithfully...all while continuing with my Celexa & Avtivan. The Penicillin definitely relieved the Strep Throat...BUT I was still having the SAME original issues of not being able to take deep breaths, tightness and heaviness on my chest...along with the fatigue, dizziness & faint feeling. On one of my next visits to the ER...with the same chief complaint...I had then been told that my issue was now Bronchitis...this time they prescribed me Z-Pack. I thought...GREATTTTT?!?! When is this vicious cycle going to end...I get married on 11/11/11!!! So, I took this faithfully until the last dosing...but this time around I had already discontinued the Celexa & the Ativan. (there is a totally different and LOOONG story behind the reasons for me stopping this...which I may need to get into on another thread). After finishing my prescription for the Z-Pack...I still showed no signs of improvement with my breathing or fatigue, dizziness and faint feeling. Plus, all along...I never had a cough w/sputum, nor did I have a fever, nor did I have body aches...so this was becoming extremely overwhelming for me...needless to say...on my wedding day....I still felt horrible...but I had to press on. The very next day after my wedding...I went to the ER. This time around...they did extensive bloodwork...found out that my white blood cell counts were on the higher end...so they did an X-Ray & found nothing. They did a CT Scan & finally found out that I have a pneumonia in BOTH my lungs & I was admitted into the hospital. For once...I felt like....THANK GOD! There IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!! But that thought soon diminished after my 3rd day in the hospital when my attending physician said that he couldn't tell me whether this "pneumonia" was viral or bacterial & that it may not be pneumonia at all...rather, it may be Asthmatic Bronchitis. So they discharge me with a stronger dose of the Z-Pack (which I continue tomorrow) along with MORE prednisone, benzonatate 200mg (for a cough that I do not have) and to continue my ventolin inhaler and my at home neb treatments w/albuterol. Even sitting in a hospital for 3 days...I still had NO relief of my ORIGINAL symptoms...Please, help me...I am running out of options & I just want to breathe normally again!!! :''''((((

(Btw, during my stay at the hospital...I was told that I would be able to consult with a pulmonologist...but on my last day - the attending physician said that it wouldn't be necessary to see one while I was at the hospital and that I would have to see one as an outpaitent...which I found absolutely RIDICULOUS because the patient in the next bed...right next to me...who had been admitted the SAME day as me saw the pulmonologist 3 times while I was there. When I got out of the hospital today and called to make an appointment with a pulmonologist...but the kicker is that the earliest appointment available for me is 3 weeks out!!). At this point...I will even be willing to take advice for holistic mediciation.......ANYTHING....I just want relief!

(sorry it's so lengthy...but I tried to be as specific as possible).

[Tammy2009]

Asthma attacks also take a while to get over.  When I had some bad attacks it took 3-4 weeks to feel "normal".  I had very heavy chest, fatigue and increased cough.  Your body has had a lot of things going on - asthma, anxiety from the wedding, lots of medications (which are toxic to the body as much as they help), strep, possible pneumonia.  You need to relax, enjoy being married (congrats!), eat healthy and rest as much as possible.  Your body needs time to heal and recover.  

Hope you feel better soon!

[sralcia]

I have read your entire complaint and since I am a long time asthmatic and very well under control I can give you some points that I went thru.  First of all asthma is usually a result to being extremely allergic.  So, you must find out what allergies you have.  This is done at an allergy clinic, where they inject you with the allergens (it does not hurt) you sit and in a few minutes they tell you what you have).  Second, if you happen to be allergic to pollen, or feathers, or oranges, or dust or have some food allergies you must avoid them.  Get rid of all allergens from your home.  If its pollen and dust then keep your home as much dust free as you can, and as far as pollen goes you would have to start SINGULAIR.  This pill is very effective for asthma and allergies.  It is expensive and not all insurances cover it, but some do. Now they have a Generic form of it, but I always prefer the real thing.   So you would take singulair once in 24 hrs. and use your inhaler for asthma, Ventolin is not really the best, I use FLOVENT once a day and I have the ALBUTEROL only as a rescue.  Because if you use either of these too often it will give you more breathing problems.  So do not over use your inhalers.  As far as PREDNISONE goes, it is a strong steroid medication that should not be used for prolonged time, as it will make you fat and give you a puffy looking face.  So, first take care of the infection in your lungs, keep taking the antibiotic, no longer than a week and then go to your doctor and ask him to give you SINGULAIR pills, and change your inhailer to FLOVENT and keep the ALBUTEROL only, only as a rescue inhaler, to use only when you feel an asthma attack coming on.
If the only symptoms you have is shortness of breath, and dizzyness, it is a result of overmedicating.  You can not overmedicate.  First you must learn to relax.  Relax, you probably take in too much air into your lungs when they wheeze and then start chocking, so it is an  anxious feeling and you get even more problems.Thatis why they told you that you suffer from anxiety.  When you feel that you can not take a deep breath, relax.  and take a plain brown small paper bag and put it on your mouth cover your mouth with the bag and breathe.  Keep breathing into the bag with the bag for about 3 minutes, like a baloon, the bag will move with each of your breaths, keep breathing into the bag  and your anxiety will lessen, your lungs will fill up with air and you will be breathing fully. Do not keep any scented things arround your home, like scented candles, burning insence, and such, because smell bothers all asthmatics. So, relax.  Also, if you have pets in the house such as cat or dog, you don't have to get rid of them but keep their boxes and them clean.  Also have an air cleaner -filter in the room where you spend most of your time.  The air cleaner with filter is a fantastic thing, you can purchase it from HOLMES.com or any dept. store like K-mart, Sears and such. Keep the filter on when you sleep, it cleans the air 99% free of dust and allergens, and you will be a better breather, tust  me I went thru all this and today I am fine.  I have not had an attack in at least 7 years.  Also if you are fat or simply overweight try to loose a few pounds as
being overweight is no good with asthma.  That is all I can tell you.  Should you have any questions write me.  At this site.  I will answer.  Good Luck

[rahul_88029]

after reading your Dino report ..i think first of all be calm ...get early have some jogging with some puffer (necessary),do yoga and eat healthy(some anti inflammatory).As the only problem I see is you are not taking adequate oxygen as required by your big body to do metabolisms so take steam before meal ,before bed.Take a leave from your work and all and go some where greeny area where you can consult doctor too.........as i'm not a specialist just some tricks you must follow every day.Hope you apply it.