Anyone else here with Asthma?

[MyBoyHarper]

How do you control your symptoms with animals? I have asthma, and lately it's gotten so bad. I have severe allergies, in which I live on Zyrtec, and I take my Albuterol asthma inhaler quite a bit. I really think my allergies are due to my animals.

What scares me is, we are moving in 2 weeks (finally, after many delays), and it's about an hour away. However, it's in the middle of nowhere country land, where the nearest hospital is, you guessed it, an hour away. I'm terrified now of having an asthma attack and needing to get to the hospital quickly. I've never had one that bad yet, though. I just get real short winded, congested, and very wheezy. I take my inhaler and I'm 'nearly' okay again. I'm just worried about getting one of those dreaded severe attacks, where even your emergency albuterol inhaler won't work.

I've considered getting rid of most, or all,of my animals before we move, as a precaution. I do believe they are what cause my severe allergies. Especiallyhaving this many in one room.Go ahead and think I am crazy, because I know last night I was talking about getting ANOTHER rabbit. But then I had a bad attack last night after I went to bed, where I was gasping and running for my inhaler.

Anyone else here have asthma? Do you keep it pretty well controlled with animals?

 

[Snuggys Mom]

I have terrible asthma and allergies. In the last two years, I've brought six animals into the house and I am doing really well.

I take weekly allergy injections along with daily meds:

Singulair (preventative)

Serevent Inhaler (preventative)

Allegra (preventative)

I take Albuterol when needed, but not very often now - maybe once a week.

Ask your doctor about preventative meds. They have made a HUGE difference for me.

I also purchased an air cleaner with a HEPA filter and it makes a big difference. It traps SO much animal hair.

I would die if I had to give up my animals.

 

[JimD]

***raises hand*** :wave2

I do, I do!

Luckily animal fur and dander don't bother me.

I use Albuterol for treatment and have been using it for several years. I just started seeing a new Dr and he told me that there are much more effective meds available now. He also said that the maintenence meds are much improved as well. He told me that if it's maintained correctly, the possiblities of a severe attack are greatly reduced.

My daughter has asthma, too. She's alergic to fur and dander (and a bunch of other things like dust and dust mites),and has frequent attacks. She uses a nebulizer on a regular basis and that helps a lot to keep it under control.

~Jim

 

[JimD]

Laura wrote:

.......I also purchased an air cleaner with a HEPA filter and it makes a big difference. It traps SO much animal hair.

:yeahthat

...forgot about that. We just got one a few weeks ago and it really makes a big difference.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

My health insurance doesn't kick in until I start college in 3 weeks. I am going to talk to my doctor then about seeing a lung specialist. Once I do, I'm going to see if they would put me on a preventative medicine like Serevent. My mother has extreme asthma, and Serevent did wonders for her for asthma.

I just have such severe allergies, so severe that without Zyrtec, I litterally am gasping for air and coughing up unimagineable amounts of icky stuff.

The animals, all of them except Harper and Haley, stay in my bedroom. We are talking a LOT of animals. Without even being tested, I know that it's what causes my allergies, as I didn't have any problems before the animals came along.

The new double wide we are buying out in the country comes with 3 large bedrooms. Well, it was supposed to be me, and my parents moving in, and we'd have one extra bedroom. We were going to put the animals in the bedroom, to get them out of my room, that way my allergies wouldn't be as much of a problem.

Of course, that's until both of my mother's sons quit their jobs, and now they are moving with us instead of getting a place of their own.

I hate to get rid of my animals, but I don't want to be one of the people that die from an asthma attack. And it scares me being so far from a doctor of hospital in the event that I do have one.

Unforunately, the animals would include my lovebird, the ferret, my rats, all my guinea pigs and hamsters, and I even thought about Haley. Only because I don't think having two rabbits in my bedroom is going to help me much. I would never part with Harper, and I would just house him in the living room or something. However, I could not house a cage big enough for two rabbits in the living room, my parents would never go for it.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi, I also have asthma. I've ended up in the hospital a couple of times with it. I'm on most of the meds that Laura is on. I also ended up on prednesoze once for 6 days, that helped at that time. Mind you this is one drug I do not want to end up on for long periods. Gerry Lewis was on it for a lung condition and that'w when he gained a ton of weight.

I find extreme cold & hot weather (like we are having now) triggers it. I definitely have the air conditioner on.

Have you ever thought of having an oxygen tang in your house to use if you have an attack.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Soooska:apollo:

 

[Snuggys Mom]

SOOOSKA wrote:

I also ended up on prednesoze once for 6 days, that helped at that time. Mind you this is one drug I do not want to end up on for long periods. Gerry Lewis was on it for a lung condition and that'w when he gained a ton of weight.

