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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Asthma / August 2006Question about Asthma Meds
I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I just got out of the hospital a few hours ago and they increased my meds to Advair 500/50 2x a day, Allegra in the morning, benadryl in the eveing, flonase, singulair for maintenance,albuterol as needed, and for now,i'm tapering down on predisone and taking an antibioitic. In the hospital, they were giving me solumedrol 3x a day. My current peak flow after being in the hospital for 3 days is 200-225. I was just wondering if people seemed to think this much medication is overkill and what other meds are people taking.Are there anygood supplements OTC that help with ashtma. I seem to catch every cold and every cough out there so I'm looking to seee if anyone has suggetions to increase my immune system. I have been to the ER many times and have been hospitalized at least 5 times for my asthma and it's driving me crazy. I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. > I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time > being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. i am saddened by your ordeal. My heart goes out to you. Have you sought out alternative care? Check out this webpage: http://www.svcmc.org/111046.cfm. It has a lot of good information. Maybe by following some of these suggestions and building up your immunity it will help you make that first step towards your recovery. i would also like to suggest reading a book called "Eat Right for Your Blood Type". Cut out all sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol; eat well, no fast food, pizza, ect. Buy only fresh organic foods. i know this is expensive, but so are hospitals. Start supplementing your diet with the phytonutrients and vitamins suggested in the above web page. Because you are on so many potent medications, i urge you to find a holistic MD in addition to your other docs. You need to bring balance into your life. Also, make sure to keep your environment free of the usual allergens: pet dander, mites, mold, ect. Your body is in a fragile state and you need to take extremely good care of it. Yoga is good for the breath! Try taking some gentle yoga classes-steer clear of Ashtanga or Bikrim style yoga for now. Tap your thymus as much as possible.. lightly tapping the thymus which is located at the center of your chest encourages your immune system. There is much research going on right now about the immune system and asthma. Particularly interesting is research about T regulator cells and the role they play in the asthma picture. They are produced in the thymus gland. You can do a Google search on this subject to read more about it. This is just a beginning and it requires lots of determination and self discipline. My hope is that this information is helpful and uplifting for you. blessings > I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time > being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. i am saddened by your ordeal. My heart goes out to you. Have you sought out alternative care? Check out this webpage: http://www.svcmc.org/111046.cfm. It has a lot of good information. Maybe by following some of these suggestions and building up your immunity it will help you make that first step towards your recovery. i would also like to suggest reading a book called "Eat Right for Your Blood Type". Cut out all sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol; eat well, no fast food, pizza, ect. Buy only fresh organic foods. i know this is expensive, but so are hospitals. Start supplementing your diet with the phytonutrients and vitamins suggested in the above web page. Because you are on so many potent medications, i urge you to find a holistic MD in addition to your other docs. You need to bring balance into your life. Also, make sure to keep your environment free of the usual allergens: pet dander, mites, mold, ect. Your body is in a fragile state and you need to take extremely good care of it. Yoga is good for the breath! Try taking some gentle yoga classes-steer clear of Ashtanga or Bikrim style yoga for now. Tap your thymus as much as possible.. lightly tapping the thymus which is located at the center of your chest encourages your immune system. There is much research going on right now about the immune system and asthma. Particularly interesting is research about T regulator cells and the role they play in the asthma picture. They are produced in the thymus gland. You can do a Google search on this subject to read more about it. This is just a beginning and it requires lots of determination and self discipline. My hope is that this information is helpful and uplifting for you. blessings > I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time > being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. If you really want help you will take my advice. Research "Hidden Food Allergies". Hidden food allergies can trigger asthma, eczema, psoriasis, ADD, hayfever, migraines, joint pain, chronic fatigue, and many other health problems. These are not the type of food allergy tests that you get at a conventional doctor's office. Typical food tests often miss many food sensitivities. You might have to do some detective work in order to find your Hidden Food Allergies. Hidden (Delayed) Food Sensitivities can take up to 72 hours to trigger symptoms. Let me tell you about my situation. I had eczema, hayfever, chronic fatigue, and joint pain for years. My doctors could not figure out the cause, but they still gave me meds. The symptoms got worse over the years. One day I found an article in a magazine about Hidden Food Allergies. It said that the foods that you crave the most may be triggering your symptoms. I realized that I loved dairy products everyday, so I decided to eliminate dairy products for a few days. My health seemed to get much better. Then I heard that things made from corn were in most processed foods. Things like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, distilled vinegar, MSG, etc. I decided to eliminate foods from my diet that contained these ingredients. I was cured. If you read the labels of processed foods, you may realize that they contain more foods than you think. Tuna in regular supermarkets often contains vegetable broth. Vegetable broth is made from soy. If you have a problem with soy this may cause problems for you. Some brands of peanut butter contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. Corn can trigger some of the health problems that I listed above (for some