newly diagnosed with asthma Archives - Asthma-News.com

My Personal Review of Advair — So far anyway

Webmaster — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 15:36:56 +0000

So I have been pretty open about my asthma struggles and over the last month I have seen my internist who put me on Advair 250/50 and I actually felt quite a lot more energy after a couple of days. Last week I went to see my pulmonologist and he increased it to 500/50 — which to be honest I have not been able to pick up yet as Cigna – my health insurance company — for some friggin reason — says I am not allowed to have it for another week. Like I have to use up all the 250/50 first – STUPID. Anyway so this is a review of my experience on 250/50 and I am still wheezy so I am hoping that the 500 does some more magic because I do feel a lot better now that I did without the Advair and I am now able to ween off the Prednisone that I have been on since February. So now I am down to 5 mg of prednisone a day for the next week and then kicking down to 2.5 mg and then off completely — fingers crossed.

I haven’t had any weight gain on the Prednisone and I have lost weight the past few months but I have had puffy fingers and toes and my blood pressure has been a bit high a couple of times so hoping ditching the Prednisone fixes that all up.

So here is what Advair is all about :

Advair is a brand name for a combination inhaler medication used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It contains two active ingredients: fluticasone propionate, a steroid that helps reduce inflammation in the airways, and salmeterol xinafoate, a long-acting bronchodilator that helps relax the muscles in the airways, making it easier to breathe.

Advair is usually prescribed for people with moderate to severe asthma or COPD, who require both a steroid and a bronchodilator to control their symptoms. The medication is available in different strengths, depending on the severity of the condition, and is usually taken twice a day by inhalation.

As with any medication, there are potential side effects associated with Advair. These can include headaches, throat irritation, hoarseness, coughing, and increased risk of pneumonia or other respiratory infections. It is important to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Advair, and to follow the instructions for use carefully to minimize the risk of side effects.

You take it in this weird kind of inhaler where it is a powder. BE SURE TO RINSE YOUR MOUTH OUT AFTER you use it — and do not swallow the rinse water. As it can cause mouth issues.

THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE — THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. But I have gone from being very weak and really struggling and very winded when I climb the stairs to now being just south of normal. I am still not “strong” and I am still not “well” but I do feel like I have a lot more quality of life. I can climb the stair and I am now able to walk around more which you can’t really do rehab if you can’t walk or climb stairs — RIGHT. So moving in the right direction

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Piece of Mind from a Pulse Oximeter — who knew!!

Webmaster — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 01:34:25 +0000

So I will confess, I like gadgets so when Covid hit, I bought a pulse oximeter as everyone told me that if you get Covid and it is getting worse, it will be a good measuring device of the severity. Since I had covid before they were even calling it covid, I never really used it for that but I have used it A TON for my asthma. And of course when I was in the hospital, they had one on me most of the time. (Getting in and out of the bathroom with an IV and all these wires and gizmos was a bit much if you haven’t tried it and my gown had a pocket for the little pack for all that stuff and it was still difficult) Anyway I digress. Just a bad flashback.

Anyway, there are times with my asthma where I feel like I am not doing great and it ramps my anxiety up to the roof and putting the pulse oximeter on calms me right down. Oh look I am still at 96 or 95 or 97 (these are my usual numbers, I usually don’t go much above that except once in a while and I never really go below 95) so it knocks the mental challenge of asthma right off. The worry and the unknown. Well, now I know.

My brother had asthma growing up and I am sure it was very stressful on my parents to not know if he was doing ok. For 20 bucks, you can buy one of these little gadgets and know immediately if you or your child or whoever is at least getting enough oxygen. They still might be having an attack so don’t use it to assume that is not happening but stress can make attacks worse and having people around you all freaked out doesn’t help. My husband being all freaked out and asking me right in my face when I can barely talk seems to not calm me down. But sitting upright and doing some controlled breathing and wearing a pulse oximeter helps me get my mind focused. Then at least I am not fighting an asthma attack and anxiety at the same time.

