[ChuckD]

Anybody here with it? I was diagosed with it last week and have to have 2 inhailers. This is really slowing me down and making me pissed. How are you coping with it if you have it?

[88Racing]

My type of asthma is allergy induced.
When the mold and or pollen counts are high then I need to have the inhailers at the ready.
They may slow you down but at least you are still breathing which means you are alive.

[JackandJanet]

It can also be stress induced (or at least aggravated). It's a pretty horrible feeling isn't it? I went through a minor bout of it as my first marriage was coming to a close. No problems now though.

- Jack

[Longshot270]

Some friends of mine have it. They just pay more attention to their breathing and heart rate.

[ChuckD]

With this medication it seems that my sinus' are opened up also. I am on steroid pills which suck cause I have gain 5 pounds in a week. I will be off those in a few days. I have the munchies Seems that I am breathing better and I don't have the feeling that I got someone sitting on my chest all the time.

[88Racing]

Never have gotten the munchies from the inhaler.
But using the pill treatment you are getting higher doses.

[ChuckD]

I am ready to go to Amarillo and tackle that steak.

[88Racing]

Originally Posted by ChuckD

I am ready to go to Amarillo and tackle that steak.

Save yourself some fuel+$ and just go to In+Out or McDonalds and pretend!

[Groovy Chick]

Hey Chuck,

Liam was born with it.
Wil and I were both diagnosed with it about 4 years ago.

We have way too much experience with it.

I know exactly what you mean about feeling like someone is sitting on your chest. The other feeling I sometimes get when I'm coughing a lot is what I call the "bottle brush." It feels as if someone's taken a bottle brush and tried to clean out my trachea. It's horrible. I am actually on my fifth day of Prednisone at the moment. Billy and I both caught some respiratory cootie -- his stayed in his sinuses, and mine went directly to my chest. I finally went to the doctor last week when Billy could put his hand on my chest and actually FEEL me breathing badly, and the nebulizer wasn't cutting it.

The steroids suck big time. They also lower your immune system, which is how I contracted pneumonia last November. Unfortunately, I've had it many times (especially while teaching), so I know immediately when it's become pneumonia.

One thing I noticed last year (or maybe it was the previous year's bout with steroids and pneumonia)... when I'm on them for more than five days, it actually physically HURTS to come down off them, so just be aware that it could happen. I had no idea what was going on -- thank goodness for the internet!

My advice is to keep an inhaler with you at all times. I think I have one in each of the vehicles, one in my purse, one in my desk drawer, and one in my nightstand drawer. In my case, I never know when it's going to hit, but I've learned to be prepared. Ironically, since Liam had his tonsils and adenoids removed almost four years ago, he hasn't had one asthma attach -- and this is a kid who practically LIVED in the doctor's office for the first five years of his life. Now that we have health insurance, I may try that route, too.

Hang in there, and know that you have tons of support. I'll be happy to share any knowledge and experience that I have with it.

[Groovy Chick]

As I mentioned above, steroids suck big time. I finished them on Wednesday, and for the last two days, between my shoulder blades and cheekbones, it feels like a combination of a massive sunburn and REALLY sore muscles. It's actually not the muscles that hurt but the tissue on top of them (from what I gather). My skin is super sensitive to the touch, and it seems to fade the farther down it gets in my body (as in, it's not as bad in my legs even though they're sore, too).

It's very frustrating, and I'm just so tired of feeling like poop. It's kind of like with some of the migraine meds -- the side effects from the meds are worse than the problem itself! I may wind up back at the doctor's office tomorrow if this isn't eased up in the morning.

I hate this.

OH! And Chuck, if it makes you feel any better, I gained five pounds since last Friday. Literally. (If you saw my neck and face right now, you'd know where it all went, too. I know it's because of the steroids and that it'll go away, but it's really uncomfortable.)