Shortness of breath for 3 month – Did my asthma come back?

[Cirila]

I used to have asthma when I was little but by 15, my asthma went away.
Last July I got very sick, I had shortness of breath, but no wheezing. I wasn’t sure if that was asthma; I spent a week like that until I had to go to the ER. The nurse didn’t think I had asthma because I wasn’t wheezing and my lungs were clear but when I did the peak flow, it only got into 150. The doctor told me that it was asthma. I went to my PCP after, and he put me on advair and prednisone.
A week later I had to go the ER again, and this time my x-rays showed a little pneumonia. The doctors in the ER treated me for the asthma and also gave me tessalon and vicodin because I was coughing so much that I had a terrible pain on the side by my ribs. I went to the PCP the next day and he prescribed me an antibiotic for the pneumonia, and more prednisone
After a 1-1/2 month of being sick, I finally got better, so I started swimming again. But by Sept I got sick again and then by October I got sick with sore throat, lost my voice, and I couldn’t breath
I have no idea why I keep getting sick, non-stopping. Right now I feel that even during the times I’m not having an asthma attack I can’t breath well and only few times I feel that my breathing is normal
My PCP thought that I was just getting stressed out, he asked me to use the peak flow meter several times a day just to show me that I was actually ok but when I did it for 2 weeks it really showed that sometimes I was 540 and some other 330.
Can any one tell me if this is asthma or am I having other type of respiratory problem?

[National Jewish]

It is not clear from your description whether or not you actually have asthma.  What is clear is that you have not felt well for a while and that you are having some limitation in your breathing.  I would suggest seeing a pulmonologist.  This specialist will probably perform a lung function test before and after an inhaled medicine.  This will give a better idea as to whether this is asthma or not.  After that, the evaluation of why you are getting sick so much may involve sinus x-rays and possibly a chest x-ray and some blood tests.  Having these tests should be a good start to making a diagnosis of the cause of the problem.

[Jane2]

Hiya

The Peak Flow isn't the only indication of Asthma, you should look for a Pulmonary Function Test.  If you had pneomonia you may have needed the right antibiotics, maybe this infection hasn't been dealt with, given your early history of Asthma your docs may revert back to this, but you should be referred to a respiratory nurse for further evaluation. Your peak flow levels would be low if you had pneumonia or bronchitis - ( Mine hardly scraped above zero one time) but they are also based on your size age, gender etc, for instance 540 is something I will never see, 350 is my regular, 450 would be normal for me.  As an Asthmatic I find the Peak Flow useful as a guide, because if I'm feeling breathless I can check and see if it really is as bad as I feel and normally it isn't but for a diagnosis you do need a PFT.  

Having said all that I was diagnosed with Asthma at 19 but really didn't suffer until I got a bad bout of bronchitis at about 23 after that my Asthma worsened horribly, now at 38 I haven't had an attack in almost 4 years ( touches wood!)
So maybe the slight pneumonia you talk about reignited the asthma?  Get PFT's - check for bronchitis, get follow up CT's to see if that pneumonia is gone.

J

[Cirila]

Thanks for your response Hiya. I actually had a pulmonary funtion test at my PCP few times, and some of them showed some obstruction but my doctor always says that my lungs seems to be clear (???).
By the way I forgot to mentioned that I'm 32 so, after 17 years of being completely fine sudently my asthma came back!
My concern now is that in the past everytime I had an asthma attack I would be whizzing and now I don't have any whizzing at all, it is completely silent. Also before I would have shortness of breath only when I was having and attack. Now it seems that I can't breath well most of the time and only few times I feel that I can breath normally and that's when my peak flow is in between 500 to 540. That's why I've been wondering if this is really asthma or something else. i know for sure that this is not anxiety because my peak flow changes.
I've been getting sick way too often and I'm right now sick. I was wondering as well if the pneumonia came back or if I was having some sort of respiratory infection but when I went to my PCP yesterday he game me only a cough sirup and I got really frustrated.

[aadams]

I experienced a similar recurring respiratory problem about ten years ago. Something best described as "bronchitis" would come and go for no apparent reason.  At that time, I had no history of a chronic respiratory problem and I never had a problem with allergies.

Eventually, I saw a doctor at a walk-in clinic who diagnosed my recurring respiratory problems as allergy induced. I did not readily accept this because I had no history of allergies. Nevertheless, he insisted my respiratory problems were set in motion by allergic reaction to pollen and other allergens.  

He was right. Sensitivity to allergens was not part of my history.  But allergies, over time, can be acquired by anyone regardless of age.  Moreover, symptoms associated with allergies can progress to serious infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.


