Hi. I am new to this group. My name is . I am 41. I live in Rexburg Idaho, USA. I am married to my sweetheart Brad for almost 24 years now. We have 8 sons and almost two dil's. My third son got married last August and my oldest son is getting

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Hi. I am new to this group. My name is . I am 41. I live in Rexburg Idaho, USA. I am married to my sweetheart Brad for almost 24 years now. We have 8 sons and almost two dil's. My third son got married last August and my oldest son is getting married this June. No grandbabies....yet. Thanks for having me here.

I join because I am just newly diagnosed with asthma and have a TON of questions.

I have had just an annoying cough for years. I thought it was because of my blood pressure medication but it was liveable so I put up with it for a long time. Probably too long. I went into the doctor probably 6 or so years ago because it had gotten bad enough ...and he mentioned then that it may be asthma but that I also had bronchitis at that time as well. He treated me for that and the cough mostly went away..or become just annoying again anyway and not extremely bothersome.

Well just after Christmas this year...in fact, it was Christmas day..I tend to get sick after the stress of preparing for the holidays come to an end. Anyway, I had what I thought to be a minor cold and of course the cough got worse. It finally got bad enough I just couldn't tolerate it any more and went back to the doctor. This time, it was viral pneumonia with asthma as well. I got several different prescriptions at that time, one being an oral steroid. Now I don't know how this medication works but I took it for several days and the cough seemed to get MUCH better. albuterol liquid from a nebulizer was also prescribed at that time....so I don't know which one was helping or both???? I don't know. But the steroid was keeping me awake at night so I quit taking it. Now I don't know if this is one that you should take like an antibiotic until it's gone or if you just need to take it till you feel better.....so I quit taking it after just a few days. It was only I think a 7 day prescription anyway. But the cough has never gotten totally better and is just miserable again. I went back to the doc and they put me on advair and ventolin. Plus he gave me prilosec in case it's reflux induced.....which I don't think it is...but I'm taking that medication anyway just to see...but I've been taking it about a month and haven't noticed much change. I have also been doing the advair that long as well.

I THINK....I am starting to see slight improvement. But then I have days when I just cough so much I want to cry. But I do believe it is starting to help some. I think the coughing all day days are becoming less frequent. But not enough so that I am sure or not.

My only symptom is cough....except for an occasional feeling of heaviness in my chest.....and a breathing treatment has always helped with that heaviness. But the cough keeps hanging on.

It's almost always a very dry very non productive cough. I wake up a lot in the night with a cough. Lately...it seems like my worst trouble is in the night. However, today is has been a little worse outside. The wind is HORRIBLE today...so I am wondering if that may have anything to do with that?

Anyway, I guess my my most immediate questions is how do I STOP this darn cough? I am so tired of coughing. IS this in fact asthma? Am I just resistant to the medications we have tried so far and do I just need to try something else? He (doc) did give me phenergan w codeine which helps immensely but he didn't allow for any refills and it's gone now.

He did change my bp medication back in January as well when I mentioned I thought the cough may be from the previous one.

Hm....right now I can't think of what other questions I have but no doubt will be asking more!

Thanks again for having me here!

OH...one other thing.... can inhalers go bad? I have a couple of boys with slight asthma although it doesn't bother them too much. But a couple of them have inhalers. So before I got mine, I borrowed my sons. I know, naughty!...but I was desperate. So anyway, I have just been using that one ...thought I'd use it up before I opened mine. BUT...he doesn't even remember when he got that one or how long it's been opened. It occurred to me yesterday that perhaps it isn't any good and it's not helping me at all. So I opened my own and used it in the night when I woke up with the horrible cough. I DO think it helped..for a little bit anyway.

Thanks for any advice and help anyone can give!