people). You can find books about this at the library. Try "Dr. Braly's Food Allergy and Nutrition Revolution" or "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance" by Dr. Jonathan Brostoff. You can also talk to an alternative doctor, on the phone, for a few minutes for more info. You can find an alternative doctor at www.acam.org. bosco62a > I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time > being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. My advice is:- 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your time; 2. get tested for allergies; if you're strongly allergic to common triggers like dust mites or cats, take it really seriously (most people don't do anything even after being told what they're allergic to); that means spending money on eliminating the allergic triggers; search the web, there's lots of information on "allergen avoidance"; it's a major drag to have to do this but if allergy is your problem it will help if you do it thoroughly; just think of it as like hayfever; as soon as the pollen season stops, the sneezing stops; so if you can elimnate the asthma allergy triggers, it should help; 3. similarly, if you live near a busy road, or you're exposed to smoke or pollution, move away from the area; 4. lots of colds: I've also suffered from lots of virus attacks and subsequent asthma, I found something that helps me is to turn up the heating in the house to around 25 deg C and keep really warm all the time; that does seem to shorten the duration of the virus; and force yourself to rest and lie down and not try to do things or watch the tv; I've definately noticed I get a lot more viral colds in the cold winter weather than in the summer, and my wholly unscientific opinion is that damp/cold climate and cold temperature is a big factor in catching colds; 5. very important: if you're not being seen by one, get to see a proper chest specialist and not just a general practicioner; if you're going to hospital regularly with it you really need to see a specialist; - Tony > 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your time; According to my state's medical licensing board, my alternative doctor graduated from Georgetown University's School of Medicine. Why should I ignore him? > 2. get tested for allergies; if you're strongly allergic to common > triggers like dust mites or cats, take it really seriously [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > as like hayfever; as soon as the pollen season stops, the sneezing > stops; so if you can elimnate the asthma allergy triggers, it should help; Allergy testing is good for IMMEDIATE food allergies. I'm talking about something more akin to "food intolerances". Testing for this is very unreliable. Ask your conventional allergist about this. Intolerance testing for corn and dairy showed up negative on me, but I had DRAMATIC health improvement after I removed everything made from corn and dairy from my diet (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Dextrose (corn sugar), distilled vinegar, MSG, etc.) > 3. similarly, if you live near a busy road, or you're exposed to > smoke or pollution, move away from the area; [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > - Tony Read the books that I told you about. They tell BOTH sides of the story. "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance" by Dr. Jonathan Brostoff "Dr. Braly's Food Allergy and Nutrition Revolution" bosco62a >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your >> time; > > According to my state's medical licensing board, my alternative > doctor graduated from Georgetown University's School of Medicine. Why > should I ignore him? If he is using chelation therapy that is a pretty good reason. Unfrotunately, there is only so much screening for good judgement that can be done in an admissions process. > Intolerance testing for corn and dairy showed up negative on me, Precisely what test was done? I've never heard of an intolerance test (unless you are administering one to us right now).  Signature00doc > >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your > >> time; [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > -- > 00doc The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are "proven". They only care that it is safe and that they feel better. If their symptoms are ruining their lives, they need relief. Placebo beats suffering. The value of things can't necessarily be found in a medical journal. I helped a coworker get her life back when I told her to stop eating dairy products. Her symptoms are gone. Her doctors could not give her the relief that I gave her. Placebo only matters to the arrogant ones. I had a test for non IgE food sensitivities. It couldn't find anything. I found my food sensitivities on my own. BTW, the books that I told you about explains everything about scientific studies of food sensitivities. People keep throwing this scientific "proof" thing in my face but they don't want to read the books. bosco62a > The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is > that [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > bosco62a Brad, why are you back here with a different handle, banging the same drum? >> The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that >> their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are "proven". [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Brad, why are you back here with a different handle, banging the same > drum? Because we exposed his lies, he had to assume an alias. Another putz. > >> The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that > >> their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are "proven". [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Because we exposed his lies, he had to assume an alias. Another putz. When did you expose ANY lies in Dr. Jonathan Brostoff's book "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance"? Not one of you got off your LAZY behind (went to the library) and read the books that I told you about. They talk about the science for and against this. The books explain why it is complicated (and expensive) to study Delayed Food Sensitivities. Alternative doctors can explain it to you too, but you are too lazy to pick up a phone. bosco62a > When did you expose ANY lies in Dr. Jonathan Brostoff's > book "Food [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > bosco62a Another smokescreen...lolol. At least you're consistently stupid. > >> The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that > >> their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are "proven". [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Because we exposed his lies, he had to assume an alias. Another putz. When did you expose ANY lies in Dr. Jonathan Brostoff's book "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance"? Not one of you got off your LAZY behind (went to the library) and read the books that I told you about. They talk about the science for and against this. The books explain why it is complicated (and expensive) to study Delayed Food Sensitivities. Alternative doctors can explain it to you too, but you are too lazy to pick up a phone. bosco62a >> >> The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that >> >> their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > When did you expose ANY lies in Dr. Jonathan Brostoff's book "Food > Allergies and Food Intolerance"? Not his lies, yours. You say that you were cured by an allergist--a "conventional" doctor, then come back repeatedly to say that conventional doctors are of no help. When you were called on that, you slithered out the reply that you "just wanted to get well faster". Even your reply here is a lie, because you know very well that I was making reference to you and not a book. You lie even about lying--it's postively metaphysical. > Not his lies, yours. You say that you were cured by an > allergist--a "conventional" doctor, then come back repeatedly [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > You lie even about lying--it's postively metaphysical. Don't forget how many times he told people to just open up the yellow pages to find a naturopath, only to find out HE was seeing an MD. And how about the b.s. where he finally revealed he was also on prescription drugs? Not to mention the nonsense about the degree's of naturopaths. What an irresponsible a.s. Why don't we just avoid the back and forth nonsense, Brad, and instead, just read through this long back and forth until you were exposed as a liar and a hypocrite: http://tinyurl.com/rwq8w > Why don't we just avoid the back and forth nonsense, Brad, and > instead, just read through this long back and forth until you > were exposed as a liar and a hypocrite: > > http://tinyurl.com/rwq8w It is obvious that nobody here has an honorable bone in their body. If they did they would have read the book, or at least speak to an alternative doctor (www.acam.org) on the phone for a few minutes. An honorable person would have judged the subject on what the author's said, not me. It is apparent that you really don't want to challenge the subject on a deep level. You just want to call me names. I tried to argue the issue. You just want to judge me. I am through with this discussion. bosco62a > >> The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is that > >> their patients don't necessarily care that certain things are "proven". [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Because we exposed his lies, he had to assume an alias. Another putz. When did you expose ANY lies in Dr. Jonathan Brostoff's book "Food Allergies and Food Intolerance"? Not one of you got off your LAZY behind (went to the library) and read the books that I told you about. They talk about the science for and against this. The books explain why it is complicated (and expensive) to study Delayed Food Sensitivities. Alternative doctors can explain it to you too, but you are too lazy to pick up a phone. bosco62a > > The one thing that conventional doctors don't understand is > > that [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > Brad, why are you back here with a different handle, banging the > same drum? Because nobody who has criticized this has read the books. I helped a coworker of mine get rid of her health problems with this. Food is a major problem for many people. That is why many people feel bad when they wake up until they eat one particular food. They have a craving for certain foods right after waking up. The same food everyday. I had to have dairy products first thing in the morning. I didn't realize that I was sensitive to dairy. Some people wake up with headaches until they eat a particular food. This works when people know how to find their problem food(s). bosco62a > Because nobody who has criticized this has read the books. > I [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > bosco62a You're lying AGAIN. I've told you many times, this was how I was treated by my allergist more than twenty years ago. Go find something else to be obsessed about - you're woefully behind the times. > BTW, the books that I told you about explains everything about > scientific studies of food sensitivities. People keep throwing this > scientific "proof" thing in my face but they don't want to read the > books. > > bosco62a The original poster of this thread has serious asthma with frequent hospitalisation. A peak flow of 250 is very poor for an adult. He mentions that he catches lots of colds, so it's highly likely that he is suffering from frequent virus-induced asthma attacks, which is a very common condition for asthmatics. So common sense suggests that anything he can do to reduce exposure to catching colds - such as keeping warm and dry and out of poorly ventilated work areas where colds spread rapidly - should reduce the number of colds caught and therefore the number of hospitalisations. If he is allergic to one of the common allergens (again, highly likely) then allergen avoidance may have some impact if it is done thoroughly, such as removing carpets, old mattress, removing pets, etc, although it's unrealistic to expect that the asthma will disappear; however taking such steps may slow the rate of disease progression which is an important advantage. All the scientific evidence is that inhaled steroids are the best currently available treatment and he says that he is already being treated with those. Seeking treatment by a chest specialist is important to gain a measured assessment of his condition (lung function tests) and longer term montitoring to see if the treatment is effective, as well as getting the best drug therapy. AFAIK, that's about as good as can be done at the present time. There's no evidence that the "alternative" approaches yield any positive results; someone in the position of the original poster definitely needs more than placebo effect, this is a real illness with known causes and it is not "psychosomatic". There are some research areas such as treatment with antibiotics that might be worth investigating, although as I understand it the evidence is somewhat mixed - some studies have shown improvements, some have failed to demonstrate any improvement. Tony >> BTW, the books