Allergies and shortness of breathe

[Wrecked944]

I live in the northeast. And I have always had bad allergies in August. Well, this year, around mid-August, I started having trouble sleeping at night - mostly due to a bit of shortness of breathe, wheezing etc. It was mostly just an annoyance except it refused to go away. A couple of hits of benedryl usually knocked me out enough to get to work the next day.

Anyway, it has recently gotten much worse. At this point, I can't walk up stairs or even walk and talk at the same time without getting dizzy from lack of oxygen. And trying to sleep is a disaster. Oddly enough, my nose doesn't run. I am not sneezing or coughing - none of the typical allergic reactions I usually get. So I have an appt with an allergy specialist tomorrow morning.

May I ask for any thoughts, ideas, experiences, or things I should know before seeing the doctor tomorrow? This whole breathing thing is freaking me out.

Oh yeah, here is more. I've also been sick to my stomach for about three weeks. Very annoying.

[frogger]

Asthma?

[Rot 911]

What frogger said. What you have sure doesn't sound like airborne allergies. Possibly a food allergy.

[Rick Lee]

Might be sleep apnea (sp) too.

[Tobra]

You need to go to a local allergist/pulmonologist

[livi]

Yes, with your history, asthma is the most plausible diagnose. I would not rule out other causes primarily from the lungs on just this story, but asthma would be my first guess.

As Tobra say, you need to see a specialist. A simple forced expiratory test should likely be diagnostic, but as you are a grown man (I am used to kids) they may want to do other tests like a plain x-ray to rule out less likely causes.

Asthma means the inside 'wallpaper' of your airways have an inflammation. It is swollen and produces more mucus which often results in couphing not least at night. Furthermore there are, for some crazy reason, circular muscles in the airway walls. These muscles tend to contract when provoced by the inside inflammation and other factors - particularly exercise. Both these elements - the inside inflammation and the muscle contractions make the airways more narrow, resulting in a shortness of breath. Like breathing threw a straw.

As there are to elements involved, you will need two kinds of medication. Antiinflammatory and muscle relaxing. Both generally in inhaled form. The first is traditionally cortison of some form. Daily administrations is typically needed.

Asthma and allergies should not be confused. Allergies simply means the body has made up it´s mind to react to an external substance (often a protein) by producing a specific type of antibody against it. When they come in contact the result is an array of reactions that ultimately can lead to different symptoms like hay fever or asthma. BUT, and this is important, you do not have to have any allergies to have asthma. Most children have asthma provoced by viral infections without any allergies at all. Asthma is for most grown people a more or less cronic inflammatory desease in the airways inherently. For some it will be further provoced by allergies.

Statistically there is of course a higher percentage of people with allergies that also will develop asthma and vice versa.

Hope that ranting helps some. Spell Check did not work, sorry.

[Wrecked944]

Thanks very much for the info. I had not considered asthma. Actually, I'm not even sure what it is. I guess I have some googling ahead of me. Like I said, I have an appt tomorrow with an allergy specialist. With any luck, he will be able to help.

If it is asthma, I hope it doesn't prevent me from exercising. I like to do the spinning bikes and have never before had problems breathing on them. I've always had good air despite the allergies. Somehow the word "chronic" does not make me feel warm and fuzzy.

[FrayAdjacent911]

Check with an allergist. Get tested. You might be able to do immunotherapy (shots) which can eventually effectively 'cure' your allergies.

In the mean time, see an allergist, get a prescription. Go to a drug store and get a saleen nasal irrigation kit. (this basically a bottle with a squirt nozzle on the top, and little packets of salt. You mix a packet with a bottle of water to make a saleen solution and squirt it up your nose. It feels weird, but it flushes the crap out of your sinuses, and really helps.)

[1fastredsc]

As someone with both allergies and asthma, get the nasal rinse that fray talks about, i have one and it works great. Other thing is you may need to get an inhaler temporarily while seeing the allergist guy, this will help you get to sleep with near instant results at making it easier to breath when having asthma problems. BTW, asthma won't prevent you from exercise, worst case you'll just have to always carry an inhaler with you in case you agitate your asthma while exercising.

[DanielDudley]

Glad you are seeing a doctor. I think you have a lung infection, bacterial or viral.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

Glad you are seeing a doctor. I think you have a lung infection, bacterial or viral.

yep.

[Wrecked944]

Well, I saw the doctor. But he was/is very cautious. He wants tests and wasn't willing to just write a script. He actually said he wanted to run some allergy tests and that taking antihistamines would screw up the results. So I'm not allowed to take ANYTHING for a few days until I go in for more tests. He is also sending me to another doctor to check the cardio/pulminary angle.

It all sounds so sensible and cautious UNLESS YOU CAN'T BREATHE. But I suppose taking random drugs that might not help is no better. So until the results come back, I'll be doing everything in super slo-mo...

[FrayAdjacent911]

If he wants to do the allergy tests, you don't have to wait for results to come in.... you'll react right there in the office!

When I did that, my back looked like I was bitten by a swarm of mosquitos!

[john70t]

I'm not a doctor, but the combination of the upset stomach sounds like you're reacting to mucus drainage from allergies.

- Check that your house has good drainage away from the foundation, the basement has cross ventilation, and that the plumbing isn't leaking inside the walls which could create mold.
-Try covering the couch and bedding with plastic for a few days/week to see if there is any difference. Spray with lysol first.
-Try altering your favorite foods and selectively remove peanut butters, soy, yeasty food and beverages, etc.... There is high fructose corn syrup in just about everything, but that should be avoided anyways.
-Loosing weight will definitly help the nightime breathing process.
-Buy a HEPA filter bagless vacuum and shake/blow out the filter after using it every time.
-Elevate your upper body.