It also helps to know if you do get sick or have an issue and the number changes. What are your normal numbers? It is good to know your benchmarks.

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Should you be using a spacer with your asthma inhaler

Webmaster — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 18:20:03 +0000

Should you use a spacer when you use your asthma inhaler?

Well, this is obviously a question for your doctor but if you haven’t asked your doctor or they haven’t suggested one, you should for sure ask. For me and for a lot of people, this is a BIG YES YOU SHOULD.

Spacers help you to use your asthma inhaler properly. That is the simple answer. The longer answer is that using an inhaler isn’t easy. It seems easy, we all get used to using it and think we have it down but it isn’t easy. It is hard. You have to time your breathing and aim correctly and maintain the correct head posture. And on top of that you might be wheezing or be feeling the anxiety that comes with knowing you need some help with your breathing.

A spacer puts all of that in the right place and eliminates a lot of that timing. Studies have also shown that spacers get more medicine from the dose into your lungs (where you want the medicine) than using just an inhaler. Yes, sometimes you will have to just hit the inhaler but a spacer is something that should be part of the conversation for everyone, especially when you are a caregiver for someone with asthma. The elderly and children may have a harder time using just an inhaler and getting an effective dose. They may end up spraying the crap out of their tongue and being turned off by the inhaler. So try a conversation with your doctor or asthma specialist to discuss adding a spacer.

Here is a link to a great article from the NIH on spacers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6004521/

Here is a spacer similar to the one I use but get the suggestion from your doctor. I like this one because it has a cap so it keeps the part where I put my mouth nice and clean. You can also get a case and keep both your inhaler and spacer together which is a great idea for travel (an extra inhaler is also a great idea for travel since people tend to lose them and show up at the pharmacy in a panic) Remember World War Z when he has to go to the skanky dude who has taken over the pharmacy during the end of the world just to get albuterol. Don’t be him and get a spare inhaler for your trip.

And if you think you need a case – BE SURE TO MEASURE the length of your spacer. Some spacers barely fit in the cases and most need the mask removed. I don’t use a mask with my spacer, I use the mouthpiece but for people who like the mask, it might be a pain to move it on and off just to fit it into the case. Here is a nice case for travel but it is a bit large but I use mine on trips not daily commutes so I want something that can hold some things and keep them dry. I once had my suitcase left on a tarmac in Montreal for what must have been hours because all of my clothes in it were quite wet so I really wouldn’t want my medications or pills or any other medical things to get messed up so a nice waterproof case is nice.

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Welcome to the Asthma News

Webmaster — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 02:35:45 +0000

So my asthma seriously kicked my ass in November and December last year. I went from super well controlled asthma to gradually it being a bit worse to being quite bad by Thanksgiving and then in the hospital the following week. I had brochitis but my asthma made it much worse and I couldn’t get the two things under control and my asthma is quite a lot better but not like it was. I am still on albuterol by nebulizer a couple of times a day and I am still adding a saline treatment to deal with my very thick mucus. Mucus was the bad part of my episode last year. It was so think that it would stuck to the point of me almost passing out a few times so having the saline to thin it really helps but it also helps my mental health as the anxiety caused by blacking out while you pray for your inhaler to kick in and clear the mucus is terrifying.

So as I work on getting better, I am starting the Asthma News as I have found that while a lot of information is out there, it is actually hard to find some of the research and information. At least it has been for me. I have ran so many things through search engines the last couple of months as I have had some weird side effects (toe cramps for example from the albuterol) and I have been trying to add some exercises and stretches to get stronger and better. These things don’t seem to be easy to find answers to so I have made the Asthma News to hopefully provide some of these answers all in one place. We will see where it goes as it will be a work in progress as I research my own recovery and my path forward as a now middle aged woman who has asthma.

Hope you will find some information that helps you in your journey as asthma is TOUGH!!! Please remember to consult your doctor before you add anything or make any changes. Some of the changes they will be very happy about and some may not be right for you — so be sure to take notes and ask your doctor — it is that simple.

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