that I told you about explains everything about >> scientific studies of food sensitivities. People keep throwing this [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > There are some research areas such as treatment with antibiotics > that might be worth investigating, I agree. I haven't responded directly because I didn't have much to add. Anythign esle I would say is of a very general nature and has been stated many times. > although as I understand it the > evidence is somewhat mixed - some studies have shown improvements, > some have failed to demonstrate any improvement. I agree that we have a lot to learn about what patients are likely to benefit, how often they will benefit and what the optimum drug and dose is. I think the literature is a bit more favorable for long courses of azithromycin. The results with this have been reasonably consistant (not universally but reasonably). Most of the "conflicting" research used different drugs or shorter courses. Signature00doc >> >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your >> >> time; [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > I had a test for non IgE food sensitivities. It couldn't find > anything. I found my food sensitivities on my own. You still have not told me exactly what test was done. > BTW, the books that I told you about explains everything about > scientific studies of food sensitivities. People keep throwing this > scientific "proof" thing in my face but they don't want to read the > books. Again, you are misrepresenting the arguments brought against you (and even then doing a poor job refuting them). I'm not asking you for proof. I'm pointing out a few things that you have wrong. Really, to a certain extent "mainstream" medicine agrees with you. So, no, I am not asking you to prove that some people have food intolerances other than classic IgE immediate hypersentivity reactions - I'm agreeing with you that they do. What I am taking you to task on is several other things: 1) That mainstream medicine doesn't acknowledge this. 2) That there are tests for all types of intolerances. 3) That mainstream medicine does not understand that ome intolerances don;t show up on conventional "allergy testing". I find it a bit curious that one the one hand you berate mainstream medicine for not understanding that their tests for intolerances are not very sensitive yet then claim to have had testing for intolerances done. It is also a little funny that now that I am asking you what test this was you are not forthcoming with an answer. We'll leave your past inconsistent stories about who exactly did the testing for a past discussion. I do doubt that the food intolerances/"hidden allergies" thing is as common as you think ti is but I have not been asking to prove your claims. Please stop whining that people are unfairly asking for proof. We really aren't. Signature00doc > >> >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your > >> >> time; [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > -- > 00doc You can talk to alternative doctors all over the country that will tell you that they have treated a huge number of people this way. The books are major sellers. You can find scores of people in the food allergy newsgroup who have read it. You still have a problem with picking up a phone and talking to an alternative doctor, don't you? bosco62a > >> >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your > >> >> time; [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > -- > 00doc You can talk to alternative doctors all over the country that will tell you that they have treated a huge number of people this way. The books are major sellers. You can find scores of people in the food allergy newsgroup who have read it. You still have a problem with picking up a phone and talking to an alternative doctor, don't you? bosco62a > >> >> 1. ignore any baloney about "alternative" medicine; don't waste your > >> >> time; [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > -- > 00doc You can talk to alternative doctors all over the country that will tell you that they have treated a huge number of people this way. The books are major sellers. You can find scores of people in the food allergy newsgroup who have read it. You still have a problem with picking up a phone and talking to an alternative doctor, don't you? bosco62a Learn how to post, please. It's bad enough seeing what you repeat over and over again the first time. Seeing it three times is hideous. My name is Mo. I also had many problems with infections of the lungs and spent many periods in the ER. I had been diagnosed with lifetime asthma, and in later years I was treated for emphysema. I became desperately ill in 2003 and was so debilitated that I needed a wheelchair. I finally made the call to National Jewish Medical Research Center in Denver, Colorado, and after extensive lab work and various tests, I was diagnosed as never having had asthma. My lungs showed minimal emphysema (I had previously been a smoker) but my overriding illness was lifetime bronchiectasis, which I had inherited. Turns out my lungs could not release fluids like normal lungs, and this in turn caused all the infections. I now use a dehumidifier to dry out the air if gets above 30%, and a National Allergy company's suggested air cleaner. I have also moved to a lower elevation and drier climate. I use an albuterol inhaler as needed, usually two to four times daily, depending on my physical exertion. I also use Advair 500/50 1 puff 2 times daily, Spiriva Handihaler, puffed once daily, and Nasonext 2 squirts in each nostril once daily. The Spiriva fairly new on the market and works great for me. It's a 'puffer' using caplets, and is long acting to keep the albuterol inhalers working 24 hours. Mo > I've been a severe asthmatic for many years and have had a hard time > being controlled on Advair 500/50, allegra, and bronchodilators. I [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles of the bronchial tree become tight and the lining of the air passages swells, reducing airflow and producing the characteristic wheezing sound. Mucus production is increased. For more details Click on: http://medical-health-care-information.com/encyclopedia/A/Asthma.asp > My name is Mo. I also had many problems with infections of the lungs and > spent many periods in the ER. I had been diagnosed with lifetime asthma, [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > I have had asthma since I was a kid and am currently 28 years. Any > > advice about management wouldbe muchappreicated. |
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