I have more questions

[Guest guest]

I was on advair and had problems so my doctor took me off the advair

and put m eon symbiocort. So far i'm doing OK . Does anyone have any

problems with this ?( symbicort) I can't figure out if my asthma is

worse than I first thought or if it's just not controlled that well,

How would I know? When I first went to my doc. in Jan. 2007 I

suspected mild asthma. He did a breathing test( which he says I'm not

able to perform) It was done again with albuterol and there was

apparently a big difference in my breathing. He did 2 or 3 more

breathing tests over the next 2 visits with " inconclusive " results.

Still, no asthma diagnosis. In May I had to ask for a peak flow

meter. At this time he said, " I never told you you had asthma. " IN

july there was a chest x-ray that he said was good. I assume he meant

that he didn't see inflamationor whatever? I was having daytime

symptoms requiring inhaler everyday( using my inhaler as much as 4X a

day. I had occasional night time symptoms about 2-3X a week.Nearly

everything triggers some degree of asthma flare up. Some triggers

result in worse attacks than others.

Also in July came a diagnosis " allergic asthmatic bronchitis. " IN

October my asthma got worse I was in my Yellow zone for 2-4 days at a

time. I finally got sick of it and called the office and they saw me

the next day. He added advair250/50. It did well in helping me

control my symptoms but I kept respiratory infections. Right now my

symptoms are usually mild -moderate and my inhaler use had gone from

12X a week to maybe 2. I still have daytime symptoms most days(I'm

guessing this is because of exposure to my many triggers) NIght time

symptoms , usually none occasionally mild symptoms not requiring

inhaler. I'm thinking I shoould do an asthma action plan. Do I need

this? I've read that it's a necessity for those with moderate to

severe asthma. I don't know if I'm moderate or mild but just not

controlled. I'm not trying to self- diagnose but my doctor is just

too slow in coming to the same conclusions that I've come to months

before he figures it out. I figure the more I know about what I'm

experiencing the better I can communicate this to my doctor.