OMG - I've had to take Prednisone, too. Itfixes one problem, but causes so many others with the side-effects, it's horrible!

I can't sleep, cry constantly (for no reason), gain weight, and grow facial hair! Ick! Not fun.

 

[JimD]

Laura wrote:

SOOOSKA wrote:

I also ended up on prednesoze once for 6 days, that helped at that time. Mind you this is one drug I do not want to end up on for long periods. Gerry Lewis was on it for a lung condition and that'w when he gained a ton of weight.

OMG - I've had to take Prednisone, too. Itfixes one problem, but causes so many others with the side-effects, it's horrible!

I can't sleep, cry constantly (for no reason), gain weight, and grow facial hair! Ick! Not fun.

Prednisone
..two words.......MOOD SWINGS!!:?:X

 

[MyBoyHarper]

My mom has been on Prednisone before for her asthma too, and she's told me horror stories. Our dog is on it for the rest of his life (he's 16 with a pile of heart and lung problems) and it makes him a nervous wreck.

 

[Snuggys Mom]

Aw, poor doggie. Give him a hug from me. Bless his heart.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Have you guys ever heard of controlling your asthma with diet? Been looking online and there are some books out there that explain ways to control asthma and allergy symptoms with your diet.

Every heard of it or tried it?

I'm also overweight, and I've heard before that weight plays a big role in asthma.

 

[Snuggys Mom]

Hmmm.... I'll have to look into that.

I'm overweight also.

 

[JimD]

This works better for adults than it does for children. It has something to do with the development of the flat muscles associated with the bronchial tubes. These muscles contract andconstrict the airways durning an attack.

At the first signs of an oncoming attack, take 5 VERY deep long slow breaths. The intent is to attempt to stretch out the muscles before they contract too much. Sometimes it works....sometimes not. I always give it a try before using my rescue inhaler.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Thanks Jim, I'll definitely give that a try. I read about deep breathing exercises on an asthma website, and how it can help stop an attack before it gets severe. They said doing Yoga daily helps with the muscles of your lungs, and can help cut down on the severity of the attacks and how often they happen.

 

[JimD]

When we've had to take my daughter to the hospital emergency room with an asthma attack, she usually is given an injection of epinephrine.

Keeping this in mind, we usually have some Primatine mist on hand. The active ingrediant is epinephrine. It's "old school", but sometimes works when the Albuteral doesn't.

 

[Linz_1987]

OMG I am so glad there are more people like me at the moment! I am suffering with mine really bad due to the warm weather. I havent used my inhalerthat much over the years but recently I have had to use it 3 times a day or more, everyday the last 2 weeks.

I booked an apointment to see my asthma nurse but they cant get me in until the 17th :X I could be dieing for all they know!

I get asthma quite bad when I go near my guinea pigs, so just before play time or cleaning out time I take my blue inhaler 15 minutes before going near them. It seems to work very well. Although I must admit I dont play with them as much as I would want to due to my asthma.

I also use to get it really bad from the hay I gave my animals. I got it in bales from a horse farm and it was really dusty. But I have recently been buying my hay from pet shops which is dust free, but in bags which dont hold very much and cost about £2 more than a whole bale of hay, but I will do anything to keep my animals.

It sounds like you have it bad But please make giving up your animals as your last option, becasue I know me like you, would be lost without having an animal in the house.

I hope you can sort this out and have what youve always wanted running about your home! Good luck to you!

 

[Haley]

Hey guys!

I have really bad allergies and asthma as well. I dont think my buns affect mine that badly, as I share a room with Basil and Max.

MBH, sounds like you need to get on some kind of preventative medication for your asthma once your insurance kicks in. In addition to the Allegra for allergies,I am on singulair for asthmaand I would die without it. I take it every night before bed and if I dont take it, I wake up gasping for breath.

An inhaled steroid works even better, I cant remember what its called at the moment, but its adiskand you inhale this powder once a day. It is amazing. I had to get off it though, bc the powder was giving me sore throats. You have to wash your mouth after you inhale, or you can get a yeast infection in your throat. It works so well though, I was never using my inhaler when I was on it.

Also, I notice that when I am more active (especially cardio/running etc) my breathing is so much better. I dont know if its just me, but when I feel myself gaining weight and getting out of shape, I feel my breathing getting worse.

Your in my prayers and I hope you feel better..I would hate for you to have to cut down on your animals (which I know you love) bc of of your asthma.

Good Luck

-Haley

PS...as was said, HEPA filters also work great!