My full asthma story

[Guest guest]

I can remember having asthma since I was a very young child. Back in

the 50's and 60's I took lots of pred and meds called Tedral,

Quadranall and Theopholline. It got so bad that my mother would rock

me to sleep. It was horrible for a child. Sometimes, she would put me

in the bathroom the shower running on hot to make the room full of

steam. Around the age of 14, I outgrew my asthma and started

smoking.

From the age of 14 till I was 27 I was a smoker and hardly was had

ANY asthma at all. Maybe 10 attacks during those 13 years. I would

take a puff of Primatine Mist and it would take care of the attack.

A few hours later, I would have another cigarette. I was at least a 2

pack a day smoker all through collge...and a VOCAL music major at

that.

Well, in 1982 at the age of 27, I QUIT SMOKING COLD TURKEY! Not

because of asthma but because it was the right thing to do. I did

GREAT! No asthma, no cigarettes!!! YAYYYYYYYYY!

The doctors told me that the loger I went without smoking that all

the damage to my lungs would go away. I was doing wonderful!

May, 1985, 3 years later ... we moved from Arkansas to NC. The day we

cleaned out the house in Arkansas, I got an asthma attack. The

Primitine did NOT work. The first day on my new job in NC I spent in

an allergist's office. She put me on Albuterol and I have been on it

or some combination of it or Xopinex ever since. She also gave me a

Decadron injection. It made me have horrible emotional problems and I

broke out all over in " steroid acne. " I was bouncing off the walls.

UGH!

My asthma is NOT just an attack every now and then. I have it ALL THE

TIME! It is CHRONIC AND I HAVE IT EVERY DAY! I have a regimin I have

used since 1985. Every 4 to 6 hours (except when I am asleep...wierd

eh?) I have to nebulize. I can't use the pocket inhailers because I

am allergic to the propellent. ....sigh!

In the past 6 years, my asthma has progressively become worse. Thus,

the doctors would add more meds to my regimin. Albuterol or Xopinex

mixed with Atrovent 4 times a day...twice also using pulmicort in the

mix. Advair 50/500 twice daily, regular allergy shots. In the past

8 months, 50mg of Pred a day added to that regimin.

Singulair and Accolate did nothing for me.

I consider myself having an ATTTACK when my nebbing and meds do NOT

work! Then, its more pred.

I am so grateful for the Xolair. Now, I am still using all those

meds, but I am down to only 5 mg of pred a day and plan to be off of

it completely next week. Next, I plan to get off of the Pulmacort and

hopefully off of the Atrovent.

I have had 3 allergy/asthma specialists and 2 Pulmo Doctors say that

smoking was NOT a factor in my asthma becoming so bad in my later

years, because I had been completely smoke free for 3 years before

the chronic asthma started.

I have had tons of X rays and tests. All the doctors say that I have

asthma and not copd.

Well, that is my asthma story.

Any one else want to share?

Happy Breathing

Doug in Arkansas