      

[Free Bird82]

Hi!  I'm going through a similar situation.  I am in great shape, 42 yrs. old, but have shortness of breath with NO WHEEZING!  Dr. listens to my lungs & says they are clear (thankfully, but what is it?). I do have an asthma inhaler that I have been using more often in the past few weeks.  My problem I am told might be allergies also that I acquired later in life.  I also am dealing with lightheadedness that goes on constantly.  They are checking for allergies.  My BP is on the low side of normal, so that is good, my pulse WHEN EXCITED is 54-58 - and that's high for me, so that's good.  I am told it's not my heart, so we'll see.  Post to us when you find anything more out since we seem to be going through similar things.  Thanks

[Cirila]

Hi Free Bird82,
I went to the ER again on saturday, I was having too much trouble breathing and the albuterol wasn't doing anything for me.
I've been doing a research for this asthma with no wheezing, and I just discovered that in fact, not everyone who has asthma, have whizzing during an asthma attack. I guess everytime you go to your doctor because you are having shorthness of breath you should let him know that you usually don't have any whizzing so he doesn't think you are fine or think that you are imagining things!
When I went to the ER they used the peak flow meter to determined wheter I was having asthma, and it showed that my breathing out was really low but again I wasn't whizzing. They gave me the nebulizers and prescribed me 8 days of prednisone and today I feel a lot better.  
Since I've been getting sick a lot since July, the doctor asked me to use the peak flow meter many times during the day and write it down. I'm trying to figure out, when/where I usually get asthma and what I'm doing during those times. Hopefully in this way I will find out what is triggering my asthma so badly.
I guess using the peak flow meter would be a good way for you to check your breathing as well and make sure that what you are having is asthma. Write it down maybe for 2 weeks and show it to your doctor. Just determine first what is your best, then check your peak flow when you are feeling shortness of breath and then check your peak flow 1/2 hour after taking your albuterol.
Before july I was a competitive swimmer who was going to practice every morning before going to work and now there are days that I can't even walk a block...

[Jane2]

Hello Again

You just reminded me of my attacks of Asthma without wheezing - because I had been a smoker I always wheezed when I was getting short of breath - but initially when I gave up smoking the wheeze went and I just got the asthma full blown - it was scary because I had know preparation for an attack.  Whether the asthma worsened slightly because I was withdrawing from smoking or whether I developed a further allergy I don't know - but these attacks were by far the worst in an almost 20 year history of the disorder.  I have also found monitoring my peak flow a brilliant exercise and a good indication of how I'm doing - and Cirila when you are feeling up to it try and get back swimming I would reccommend it as the best thing you can do for asthma - don't over exert yourself, and if you are using a swimming pool try to keep to ones that don't have too much clorine added - I found this can agravate my asthma anyway.

Hope you are feeling better
J

[tmaurstad]

I've done much research lately into natural treatments for asthma as I've been dealing with chronic shortness of breath (no wheezing, like you). My doc also pronounced me neg for asthma (I did not respond to asthma meds).  I've self-diagnosed myself as having reactive airways dysfunction syndrome since I was previously very healthy and my breathing trouble started when forest fire smoke came into my area back in July.

Sorry, I'll get to the point! I found a couple of very helpful books on the subject you might find interesting.

Reversing Asthma by Richard Firshein, D.O. (himself an asthmatic) and Asthma-Free Naturally by Patrick McKeown, which is on the buteyko breathing method.

Good luck to you.

[nightgasper]

I "got sick" on July 20,2006.  I awoke after 4 hours of sleep and was unable to breath.  I called 911 and was diagnosed with asthma. I use albuterol every 2 hours.  I am again taking prednisone, third time since July, and not responding to any of this.  I have had a echo of my heart, and some type of breathing test taken at the local hospital before and after a neubulizer treatment.  At my worst, in August, I could not sleep more than one hour without waking up gasping for air.  This lasted a weeek.  That went away for awhile, but now I am down to 3 hours of sleep before waking without air. I now sleep (?) upright in a chair and set my alarm for every 2 hours so I can make sure I don't suffocate.    I am a welder.  I quit work for 10 days in September, hoping I could breathe better. It made no difference so I went back to keep my insurance.  I quit smoking and in 4 days I was back calling 911. It takes about 5-6 puffs of albuterol to get my breath after waking at night.  I am trying to use the albuterol less during the day.  the nights are the worst.  I am afraid to sleep.  I see my doctor on Monday (2  days)  I think something more is going on.  Any suggestions?

[costabrava]

Hi from Europe. I know what you have been through. I have had similar problems. I stopped wheezing as a teenager & when my problems came back as an adult I never wheezed or coughed again. I recently used so many inhalers that I started having bad muscle cramps. Things have improved since taking Symbicort (not sure if its called something else in U.S.)just 1 puff morning & night combines prevention & relief & starts freeing up your breathing within 2/3 minutes (also there´s a new version on the market called cyclo..? by a company called Alvesco)
There is a lot of talk here about the weather last spring / summer causing massive asthma problems both in Europe & the U.S. My recent problems started after a huge green cloud of birch pollen drifted over from Denmark & could be seen on cars etc..likewise dust generally has been a problem.
However, all of us have to get tested to really know whats going on. Hope everyone is feeling better soon.

[JenniferZ]

I had asthma two years ago. My doctor checked on me and found out that I am allegic to Dogs, cats, some grass and trees. The worst thing is that I was allegic to dusty mites which is everywhere. I tried all allergy pills. They worked in the first 4-5 days, then lost effect. Finally I found OPC3 from the Internet. I took 3 doses in the morning and 3 doses before bed. Now I dont have allergy anymore. I did research on OPC3 and find out that it is only nature supplement for allergy treatment. You can go to www.opc.cc to get all the information about OPC. Also you can order OPC3 from website www.j2.unfranchise.com. Hope it is helpful informaion