Your doctors right in that this could be indicative of a more serious health issue.
Sleep apnea is a very serious issue and people have died from it.

[john walker's workshop]

Copd?

[cab83_750]

So you don't waste time, go straight to a 'Pulmonary Specialist.'

To make my long story short:
1. Pain in the back of my chest (definitely lung-related).
2. Went to Dr. #1 (psychosematic (sp?).
3. Dr #2 (Allergies)
4. Dr #3 (my flu settled in my lungs).
5. Finally, Pulmonary specialist:
a) hooked up to his numerous machine.
b) immediately, he said I pulled a 'lung muscle'
c) instructed me to throw away all 'designer drugs' previously prescribed by the previous Doctors.
d) And, he said he discovered I had mild asthma.

[trj911]

Advair. I had the same problem last fall. Much Better now!

[RWebb]

You should definitely see an allergist. Your PCP doctor can direct you to one, and your health plan may require that.

It could be chemicals, mold, animal dander... pollen seems unlikely this time of year.

Try to think back to when it got a lot worse if you can and what changed at about that time or a few weeks before that. -- any changes in your activities, new pet?,
neighbor sprayed their lawn?,
did you do any welding, glueing, painting,??
did you clean the bathroom or kitchen - spend time in the basement, stir up any dust??
did you put out wool blankets on the bed? a down comforter?
- all the above can be triggers for allergic rxns.

BTW< asthma is an allegic rxn that takes place in the tubes (bronchioles) that lead to the lungs - they do indeed contain circular rings of muscle and contract in reaction to chemical signals released by your immune system. Your immune system detectors find foreign particles and sends an alert to recruit help. The rxn is overblown and that is the problem. Sublethal exposures to numerous modern chemicals are thought to be important in "screwing up the system" as is early development in an environment that is _too clean_ (surprised?). No one has really figured out the whole problem yet; in part, because this physiological system is not housed in a nice convenient big organ for study - it is dispersed thru-out the body in cells and molecules.

- write it all down & start keeping a log book or diary

take it to your doctor and review with them

- repeat for each new specialist. don't assume the F&^(*&^ing HMOs will allow them time to carefully review your records.

If you don't have health insurance get it right away!

Try to be as specific as possible in talking to your doctor about your symptoms.

Ask your doctor who to see next (what specialist). It is ok to make a suggestion or ask a question of your doctor, but use the comments above as ideas, NOT as things to do. No responsible doctor will try to diagnose you on an Internet Bulletin Board. Do not self-medicate.

Take a written list of all meds. you are on - including over the counter ones.

Good Luck!

[Hugh R]

If you can't breath now, get a script for a broncodialiater such as advair or proventic, it will at least help you BREATH.

[Wrecked944]

UPDATE: Well, it turned out my problem was not asthma. My xrays came back and showed extensive Congestive Heart Failure. Yikes! So I went directly to the ER and, after many tests, they concluded that my heart has been profoundly damaged by something. It isn't yet clear what caused the damage. I am about 30 years too young to have CHF. Plus I don't smoke or drink and I was very aerobically active until just two months ago. So it is a mystery. The doctors say it is possible I had an infection which damaged the heart. They also strongly suspect it may have been an inherited defect. Unfortunately, I was told almost no details of my family's medical history. So I can't offer any clues to go on. But the result is that my heart is pumping at just 10% volumetric efficiency. Yes, 10%. I made the doctor repeat that number about a dozen times just to be certain.

10%

So anyway, I was rushed in to the ER and wired up for sound. They poked a zillion holes in me and drew gallons of blood and ran every test under the sun. But still no cause has been found. They concluded I did not have a heart attack or stroke. They viewed my heart and found no coronary disease of any kind. My cholesteral and blood sugars are all excellent. My arteries are wide open and clear. So the cardiac team dubbed me the "Mystery Patient".

But regardless, the damage is done and it is, apparently, catastrophic. I am on a cocktail of drugs right now to keep me alive and to control the symptoms. So my short term prognosis is good. But for some unexplained reason, the doctors seem to feel that my long term prognosis is grim. When I asked what can be done to repair the damage and improve my heart function long term, one doctor actually said, "I'll pray for you". Somehow I think Dr House would not approve.

I must confess I am not sure how to process the grim news. I know people live for long periods with CHF. But "living long" for a 90 year old might be different than "living long" for a 41 year old. If "living long with CHF" means I get to have another five years stuck in a hospital bed, then I'm not so sure I want to play along. And the hardest part is that I am no longer allowed to participate in most of the activities I used to enjoy. I'm no longer allowed to go to the gym, I can't race autocross anymore, I can't play in rock bands, can't work on my house, can't do yard work, I basically can't do anything strenuous. At present, I'm not even allowed to carry my own groceries. The doctors made it clear I need to adjust to the idea of a greatly dimished quality of life from now on - and not necessarily a long life. And I find this very emotionaly hard. That's because I am not naturally a happy go lucky guy. I am mostly a sad person who finds little pleasure in living. Hell, the only reason I am still alive at age 41 is that I am too much of a coward to seriously pursue the alternative. So every bit of happiness that is taken away is a major and irreplaceable loss for me. Before I had CHF, I wasn't terribly excited about being alive. Now the future appears positively loathesome.

But anyway, I need to thank you all for the advice. This journey has been strange and frightening and every little bit of advice is greatly appreciated. This is the only internet community I participate in. And that is not an accident.

BTW - I want to especially thank Pelican member livi for his advice. When my asthma meds failed to improve my condition, he urged me to take other possibilities seriously. And so I got the xrays done quickly. Had it not been for his advice, I probably would have waited much longer before getting the correct diagnosis and receiving the necessary treatment. I am certain it was "Dr livi's" advice that allowed me to drive myself to the hospital in my red 911 instead of arriving in the back of an ambulance.