Asthma Support Group

I recently found out I have asthma - female 42 yr old.

The funny thing is - I had the same pulmonary function test 18 months prior and NO asthma!! My doctor wanted a baseline as I had had pneumonia one time.

The biggest change was that 8 month prior to the DX I had a chemical exposure incident at work - ended up on puffers for a short while - figured that was the end of it....

Fast forward to this January - and as a part of a get in shape/learn to run program I did a jog outside - in freezing weather - which should have been fine for a no-asthmatic.

I didn't react immediately - the next night I did exercise indoors and right after went back out into below freezing weather (damp) and to watch my son play hockey (sat in the rink)... drove home - and started coughing - didn't sleep well all night...

Ended up with bronchitis/early pneu and after 3 weeks off - still felt like crap - but on doc's advice - went back to work for 1/2 day - and didn't do well - went back to doc same day - he did 1/2 days for a week - and next day felt even worse... went back and saw doc - he said no work - asked for a pulmonary function test (which I got in quickly) and they discovered the asthma.

BIG SHOCK!!!

The one abnormal thing is - my breathing improved 14% with the ventolin but even my b4 breathing levels were "normal"... go figure!!!

I am adopted so I have NO medical family history. I do have one son with asthma - but we always figured it was from the paternal side...

I am now on week 9 and while I feel a LOT better - I still can't walk for long - or try to exercise.

I am seeing a respirologist who is ordering a whole WACKLOAD of tests to see if she can find the root cause... HR CT, stomach test, overnight O2....

And I am only on Symbicort 2 puffs 4x a day... more as needed up to 16 per day...

Well - that is a nut shell is my asthma story...

I can't believe how I am not simply bouncing back... I am on a reduced workload at work (I otherwise share carrying a pager and run around a hospital as needed)...

I did grocery shopping 2 weekends ago - and had a REALLY had time breathing 1/2 way thru - puffers didn't seem to help... I never seem to wheeze audibly... and my home testing is "normal"... but then again - it was normal when I couldn't complete a sentence without air hunger...

Enough whining by me now

Thanks for reading...

Welcome to the forum, wow, that's a heck of a story! Sorry to hear all of that. Sounds like you've had a really rough time of it. But it sounds like the chemical exposure could have caused this to you, IMHO. I believe I've heard of that before, so I wouldn't be shocked at that. I hope you will get some help with the symbicort, and I'm sure this group will be helpful.

*hugs*

jen

welcome to the forum.

You don't have to have a family history get asthma.

I've had asthma all my life.

Belinda

Shauna

yes asthma can make you feel tired.

I just got over bronchitis.

I have allergic rhinitis year asthma.

Belinda

It isn't so much a tired feeling - as feeling like I have finished a round with a boxer smacking around my lungs - start showering and feel lung tired... if that makes sense...

I don't wheeze I just can't seem to breathe properly - can't really explain it....

Shauna

It sounds like air hunger to me, what you're describing, and that's really common, but it can make you feel pretty exhausted, cuz oxygen is what helps power all your body. Oxygen-rich blood goes to the rest of your body to help power all your organs, and when you're having problems breathing, it's hard to get enough oxygen in to power the organs. Make sense? And it is hard to explain to anyone who doesn't have this what it's like. It can feel like an elephant sitting on your chest, it can feel like someone's boxing your lungs, people describe basically the same thing in many different ways, because it's all in how we each perceive it. But when you hear someone describe it, you're like, "YEAH! That's IT!" So, I totally get what you're saying, and I doubt I'm alone in that.

I hope you will start to find some relief with the symbicort, but if not, I hope the specialist will be able to help you. Maybe the tests will show more that can provide you with more clues!

*hugs*

Jen

Air hunger sounds about right - I am NOT wheezing - I just feel like crap and a lot of pressure - like a band of pressure - around my lower lobe area...

Today I went to a small salon for a hair cut - and then did a bit of easy walking around downtown - 3 shops all within 2 blocks...

By the time I was done I didn't bother to attempt to go and get the stuff I really needed from the store...

I have a BIG exam tomorrow so that was one of my reasons for not pushing it...

I still don't have any tests booked - nor my follow up appointment - I guess it is wait and see at this point...

anyways - I am going to take a sleeping pill so that I get a good nights sleep before the exam....